Free SSL vs paid SSL: is there any difference?
By Ash, Founder, HosteazePublished 2 min read
The short answer
For encryption, there's no difference: a free Let's Encrypt certificate protects visitors exactly as well as a paid one. Paying gets you extra identity checks on your organisation (OV or EV), longer support from the seller and sometimes a warranty. Most small business sites should use free SSL and spend the money elsewhere.
SSL certificates are one of the last places in hosting where you can still be upsold on something you don't need. A paid certificate is sometimes presented as "stronger" or "more trusted". In almost every case that matters to a small business, it isn't. The padlock, the encryption and the browser trust are the same.
What's actually the same?
The bit that protects your visitors. Every publicly trusted certificate, free or paid, follows the same industry rules from the CA/Browser Forum and uses the same encryption. Browsers trust Let's Encrypt just as they trust paid certificate authorities. A visitor's contact form message is no safer behind an expensive certificate than a free one.
The same rules also cap how long any certificate lasts. As of October 2026 the maximum is 200 days, falling to 100 days in March 2027, so even paid certificates now need regular renewal.
What does paying get you?
| Free (usually Let's Encrypt) | Paid DV | Paid OV or EV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encryption | Same | Same | Same |
| What's verified | Domain control | Domain control | Domain plus your organisation's details |
| Shown in the address bar | Standard secure icon | Standard secure icon | Standard secure icon |
| Renewal | Automatic through your host | Often manual or via the seller | Manual, with re-verification |
| Support and warranty | Community and your host | From the seller | From the seller, usually with a warranty |
| Cost | Free | Paid yearly | Higher, EV the most |
That third row is the one sellers skip. Chrome moved the company name for EV certificates out of the address bar and into the page info panel back in Chrome 77, in 2019, after its research found the badge didn't change how people behaved. Visitors see the same thing whichever you buy.
When is a paid certificate worth it?
- A contract, tender or industry body specifically requires an OV or EV certificate.
- You need your registered company name embedded in the certificate for a partner's verification process.
- Your setup can't use automated renewal, for example some older systems, and you need a longer-term certificate with seller support.
None of those apply to a typical brochure site, blog or small shop. Free SSL is included with Hosteaze hosting, as it is with many hosts.
What matters more than the type of certificate?
That it renews without anyone remembering to do it. Expired certificates cause far more "Not secure" warnings than cheap ones ever have. Check your control panel shows automatic renewal, and see why a site says not secure if it ever lapses. To set one up, follow how to install an SSL certificate, and for the basics, read what an SSL certificate is.
Related guides: What is web hosting?.
Frequently asked questions
Do paid SSL certificates rank better on Google?
No. Google treats HTTPS as a lightweight ranking signal, and it doesn't distinguish between certificate types. A free certificate counts exactly the same.
Can I get a free wildcard certificate?
Yes. Let's Encrypt issues wildcard certificates, such as one covering *.yourbusiness.co.uk, but it has to verify them through a DNS record. Some hosts handle this for you; others only issue certificates for each name separately.
My web designer says I need a paid certificate for my shop. Is that right?
Not for the encryption. Card payments are normally handled by your payment provider's own secure pages or fields, so your certificate's type doesn't change your card security. Ask what specific requirement they mean before buying.
