How Much Does an SSL / HTTPS Certificate Cost?

Choose the features you need and compare prices before purchasing your HTTPS certificate to save money

So, you want to switch your website to HTTPS? Great! Welcome to web 3.0 — the encrypted, secure web!

Since you’re reading this article, you probably already know that you need an HTTPS certificate for your website (technically, they’re called TLS certificates, but they’re colloquially referred to as SSL certificates or HTTPS certificates a lot). The next question you’re probably asking is: what’s the price of an HTTPS certificate? Let’s dive into the key things you need to know to get the lowest HTTPS certificate cost that meets your needs.

5 HTTPS Certificate Cost Factors

There are quite a few certificates on the market that you can choose from, and pretty much all of them offer the same encryption features (2048-bit private key, up to 256 symmetric encryption, etc.) But as you may have noticed, HTTPS certificate prices vary quite a bit — from just a few dollars to well over a thousand dollars.

But why such a big difference in HTTPS certificate cost from one certificate to the next?

Here are the key features that influence HTTPS/SSL certificate prices:

• Brand. Certificates from better known brands typically cost more. Customers know and trust these brands more, so it’s a great way to show your website users that your site is trustworthy.
• The Number of Sites Secured:
  • Single Domains: The lowest cost SSL/HTTPS certificates typically secure a single website (domain.com and www.domain.com).
  • Subdomains: If you choose a wildcard certificate, you can secure unlimited subdomains (e.g. blog.domain.com). These HTTPS certificates are priced a bit higher than single site certificates.
  • Multiple Domains: The highest HTTPS certificate prices are typically for multi domain and multi domain wildcard certificates, which secure sites across multiple domains. The added benefit of the latter multi domain wildcard certificates is that they also secure multiple levels of subdomains as well. Multi domain and multi domain wildcards are great for companies with complex web infrastructures or many websites.
• Validation Level:
  • Domain validation (DV) certificates are the lowest-priced HTTPS certificates. They’re also the quickest to get, as you only need to verify that you own the domain name in question.
  • Organization validation (OV) certificates cost a bit more and take a couple days to issue, as your company details will be checked and validated.
  • Extended validation (EV) certificates tend to be the highest priced HTTPS certificates. They have the strictest requirements and will show your validated company name in the user’s browser.
• Warranties. Most HTTPS certificates come with a warranty, or liability protection. This covers you in case of a catastrophic failure by the certificate authority. Higher priced certificates typically have higher warranties.
• Site Seals. Different HTTPS certificates come with different site seals. A seal that uses a well-known brand will be more valuable to your site because your site visitors are more likely to recognize it.

Comparing HTTPS Certificate Costs: 4 Recommended Certificates

If you’re looking to get the best value (the most features and the lowest HTTPS certificate prices), we can help! Here are our top four recommendations to meet the most common certificate needs with HTTP certificate cost in mind:

Lowest Priced HTTPS Certificate

If you’re looking for the cheapest way to secure a single website, we recommend the Comodo PositiveSSL Certificate. It’s a super popular SSL certificate with a $50,000 warranty.

Best HTTPS Certificate Price for Subdomains

If your website has multiple subdomains, we recommend PositiveSSL Wildcard. It protects unlimited subdomains and comes with a $50,000 warranty.

Lowest Price for an EV Certificate

If you want to display your verified company name in the user’s browser, you won’t find a better-priced option than the PositiveSSL EV Certificate.

SSL Certificate Pricing for Multiple Domains

If you manage websites across multiple domains, you may want a multi domain HTTPS certificate. This can really simplify certificate management and save you some money at the same time. The PositiveSSL Multi Domain Certificate starts at just $19.49/year.

HTTPS Certificate Pricing for Multiple Domains AND Subdomains

Want to cover multiple levels of subdomains on multiple domains with just one certificate? No worries, we’ve got you covered. You don’t have to juggle multiple certificates when the PositiveSSL Multi Domain Wildcard Certificate will do the trick!

Top Client Certificates of 2021

Have questions about which HTTPS certificate is right for you? Contact our SSL experts 24/7 — they’re here to help!