Free SSL vs Paid SSL. What Is the Difference?

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SSL certificates have long been an essential part of any website, ensuring data encryption and search engine visibility. But with so many options available, getting the best certificate for your site can be challenging. You must decide on the type of verification and additional features, as well as choose between paid and free alternatives.

This article takes a detailed look at free and paid SSL certificates to help you understand the similarities and differences between the two options.

One of the first questions any website owner asks is, “ Do I need to pay for an SSL certificate? ” By the end of this article, you will know the answer.

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What is the difference between free and paid SSL?
Free SSL certificates are vulnerable to abuse by hackers
SSL Certificates Offered by SSL Dragon
What is the difference between free and paid SSL?
Free certificates are attractive and suitable in certain situations. But it is not for nothing that there are so many commercial certification centers on the market offering all types of paid SSL certificates – they are more flexible and reliable.

Below we have listed the main SSL features and how they work on free and paid certificates.

1. Free SSL vs. Paid SSL: Encryption
In terms of encryption , there is no difference between mobile app development service free and paid SSL. Both versions use the latest cryptographic protocols and technologies to ensure that no intruder can intercept sensitive data transmitted between browsers and servers.

Free certificates like Let's Encrypt, Amazon, and Cloudflare, and commercial brands like Sectigo , DigiCert , and Thawte use SHA-256 algorithms and TLS 1.2, 1.3 protocols . SSL certificates provided by Let's Encrypt are RSA-signed using 2048-bit RSA keys, which you can easily upgrade to 4096-bit RSA keys.

At the same time, free SSL certificates offered by Cloudflare and Amazon have standard 2048-bit RSA keys for asymmetric encryption.




2. Free vs. Paid SSL: Check
Encryption is only part of the core functionality of an SSL certificate. Another important aspect is identity verification through various verification methods, and this is where paid SSL certificates excel.

SSL validation verifies the authenticity and integrity of the SSL certificate used by a website. It ensures that the certificate was issued by a trusted certificate authority and that the identity of the site matches the information in the certificate. SSL verification helps establish secure encrypted connections between users and websites, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access or tampering.

Free SSL certificates only support domain validation (DV). They can verify that the applicant for the certificate controls the domain they are going to secure, but they cannot perform additional checks to establish the legal identity of the person requesting the certificate. You can get a free DV certificate in less than five minutes.

On the other hand, paid SSL certificates , in addition to domain validation, also offer Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) options . BV and EV certificates confirm the legitimacy of a business and provide the highest guarantee that the site is genuine. The only drawback of such certificates is the validation process itself, which requires additional documentation and takes 1 to 3 business days.