How Much Does an SSL Certificate Cost You for HTTPS?

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ssl certificate

Once you have decided to purchase an SSL certificate for your website, the next question pops up, how much is an SSL certificate for? The SSL certificate cost primarily depends on the type of SSL certificate you are buying.

For most people, the SSL certificate price can be a deciding factor on which SSL certificate to buy. Hence, let us first understand through this blog what is an SSL certificate, its type, SSL cost, and where to buy it. Let us get started!

How Does an SSL Certificate Work?

The sole purpose of the SSL is to protect the data being transferred between the websites and the users. Therefore, the protocol leverages certain algorithms to scramble data and transfer it in an encrypted form for higher security. The data may include susceptible information such as users’ names, addresses, and bank details.

Process:

  1. A server or browser attempts to connect to a website protected by an SSL certificate.
  2. The web server identifies the browser request.
  3. The web server further sends the browser a copy of its SSL certificate.
  4. The browser analyzes the server’s SSL certificate and decides if the website is safe.
  5. If the browser finds the website trustworthy, it signals it to the web server.
  6. The web server, in return, sends a digitally signed acknowledgment and begins an SSL-encrypted session.
  7. The data is then shared between the browser and the server.

Though the process may seem lengthy, it happens within milliseconds. The process is known as an SSL handshake. A website with an SSL certificate will appear with the acronym HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) in your browser’s URL bar.

Conversely, websites without SSL protection will show only HTTP without the S in the URL bar.

What Details do You Require to Obtain an SSL Certificate?

Following are the things you will find in an SSL certificate:

  1. The domain name for which the certificate was issued.
  2. Issuing Certificate Authority Name.
  3. The Certificate Authority’s digital signature.
  4. Name of the organization.
  5. Issue date of the certificate.
  6. The expiry date of the certificate.
  7. Associated subdomains.
  8. The public key

Why You Need an SSL Certificate?

The answer is fairly simple. The websites require SSL certificates to verify the ownership of the website, keep their user data secure, and prevent hackers from stealing any information by creating an encrypted tunnel to share information between a server and a browser.

When dealing with the financial details of your accounts, it is best to avail yourself of services from trustworthy websites. SSL certificates keep online interaction private and ensure the website is authentic and trustworthy to share the data.

An SSL certificate helps safeguard crucial information such as:

  • Login details
  • Bank details and cards information
  • Proprietary information
  • Medical records
  • Legal documents and contracts

What are the Types of SSL Certificates?

There are six types of SSL certificates available online:

Extended Validation Certificates (EV SSL)

Generally, these are the most expensive types of SSL certificates. They are purposefully designed with the best security measures. The certificate is mainly used for websites that collect data and involve online payments.

Upon installation of this certificate, you will find HTTPS mentioned in the URL bar along with the company name on the secure padlock.

The owners must undergo a rigorous identity verification to obtain an EV SSL certificate. It helps them confirm their authenticity and distinguish their site from malicious sites.

Product NameType of ValidationIssuance TimePricing
Positive EV SSLExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$59.99/yr
Sectigo Positive EV SSLExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$59.99/yr
COMODO EV SSLOrExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$69.99/yr
SECTIGO EV SSLExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$89.99/yr
Sectigo Positive EV Multi-DomainExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$189.99/yr
Positive EV Multi-DomainExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$189.99/yr
SECTIGO EV Multi-Domain (MDC) SSLExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$216.00/yr
COMODO EV Multi-Domain (MDC) SSLExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$199.99/yr
SectigoSSL Enterprise SSL EV Multi-DomainExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$260.00/yr
Enterprise SSL Pro with EV Multi-DomainExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$960.00/yr
Enterprise SSL Pro with EVExtended Validation1 to 5 Days$799.00/yr

Organization Validated Certificates (OV SSL)

OV SSL certificate is very similar to EV SSL and is generally used by medium to high-profile websites. The website owner must undergo a substantial validation process to obtain this certificate. This certificate aims to encrypt the user’s sensitive information during transactions.

Websites with OV SSL Certificate display HTTP acronym and the website owner’s information in the certificate information. This type of certificate is suitable for commercial or public-facing websites.

Product NameType of ValidationIssuance TimePricing
Instant SSL CertificateOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$21.99/yr
Instant SSL ProOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$23.99/yr
Premium SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$38.99/yr
Sectigo OV SSL CertificateOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$39.99/yr
Enterprise SSL CertificateOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$149.99/yr
Enterprise SSL ProOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$179.99/yr

Domain Validated Certificates (DV SSL)

This type of certificate is mostly used for blogging or informational websites. It has the easiest validation process and can be obtained very quickly. The validation process only needs the website owners to prove domain ownership.

This can be done by email verification, file-based verification or through domain registrar’s information. In DV SSL certificate, only HTTPS is displayed over the URL bar. However, this SSL certificate’s security is minimal as no sensitive information is present on such websites.

Product NameType of ValidationIssuance TimePricing
Certera SSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$3.99/yr
Positive SSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$4.99/yr
Sectigo Positive SSLDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$4.99/yr
RapidSSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$7.99/yr
Essential SSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$14.99/yr
SECTIGO SSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$35.99/yr
COMODO SSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$35.99/yr
Comodo AMT Certificate (DV)Domain ValidatedIn Minutes$64.99/yr

Wildcard SSL Certificates

This certificate lets you secure a base domain and multiple sub-domains on a single SSL certificate. It’s generally used if you have several sub-domains, as you need to buy only a single certificate instead of individual certificates for all of them.

Wildcard certificate has an asterisk * sign marked over its name that denotes any valid sub-domains with the same base domain.

