What’s the Best OV Wildcard SSL Certificate for My Website?

With so many OV wildcard SSL options on the market, here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing one for your site

What’s the best OV wildcard SSL option for your business?

Truthfully, the answer’s going to depend on your organization and its specific needs. Your definition of what would be considered the “best” organization validation wildcard SSL certificate is likely going to differ from someone else’s. After all, every business has different needs.

But there is one thing that’s universally true: It’s essential to choose an OV wildcard SSL certificate from an industry-trusted and reputable certificate authority (CA). Luckily for you, RapidSSLonline.com sells OV wildcard SSL certificates from the most trusted CAs in the industry — Symantec, GeoTrust, and Thawte.

Choosing by Certificate Authority

In the SSL industry, there are many notable certificate authorities. But how do you choose between them? You need to do your research to see what differences, if any, there are between the different brands. With some CAs, the higher price tags are attributed solely to the “brand name.” It’s much like buying something Versace — you’re buying the fancy name. For others, the price boils down to the benefits that each certificate offers.

Choosing by Features or Extra Benefits

Every OV wildcard SSL certificate is going to perform the same functions on a basic level: They’re going to secure your domain (both the WWW and non-WWW versions) and an unlimited number of subdomains on a single level. This means a wildcard secures all of the following:

• www.yourdomain.com
• yourdomain.com
• mail.yourdomain.com  
• login.yourdomain.com
• products.yourdomain.com

However, commercial OV wildcard SSL certificates from some brands will also come with a bunch of great “gimmes” — site seals, warranties, customer support, and even refund options. For example, at RapidSSLonline.com, we offer GeoTrust True BusinessID Wildcards and Thawte Wildcard Certificates (OV) — both of which come with $1.25 million warranties and dynamic site seals. Both certificates also come with:

• unlimited reissuances,
• unlimited server licenses,
• 24/7 live support, and
• 30-day money back guarantees.

So, how do you choose? For some, it comes down to the price.

Choosing by Price

Using a wildcard SSL certificate to secure your domain and single-level subdomains can save you a lot of money, time, and frustration in the long run. You only need to buy one certificate (rather than buying a certificate for each subdomain individually), and you don’t have to worry about managing multiple certificates.

This is a significant advantage for businesses that run hundreds or even thousands of subdomains — the certificate management benefit alone makes an OV wildcard SSL certificate worthwhile!

Luckily, there’s an OV wildcard SSL certificate that meets every budget. For example, the Thawte Wildcard starts as low as $323.46 per year. The GeoTrust True BusinessID Wildcard starts at $359.40 per year.