Back in 2014, an announcement was made by Google that the websites served through \u2018HTTPS\u2019 would secure better SEO rankings, along with the call for \u2018HTTPS everywhere\u2019. Therefore, SSL certificates have become an integral part of any website that assures data encryption and increases online visibility. But since a wide range of options are available in the market, selecting the perfect certificate for your website could be challenging. So, when deciding between Let’s Encrypt SSL vs. paid SSL, you should consider the type of validation, paid or free alternative, and additional features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that time, people might not have thought that HTTPS would conquer the internet world so easily. Many non-believers might have dismissed Google\u2019s decision, but here we are in the year 2026, when Google determined the non-HTTPS websites that request passwords or credit card information as unsafe. This makes Google\u2019s initiative more convincing and important and now it is inevitable to have an HTTPS website, especially if you accept online payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To comply with Google\u2019s standards and avoid getting your website flagged as \u2018not secure\u2019, every website owner should assure that all website pages are served through HTTPS. Many browsers have also made the switch to warn their users whether the website they\u2019re navigating is safe or not. Capitalizing on a premium SSL certificate can help ensure that your website fulfills Google\u2019s security criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important fact that you should be aware of is that \u2013 It is not enough to simply enable HTTPS on your domain, but it is important that every element of your page is loaded through HTTPS including images, CSS files, Javascript etc.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to analyze your website to check if any third party services are integrated in the code of your website like analytics, social plugins etc. and ensure that they are configured in the correct way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this blog, we\u2019ll delve deeper into a detailed comparison of positive SSL vs. Lets Encrypt certificates, outlining the distinguishing factors between the two of them so that you can make a conscious decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An SSL certificate protects your confidential information, like credit card or debit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information. It also helps in assuring the legitimacy of a website by proving its ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most important advantages of having an SSL certificate is that it offers encryption for data when it is transferred over the web, which makes it hard for malicious attackers to access this data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SSL certificates also make sure that the data transmitted from your website visitors\u2019 devices to your web server stays safe and secure. These premium SSL certificates also boost users’ confidence by showing that your website takes its security seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s Encrypt is an automated, free and an open certificate authority (CA) that runs for public benefit. This service is provided by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). While you might be allured by the \u2018free\u2019 aspect of this service, it is important for you to know the rest of the implications that are a part of using \u2018Let\u2019s Encrypt\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s Encrypt SSL certificate works with a simple principle \u2013 They provide support for the generalization of HTTPS and want to make it available for every website owner. However, as their business runs on a \u2018non-profit\u2019 concept and as they have a limited amount of resources, they have to focus more on sustaining the core principle that is creating easy and automated SSL issuance process. They are not driven with the goal of providing any end user support for certificate generation or renewals; given the nature of this initiative, this fact is understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s Encrypt is still comparatively a young service. They left Beta in 2016 \u2013 this means that they don\u2019t have the credibility and experience of a proper established certificate authority. Let’s Encrypt certificates are widely recognized by all major browsers and operating systems. Therefore, Let’s Encrypt has ubiquity, marking the major difference in omnipresence. All the browsers and operating systems comprise of a root repository that contains a list of approved or trusted certificate authorities along with their root certificates. The root certificate states which Intermediately Certificate should be trusted and the ones that shouldn\u2019t be trusted; therefore being a part of this group is extremely important for every certificate authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s Encrypt certificates are fully trusted by all modern browsers, and while there might still be expectations for some browsers. Today, Let’s Encrypt free SSLs operate on all the popular and standard web browsers, mitigating the compatibility issues. This is another major difference between Let’s Encrypt and paid SSL. That is why they reached out to IdenTrust, which is another certificate authority trusted by the main browsers, to cross-sign their CAs. Even though this solves most of the browser warnings, it still does not cater to some compatibility issues that are discussed further in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the positive side, Let\u2019s Encrypt makes use of their self-issued root and intermediate certificates and the private keys are stored in accordance with their website on the hardware security modules (HSMs) and they are out of the reach of the hackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Let\u2019s Encrypt certificates are free of charge and their issuance process is completely automated, the certificates are generated really fast if not instantly. The validation process is quickly performed with the help of ACME protocol-based software, making it a premium SSL. Users can have a valid certificate effective on their domain within a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast to the traditional certificate authority, it is important for the user to put an SSL order first. Users can put the order directly on their website or through a reseller and then the users have to perform the validation steps manually. The validation process can take up to a few hours to several days depending on the type of certificate purchased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The certificate types available through Let\u2019s Encrypt include the basic or SAN (multi-domain) DCV SSL certificates. Recently established Let\u2019s Encrypt, does not have any plans to offer \u2018Organization Validated\u2019 or \u2018Extended Validation\u2019 certificates in the coming future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DCV stands for \u2018Domain Control Validation\u2019, this validation process states that the only thing that is checked before issuing the certificate is that the requester of the certificate has the access to the domain either by uploading a simple .txt file in the domain\u2019s root folder or by adding a particular DNS record in the domain zone. As a result of this process, a lot of questions are raised over HTTPS credibility since anyone can get access to a free SSL certificate<\/a> including the malicious organizations. The malicious organizations will not miss the opportunity to use the HTTPS padlock that is recognized for web security throughout the world to pass as \u2018genuine\u2019 business organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Easy and free access to the trusted SSL certificates reduces the importance of HTTPS and this can trick the uneducated users more easily. How will the visitors differentiate between a genuine respectable business organization and a phishing website? This is where the \u2018Organization Validated\u2019 or \u2018Extended Validation\u2019 certificates come into the picture. The validation process is extended further for these types of certificates. In addition to the DCV step, businesses also have to prove their legitimacy. Businesses can do this either by showing a proof of the incorporation or by providing other important documents that state that the existence of the business as a bona fide trading entity. Moreover, for the Extended Validation certificates, the validation process goes even more deeper. In the case of Extended Validation certificates, the certificate authorities carry out independent checks to confirm that the information provided by the certificate requester matches the information available in the public registers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Organization Validated and Extended Validation certificates always comprise of some details about the website owner, on the basis of the level of validation and browsers display this certificate information to the website visitors. For instance, you may have seen a green address bar that includes the company name; this green bar substantially increases the trust level of the users. The OV\/EV SSL certificates also provide branded website seals that further increase the user\u2019s confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When comparing Let’s Encrypt vs. paid SSL, as already mentioned, Let\u2019s Encrypt certificates are not completely compatible with all browsers. With light to the fact that they are still a new certificate authority and the main browsers or operating systems do not recognize them. Let\u2019s Encrypt publishes a list of incompatibilities mentioned below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Possibly Incompatible:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Known Incompatible:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In practical terms, most of the website owners will find that Let\u2019s Encrypt is compatible with the devices used by a majority of their clients. However, in the case of SNI, if your clients are still using the older operating systems, browsers or mobile devices, then there are chances of encountering some problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Purchasing a premium SSL certificate that is issued by an established certificate authority will generally avoid the compatibility issues. This is because the established certificate authority is already recognized and trusted by all the major software and hardware combinations \u2013 and this is not just a fact now, but this was the fact in the past as well (this means that even the older devices worked as expected).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The certificates provided by Let\u2019s Encrypt have a maximum lifetime of 90 days. Considering that the renewal process is 100% automated, this might not seem to be an issue at first.However, in the LetsEncrypt SSL vs. paid SSL debate, the renewal process is not completely error-free, and some issues have already been reported on the community page of Let\u2019s Encrypt. Users have complained about renewals failing for various reasons, like problems with the .config files, failed domain control authentication, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In absence of a reliable renewal system and with no support staff available for troubleshooting the technical issues, renewal of the SSL certificates turns into a daunting task. Even if you have a lot of technical skills, as the renewals of the certificates have to be done quite frequently, undertaking the renewal process on your own can take up a lot of your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that Certbot asks the users to run the auto-renewal cronjobs multiple times everyday should raise some doubt about the reliability of this process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As quoted by Certbot \u2013 \u2018if you\u2019re setting up a cron or systemd job, we recommend running it twice per day (it won\u2019t do anything until your certificates are due for renewal or revoked, but running it regularly would give your site a chance of staying online in case a Let\u2019s Encrypt-initiated revocation happened for some reason).\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality most of the website owners surely need more than just a \u2018chance\u2019 for keeping their website online, but then it is a matter for getting the service level for which you have paid a price. As Let\u2019s Encrypt certificates are available free of cost, the limitations should also be accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The premium SSL certificates offered by Let\u2019s Encrypt have a lifetime duration of 1-3 years. Naturally, as there is a longer period between renewals, there is a lower risk involved in the renewal process. Considering the worst case scenario, it might have an impact on your business once every 3 years in comparison to once every 3 months!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to this, the premium SSL certificates are generally renewed manually by users. Even if you have the proper processes set in place for ensuring that any certificate expiry doesn\u2019t go unnoticed, the human element can identify and resolve the issues before they have any negative impact on your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At MilesWeb, we take complete responsibility for every premium SSL certificate that we provide. Customers are notified 60 days in advance before the certificate expires. The entire issuance, validation and installation process is profoundly managed by MilesWeb. The reliability of the renewal process given by MilesWeb Vs. the one offered by Let\u2019s Encrypt is unmatched. The failures in the SSL renewal process might create problems for your business; therefore you must consider signing up for a premium SSL certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLets Encrypt\u201d offers wildcard certificates (introduced in January 2018), which enable users to secure a domain, including all its subdomains. Thus, it becomes essential to know the exact number of domains or subdomains for requesting the certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For every registered domain, you can make a request for a maximum of 50 certificates in a week. This means that for those having a large number of subdomains, there needs to be strategic planning done. There are no overrides to this process, and once you hit the limitation due to owning too many domains, the only option is to wait for the restriction to refresh. While it is true that several domains can be included in one certificate, there is a maximum limitation of one hundred names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you require more, the only solution available is to get a premium SSL certificate. For the most part, you should not run into certain other technical restrictions regarding the renewal and issuance of the certificates. In the unfortunate event that you run into any technical problems, the only solution is to wait for the limit to reset, which is unfortunate. Let\u2019s Encrypt SSL does not employ technical support personnel that can make special provisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer to this question depends on three things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, Let\u2019s Encrypt certificates are free and that is a great thing if you are working on a tight budget, but MilesWeb offers a premium SSL certificate at a competitive price, and this will be one of the lowest in your business overheads. You need to determine for yourself if the time and business risk involved in dealing with a renewal malfunction justify a cost saving?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a MilesWeb customer, you are already aware that we offer fully managed services and our premium round the clock support extends to services like SSL and domain names as well. This goes on to say that everything right from ordering, installation, renewal, reissue of certificate, troubleshooting issues etc. is MilesWeb\u2019s responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is an SSL certificate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Is \u2018Let\u2019s Encrypt SSL\u2019? Finding the difference between a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate and paid SSL?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Benefits And Limitations Of Let\u2019s Encrypt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
– Speed Of Issuance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
– Validation \/ Visitor Trust Level<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
– Browser Compatibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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– Certificate Lifetime And Reliability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
– Certificate Restrictions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Should you still pay for the SSL certificate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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