Free SSLs VS Paid- Are They Worth Tt Or Not

Posted by Innova Digitals on February 12th, 2020

Every SSL certificate does the same thing!

One thing that you should know about that the companies are not upfront about is the fact that whether it is a paid SSL certificate or a free one, it does the SAME thing from an encryption point of view. It is highly unlikely that a paid SSL will get you a stronger encryption than a free one. That is more a matter of server on the clients and the browser’s side. So, what’s the difference and are paid SSLs worth it or not?

Are paid SSLs worth it?

• Wouldn’t your users feel more secure with an authenticated and validated domain?

A free SSL only authenticates the domain that it is issued for. For example, if you open a website and you see https in the address bar, you know you are at a domain. But you have no idea who is running it and how authentic it is. You can not in any way know what company or organization is behind it. Basically, you can't really validate anything. But with paid SSLs, your trust level increases as they can provide net users with verified and authentic details about what domain they are on and what company is behind them. Hence, the legitimacy of the business is compromised.

• What do you do if something goes wrong?

If something goes awry or you cannot understand something, free support is always available from the company that you have purchased this SSL from. Their support is usually available round the clock so you never have to worry about handling anything on your own. However, if you have a free SSL and have trouble understanding something or if a problem arises, you either have to pay someone or post on different forums or blogs to get answers to your queries. Your team has to handle the issue themselves even if they have no idea what’s going on and frankly, that just seems like a waste of time and resources.

• Wouldn’t you prefer an SSL certificate that lasted longer?

One of the most important differences between a free and a paid SSL is how long each of them lasts for. Free SSLs are usually issued for 2 to 3 months and need to be renewed after that. Also, if you forget renewing it, the security of your website is put at risk. However, paid SSLs are issued for up to a time period of 2 to 3 years hence you do not have to worry about renewing them for a very long time.

• Paid SSL certificates have greater options to choose from!

There are many different types of SSL certificates. If you get a free one, it will only support a single-domain validation whereas with paid, there’s a lot more to choose from, such as single-domain, multi-domain, wild cards, or multi-domain wildcards.

• A warranty surely guarantees a greater lifespan and functionality

Free SSLs do not come with a warranty so if anything goes wrong such as fraudulent transactions, you have to handle it on your own and can do nothing about it. However, with paid SSLs, warranties are offered and their time period and services depend on the plan you choose. A warranty provides insurance of your certificate in case something bad happens.

All this being said, a few businesses should DEFINITELY get paid SSLs. Those are:

• Ecommerce websites

• Government websites

• Companies who do not have enough know how of SSLs

• Enterprise companies

Now, we are not saying that these businesses should not get free SSLs at all. All big businesses need hundreds of SSL certificates and obviously, it would cost a lot to purchase them all. But they should think of getting a paid root certificate which can then issue trusted certificates. Also, businesses should get paid SSL certificates to validate their details and ensure greater authenticity on the market so that more people would trust them and engage in business with them.

All these factors show that if your company can afford, it should definitely go for paid SSL certificates. However, it depends entirely on you whether you want a paid one or a free one depending on your budget, financial situation and whether you know enough to manage a paid SSL. Also, if you are not sure of what you want to do long term and about your goals for your website, we recommend you to get a free SSL because if you do not know whether to even keep a website later on, what is the point of investing long term? So basically, even though, a paid SSL is more profitable and shows greater professionalism, in the end it all comes down to your needs and finances.

To get any work done for your website, contact us, Innova digitals, for we are one of the best digital marketing agency in Pakistan and will help you make your website better.