{"id":538,"date":"2019-09-26T15:28:01","date_gmt":"2019-09-26T15:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl\/?p=538"},"modified":"2019-09-26T15:28:01","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T15:28:01","slug":"which-ssl-certificate-is-best-a-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl\/which-ssl-certificate-is-best-a-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Which SSL Certificate is Best \u2014 A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s talk about SSL certificates and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types.aspx\">which SSL certificate is best for you and your website<\/a>. And let\u2019s skip straight to the point: there is no \u201cright\u201d answer to this question. Every website, and every organization that owns a website, is different. They all have different needs and different goals. What works best for Google might not work best for you. So, pretending there\u2019s any consensus answer on this is silly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, let\u2019s start with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-questions\/what-is-ssl.aspx\">what an\nSSL certificate is<\/a>, then we\u2019ll cover what kinds are available. Then, with\nthat information, you can decide what\u2019s best for YOU. We don\u2019t want to pushy\nlike that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is an SSL Certificate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SSL\/TLS is an internet protocol that encrypts connections\nbetween client devices used by internet users and servers that host websites. Essentially,\nan SSL certificate is a cryptographic file that facilitates SSL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, <a href=\"https:\/\/aboutssl.org\/how-ssl-certificate-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">an SSL certificate does two things<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Authenticates the identity of the server that\nowns the certificate; and<\/li><li>Verifies that the server is the owner of the\nprovided key pair.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SSL certificates do not encrypt anything. They <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/blog\/about-ssl-encryption\/\">facilitate encryption<\/a><\/em> via a handshake process. This is an important fact to note when trying to decide which SSL certificate is best. But the certificate itself has absolutely no bearing on the actual encryption that occurs. The strength is determined by the capabilities and configuration of the server and client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The way SSL works is this, when a client arrives at a\nwebsite with an SSL certificate installed, a handshake takes place. During that\nhandshake, the server is identified and authenticated, then a secure encryption\nkey is passed between the client and server. They will use this key to\ncommunicate during the connection. Once the handshake is complete, the\nconnection ensues, and the data transmitted between the server and the client\nis encrypted (HTTPS) as opposed to being sent in plaintext (HTTP). This is what\nwe refer to as data in-transit encryption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, let\u2019s talk about the types of SSL certificates with\nregard to how they are validated by the issuing certificate authorities (CAs).\nThis is another step in your journey to figuring out which SSL certificate is\nbest for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SSL Validation Levels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When choosing which SSL certificate is best for your eCommerce\nwebsite, blog, or other type of website, you need to consider which validation level\nyou want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three types of validation available with SSL\ncertificates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types\/domain-validation-ssl-certificates.aspx\">Domain\nvalidation<\/a> (DV) \u2014 The certificate asserts server identity only.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types\/organization-validation-ssl-certificates.aspx\">Organization\nvalidation<\/a> (OV) \u2014 The certificate asserts some organization identity.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types\/ev-ssl-certificates.aspx\">Extended\nvalidation<\/a> (EV) \u2014 The certificate asserts full organization identity.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When an internet user clicks on the padlock icon in their\naddress bar, they can see the information that\u2019s been validated in the subject\nfield of the certificate details. DV SSL is the least trustworthy. Many CAs\noffer it for free and it\u2019s widely used by criminals and phishers. OV and EV are\nconsidered business authentication certificates. They display verified\norganizational information in the subject field and are associated with a much\nlower preponderance of phishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SSL Functionality Types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are four different kinds of SSL functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types\/single-domain.aspx\">Single\nDomain<\/a> \u2014 Secures one domain.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types\/wildcard-ssl-certificates.aspx\">Wildcard<\/a>\n\u2014 Secures one domain and its subdomains.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types\/multi-domain-san-certificates.aspx\">Multi\nDomain<\/a> \u2014 Secures up to 250 different domains.<\/li><li>Multi Domain Wildcard \u2014 Secures up to 250\ndifferent domains <em>and<\/em> their subdomains.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, a few things. <a href=\"https:\/\/cabforum.org\/the-ev-ssl-certificate-and-its-contents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">You cannot get wildcards or multi domain wildcards in extended validation<\/a>, only DV and OV. So, if you need to secure subdomains, it either needs to be done with multi-domain certificates or by using OV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, multi domain certificates use something called\nSANs, or Subject Alternative Name domains. These aren\u2019t free \u2014 most multi domain\ncertificates come with two to four domains, but more can be purchased as\nneeded. You list the additional domains in the SAN fields when creating your certificate\nsigning request (CSR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, What\u2019s the Right Choice?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no correct answer to this question. Before you\npurchase an SSL certificate, you need to answer two questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>How much identity do you want the certificate to\nassert (validation level)? <\/li><li>What do you need it do secure (functionality)?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you know the answer to those questions, the answer to your original question of which SSL certificate is best should be right in front of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"graysection\"><h2>Save Up to 82% on SSL Certificates from RapidSSLonline!<\/h2>\n<p>Protect your website with an SSL Certificate from brands like RapidSSL, Symantec, GeoTrust, and Thawte.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link floatnone\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl-types.aspx\">Shop All SSL Certificates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s talk about SSL certificates and which SSL certificate is best for you and your website. And let\u2019s skip straight to the point: there is no \u201cright\u201d answer to this<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-wpr-button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl\/which-ssl-certificate-is-best-a-complete-guide\/\" class=\"btn btn-green\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-comparisons","category-ssl-basics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Which SSL Certificate is Best \u2014 A Complete Guide - SSL\/TLS Certificates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To make an informed decision about which SSL certificate is best for your website, there are key factors to consider. Here&#039;s your guide to choosing one.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl\/which-ssl-certificate-is-best-a-complete-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Which SSL Certificate is Best \u2014 A Complete Guide - SSL\/TLS Certificates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To make an informed decision about which SSL certificate is best for your website, there are key factors to consider. Here&#039;s your guide to choosing one.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rapidsslonline.com\/ssl\/which-ssl-certificate-is-best-a-complete-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SSL\/TLS Certificates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rsosslcertificates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-09-26T15:28:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casey Crane\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@RSOSSL\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@RSOSSL\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casey Crane\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Which SSL Certificate is Best \u2014 A Complete Guide - SSL\/TLS Certificates","description":"To make an informed decision about which SSL certificate is best for your website, there are key factors to consider. 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