





Gone are the days when you had to buy separate SSL certificates from each of your websites and their subdomains. This had an adverse impact on enterprises as it required huge expenses and a lot of administrative work. There are now a variety of SSL certificate types, like Wildcard SSL Certificates, SAN SSL certificates, and UCC certificates which allow multiple websites and top-level subdomains to protect with a single certificate on multiple web servers.
However, with the advent of solutions like multi-domain certificates (SAN) and wildcard SSL certificates, enterprises can use a single certificate to secure numerous domains and all sub-domains. But several individuals still fail to comprehend the difference between the SAN certificate vs. Wildcard SSL certificate.
To ensure optimal security of your websites and subdomains, it’s crucial to learn the use cases of these certificates. Take no worries, as this article will help you uncover an in-depth comparison of SAN vs. Wildcard certificates. So, let’s start.
A Wildcard certificate is a subdomain SSL certificate that lets you secure and protects numerous subdomains simultaneously. This certificate makes things simpler by alleviating the need for redeploying the certificate while incorporating subdomains.
When it comes to wildcard certificates vs. SAN certificates, the former is the ideal choice if you currently use numerous subdomains and often add them. It eliminates the need for separate SSL certificates – which involve a lot of expense – while ensuring the security of HTTPS.
You should know that any SSL certificate is used for a single domain. The wildcard certificates work in a similar manner while ensuring numerous benefits to the users. There is only a single listed primary (major) domain in a wildcard certificate – like, for example, *.domain.com.
However, an asterisk (*) – which is a wildcard character – enables it to let the user protect an infinite number of subdomains, such as
Moreover, updating the SSL certificate when adding, modifying, or replacing the sub-domains is no longer necessary. So, using wildcard SSL certificates will be highly beneficial and reasonable for you if you use plenty of sub-domains.
When establishing Browser Access applications, ZPA permits the use of wildcard certificates within a solutions market. Within this specific application segment or across many application areas, you can utilize a wildcard certificate for many fully qualified domain names (FQDNs).
You might design two application portions, for instance:
You utilize the same wildcard certificate, *.example.com, for both application segments. A wildcard application can also employ a wildcard certificate. The wildcard certificate, however, only matches against the top level, while the wildcard application supports subdomains.
The Positive SSL Wildcard is the finest security option you’ll discover if you’re a small business or organization wishing to safeguard your domain and subdomains at a fair price. The Positive SSL Wildcard is ridiculously cheap.
The Certera SSL Wildcard offers firms full security while also offering certified business information anytime users verify the certificate or click a website mark for enterprises that are a little more recognized but could still benefit from a boost when it concerns establishing confidence.
These SSL certificates from Comodo are explicitly designed to meet the various Enterprise requirements. This premium wildcard certificate ensures quick, seamless, and effective securing of your organization’s overall website portfolio.
When it comes to SAN certificate vs. Wildcard certificate, the SAN SSL certificate is much like the latter one, as you can secure multiple domains leveraging only one certificate. However, there are several differences between a multi-domain SAN certificate and vs. wildcard certificate that you must know.
Firstly, you can leverage the SAN certificate with numerous websites and top-level domains. Nevertheless, a comprehensive list, along with all the SSL certificates, is a must when incorporating or adding domains. It implies that every time you include a server on the list, you’ll have to redeploy the SAN certificate.
SAN or Subject Alternative Name, like Wildcard, is an SSL protocol extension. It enables multiple values in relation to an SSL certificate via alternative names, like:
When learning the difference between SAN vs. Wildcard SSL certificates, it’s crucial to understand their use cases. We have already explained the use cases of Wildcard SSL, now let’s take a look at the use cases of SAN SSL certificates:
The Comodo Multi-Domain SSL certificate is one of the best SAN SSL certificates. It is a one-of-a-kind SSL certificate that comes with several powerful features like unlimited server license, Up to 256-bit SSL security, and more.
Even though this certificate is explicitly made for Microsoft Exchange & Communication servers, they work seamlessly with other servers too. This lets you secure unlimited subdomains and up to 250 main domains.
This certificate comes with several unique features. Besides MS exchange and communications, this certificate can also be deployed on other servers.
We can now discuss the differences between a Wildcard SSL vs. SAN certificate since we are aware of how these two types of SSL certificates operate. Let’s quickly review how they differ from one another:
Particulars | SAN SSL Certificate | Wildcard SSL Certificate |
---|---|---|
Features | Secures numerous subdomains and domains and comes with all SSL types: DV, OV, and EV. | Secures unlimited subdomains and comes with OV and DV SSL type but no EV type |
Domain Coverage | Secure a maximum of 250 domains | Secures unlimited sub-domains |
Server License | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Reissuance | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Benefits | A single SAN certificate lets you secure both primary domains and subdomains without any hassle. Similarly, | You can incorporate as many subdomains as you want without the need to reissue them. |
Encryption Length | it provides 256-bit encryption for your website’s optimal security and protection. | It offers 256-bit encryption, ensuring the maximum level of protection. |
The Browsers and Mobile OS Compatibility | Compatible with over 99% of desktop and mobile browsers | Over 99% of mobile phone and desktop browsers recognize this certificate. |
Price | It starts at $10.99 | It starts at $19.99 |
Refund Policy | 30 Days | 30 Days |
Buy SAN SSL Certificates | Buy Wildcard SSL Certificates |
When choosing between a SAN cert vs. Wildcard cert, ask yourself the following questions:
With this comprehensive Wildcard vs. SAN certificate comparison, you can now better decide which certificate to choose. Nevertheless, here’s what you should summarize and remember while making a decision: