Free or paid SSL certificates? Which one is best for your website?

Free Or Paid SSL Certificates, this question comes after you have fully understood what an SSL certificate is, and why you should use SSL.

Because, of course, without knowing it, you cannot make a proper judgment. We all know how security is one of the biggest concerns in this modern world. In a world that is now connected to a great extent, information can be accessed very easily. You can now know someone’s exact location, their name, and almost every personal detail. If another person agrees to share this information voluntarily, then that is fine. But it must not be used for wrongdoing. However, we know how this world is filled with evil. That is why this easy access can and has already put many people’s lives at risk. With each passing day, technology has been developing to keep an everyday user safe. An SSL certificate is one example and a solution to it.

What Is An SSL certificate?

In layman’s term, an SSL certified website ensures, both server and browser information remains safe. Now how does that happen? Basically, SSL certificates are data files. These small data files digitally bind a key to the website’s information. When it is installed on a server, it automatically generates a padlock between the server and the browser. This padlock and “https” protocols make sure the connection between a server and browser is encrypted. It also verifies the authenticity of a website. These data files contain the website’s public key, information, and other details.

SSL is also known as TLS very commonly. Getting an SSL certificate for a particular website is no issue these days. You can buy it or even get it for free. Later in this article, you will know which ones better. An SSL certificate includes several things, and you should know what these are. The things in SSL certificates are as follows:

• Name of the domain to which certificate was issued
• Device, website, and the person’s name it was issued to
• Issue and Expiry date of certification
• Public key
• Issuing authority name and digital certificate

So, in short, the websites with SSL or TLS certification provide a secure connection between server and browser. It is guaranteed through it that any activity done on a particular website will be kept completely hidden from a third party.

Do You Need It For Your Website?

It is not necessary that you must get an SSL certificate for your website. Many websites still work without it. However, you must note that getting an SSL certification can be extremely beneficial for your website. Especially when you have a website where users will need to log in or provide any personal information, it becomes essential to have an SSL certification. Few of the many benefits of getting SSL certificates are:

• Not only it keeps the data of the user secure, but the data between servers is kept secure too.
• You sure want your website, right? Well, getting certification would increase google ranking of the website.
• When a customer or user sees a lock sign or “s” in “https”, it builds a sense of security in them. They know whatever information they will provide will be kept safe.

Free Or Paid SSL Certificates?

Now comes the real question, whether you should opt for free SSL certification or a paid one. Well, there are points to both of them. There is a reason both of them are available in the market, and people use them. Let’s start the topic of Free Or Paid SSL Certificates.

Free SSL Certification

Certification Authorities that offer free certification only authenticate the domain for which the certificate is issued. When in the address bar, you see the authentication, you know it’s the right domain. Other than that, you have no information. There is no information whether the website you are at is authentic, whether the business is authentic, whether it’s a scam or not, nothing. This makes the free SSL certification quite unsafe. A free SSL certification from CA does not guarantee your support as well.

For example, if something acts up in the certification, you will have no support to go to. Then you will have to go around asking on the internet if there’s a solution to your problem. The last point is, getting free SSL certification from a free CA, you have to put blind faith into them. It’s not like every free CA will vanish out of nowhere, but you should be careful.

Paid SSL Certification

Now let’s talk about the paid certification. Well, one thing is clear, when you put money into something, there is some guarantee to it. This is the exact case here. When you buy a paid SSL certification, your customers or users can have more authentic verification. For example, other than just domain, they will be able to see other verified details about the website or business. This will build another level of trust between the users and the organization behind the website. This whole verification process is known as business authentication. It can only be bought from commercial CAs.

The reason is now clear as to why the charge for SSL certification. Because after all, it’s a time-consuming process to verify the details of the company behind the website. Other than that, unlike free SSL certification, here you have customer care available. Whenever something acts up in the certification, you can always contact them and seek support. The support is available 24/7, like any other paid service.

We gather from the small analysis of both kinds of certifications above that both are fine to have. However, a free SSL certification is found to be weak and will require more work than paid certification. It will also not give you the exclusive perks, which makes it kind of useless. If your business or organization has a new website, then free certification can be good for starting, but you should try to switch to a paid certification as soon as possible.

So that’s all from this blog, I hope you get the idea about the Free Or Paid SSL Certificates and Which One is Right For Your Website. If you liked this article then please share it with your friends.