 A single cheap Wildcard SSL certificate can be leveraged to secure:

  • login.yourdomain.com
  • payments.yourdomain.com
  • anything.yourdomain.com
  • mail.yourdomain.com
  • download.yourdomain.com
Product NameType of ValidationIssuance TimePricing
Certera Wildcard SS CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$39.99/yr
Positive SSL WildcardDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$49.99/yr
Sectigo Positive SSL WildcardDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$49.99/yr
Essential SSL WildcardDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$49.99/yr
Comodo AMT Wildcard SSL (DV)Domain ValidatedIn Minutes$70.00/yr
Comodo PositiveSSL OV WildcardOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$98.88/yr
COMODO Wildcard SSLDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$111.99/yr
Premium Wildcard SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$119.99/yr
SECTIGO Wildcard SSLDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$111.99/yr
Sectigo OV Wildcard SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$169.99/yr

Multi-Domain SSL certificates (MDC)

Like the Wildcard certificate, a multi-domain SSL certificate is also used to protect many domains or sub-domain names. However, in this certificate type, you can combine unique domains and sub-domains.

Common examples of MDC-supported websites are:

  • example.org
  • www.example.com
  • mail.this-domain.net
  • secure.example.org
  • example.anything.com.au
  • checkout.example.com
Product NameType of ValidationIssuance TimePricing
Certera Multi Domain SSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$13.99/yr
Certera Multi Domain Wildcard (FLEX)Domain ValidatedIn Minutes$13.99/yr
Comodo Multi Domain SSL Wildcard (FLEX)Domain ValidatedIn Minutes$13.99/yr
Sectigo Multi Domain SSL Wildcard (FLEX)Domain ValidatedIn Minutes$13.99/yr
Positive Multi-Domain SSLDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$14.99/yr
Sectigo Positive Multi-Domain SSLDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$14.99/yr
Certera Multi Domain Wildcard SSL CertificateDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$59.99/yr
Comodo PositiveSSL OV Multi-DomainOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$60.00/yr
SECTIGO MDC SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$86.40/yr
COMODO MDC SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$69.99/yr
Positive Multi-Domain WildcardDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$99.99/yr
Sectigo Positive Multi-Domain WildcardDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$99.99/yr
SECTIGO Multi-Domain Wildcard SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$638.99/yr
COMODO Multi-Domain Wildcard SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$264.99/yr

Unified Communications Certificates (UCC)

UCC certificate is similar to a multi-domain SSL certificate. Initially, UCC was designed to secure Live Communications servers and Microsoft Exchange. However, any website owner can now leverage this certificate to protect multiple domain names under a single certificate.

This is a fairly low-priced certificate. This certificate is organizationally validated and displays HTTPS on the URL address bar.

Product NameType of ValidationIssuance TimePricing
COMODO UCC SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$53.99/yr
COMODO Domain Validated (DV) UCC SSLDomain ValidatedIn Minutes$69.99/yr
SECTIGO OV UCC SSLOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$72.00/yr
COMODO UCC Wildcard CertificateOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$299.99/yr
SECTIGO UCC Wildcard CertificateOrganization Validated1 to 3 Days$179.99/yr

Benefits of Purchasing an SSL Certificate

There are many significant benefits of using an SSL certificate for your website, such as:

1. It Protects Users’ Sensitive Data

This is the most significant benefit of using an SSL certificate. It ensures that your data is transferred through a safe protocol using encryption so that it can not be breached. If someone tries to hack the data, the algorithm ensures the data being intercepted can not be decoded back to its original form by the hackers.

2. It Diminishes the Risk of Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks like phishing (building a duplicate website in coherence to the original one to steal information) have become highly common today. Fortunately, an SSL certificate ensures that the website is safe to use and is not involved in any fraudulent activities.

3. It Provides Users a Trust in the Website

Though repeated several times, an SSL certificate is essential because it assures the users that the website is safe for use. If the site you are trying to visit does not have an SSL certificate, the browser will automatically give you a warning message before you proceed.

4. It is Beneficial for Search Engine Rankings

Google, in 2014, officially announced that SSL and HTTPS are essential SEO factors when they rank a website. However, amidst the huge competition for SEO rankings, having a website without an SSL certificate is extremely hard to rank on search engines.

Prerequisites Before Buying an SSL Certificate

Here are some documents that you may need before buying an SSL certificate:

  • A unique IP address
  • Documents to verify your business’s identity
  • A CSR (certificate signing request)
  • An accurate and updated WHOIS record

What is the Cost of SSL Certificate and Where to Purchase It?

The average cost for different types of SSL certificates has already been mentioned. There are various SSL certificate vendors that you can choose for your purchase of an SSL certificate.

CheapSSLWeb – The Cheapest SSL Certificate Provider

  • Wildcard SSL Certificate starts at $39.99/Year
  • EV SSL Certificate starts at $59.99/Year
  • OV SSL Certificate starts at $21.99/Year
  • DV SSL Certificate starts at $3.99/Year
  • Multi-Domain SSL Certificate starts at $13.99/Year
  • Cheap Multi-Domain Wildcard SSL starts at $13.99/Year
  • UCC SSL Certificate starts at $53.99/Year

Conclusion

Now that you know how much is an SSL certificate price and how crucial it is for your website, so must get one for your website protection. It will make your website safer to use and help more people show trust in it.

Janki Mehta

Janki Mehta

Janki Mehta is a Cyber-Security Enthusiast who constantly updates herself with new advancements in the Web/Cyber Security niche. Along with theoretical knowledge, she also implements her practical expertise in day-to-day tasks and helps others to protect themselves from threats.