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Types of SSL Certificates

Get the right type of SSL certificate to stay secure online

The web security industry has a broad range of SSL certificate types to choose from that can get tricky at times. The most trusted SSL solutions are all from major Certificate Authorities and ultimately need to be chosen by the website owner based on their specific business needs.

Let's review the types of SSL certificates and their benefits - DV SSL, OV SSL, EV SSL, Multi-Domain SSL, and Multi-Domain Wildcard SSL. We’ll make sure you can pick the best SSL type for your website security. Here is a quick rundown of SSL types you should be aware of:

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Domain Validated certificates are basic, fast & inexpensive solutions with the lowest level of validation possible. DV SSL certificates are no-frills encryption-only solutions obtainable by anyone, because all you have to do is prove you own the domain you wish to cover. This simple validation process makes them a quick & cost-effective solution, however they do not offer the competitive advantage, assurance, value and potential ROI more premium certificates can provide. Learn More

Organization Validated certificates are a step in the right direction to assuring website users that the certificate was issued to a real company that is in control of the website. To obtain an OV SSL certificate, the issuing Certificate Authority must do a basic level of validation on the company itself, not just the domain owner, in order to display the company's identity within the certificate. Learn More

Extended Validation certificates are the pinnacle of showcasing trust & security online. After thorough vetting of the company, the issued EV SSL certificate will activate all of the SSL trust indicators within a browser to showcase your site's integrity, including dynamic Site Seals, which have proven to boost trust, confidence & conversion for website users. Learn More

Multi-Domain certificates are also referred to as Subject Alternative Names (SAN) certificates which is a certificate feature used to secure multiple domain names, subdomains or public IPs with a single certificate. This convenient solution was specifically designed for Unified Communications, but now is commonly used to consolidate many domain names across a larger network. With a multi-domain cert, you can cover domain.com, domain.net, domain.org, etc. Learn More

Wildcard SSL certificates are a perfect certificate to have when you need to secure all of your subdomains with just one certificate. When you have a wildcard SSL cert, by simply enrolling with *.domain.com in your CSR as the Common Name, you can secure an unlimited number of subdomains (i.e. mail.domain.com) on an unlimited number of servers and in most cases, you can still cover domain.com & www.domain.com as well. Learn More

Code Signing certificates are simply how you ensure users that the code behind a downloadable application has not been tampered with and is in the working condition intended by the code's creator or manufacturer. It is the web's equivalent of shrink wrap. This "digital shrink wrap" adds trust to any downloadable application and helps increase downloads. Learn More

Miscellaneous Products are all of our other products that we carry that aren't necessarily an SSL or Code Signing certificate. These products can complement your SSL products to take your site's safety and security to the next level. Some of these products include trust seals. Learn More

Single Domain certificates are specifically designed to cover one domain name only. The domain or hostname that it will protect is listed in the common name of the CSR and cannot protect any other domain. There are some exceptions when it gets to dealing with the root domain and whether it's going to cover the WWW and non-WWW version of the base domain name, but for the most part a single name certificate just protects on single domain name unlike our Wildcard or Multi-Domain certificate options. Some more premium single name certificates are Multi-Domain/SAN-enabled certificates which do allow you to add on additional domain coverage if necessary. Learn More

  • DigiCert Secure Site EV SSL

  • DigiCert Extended Validation SSL

  • DigiCert Secure Site SSL

  • DigiCert Secure Site SSL Wildcard

  • DigiCert Wildcard SSL

  • DigiCert Standard SSL

  • RapidSSL® Certificate

  • GeoTrust QuickSSL® Premium

  • GeoTrust True BusinessID®

  • GeoTrust True BusinessID® with EV

  • Thawte® SSL123

  • Thawte® SSL Web Server

  • Thawte® SSL Web server EV

Important! To ensure the most up-to-date security that meets the latest browser requirements, you'll need to re-issue your certificate (at no cost to you) once per year. Don't worry, we'll send you an email reminder 30 days in advance!

In order to provide you the lowest cost per year, we now offer multi-year certificate packages.

To comply with the latest security requirements, you'll need to re-issue the certificate once per year. Don't worry, we'll send you email notifications starting 30 days before it's time to update your certificate! Just follow the instructions in the email to revalidate your domain and reissue the updated certificate.

Have questions? Our customer experience team is available 24/7 to assist you with this process. The 30 day money back guarantee applies to the original purchase date.

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