In the table below, we see a comparison between the paid SSL certificates and the free SSL certificate of let's encrypt, which we include for free with each hosting account.
| Brand | Comodo | Let’s Encrypt |
|---|---|---|
| Validation | Domain Validation | Domain Validation |
| Site Seal |  | No |
| Protected Domains | Depends on the certificate | Single |
| Issuing time | Minutes | Minutes |
| Encryption Strength | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Support | 24/7 Phone and chat | None |
| Browser compatibility | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Guarantee | Yes, the amount varies depending on the certificate | No |
| Vulnerability Scanning | Free trial | None |
| PCI Scanning | Free trial | None |
| Price | from 18€/year | Free |
Nowadays, Comodo and Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates are two of the most widespread solutions. The most frequently asked questions are: which of these certificates is best for me and my website? Is free always better than paid? Are there any differences between having a certificate that expires in 2 years and one that expires in 3 months? Let’s make a comparison to understand which of these solutions is best suited to your needs.
Please note that all SupportHost hosting plans have a free SSL certificate issued by Let’s Encrypt (the certificate is automatically activated in the 24 hours following your hosting account activation). Therefore, you will not need to do anything to activate the SSL certificate of your website.
Furthermore, the most used search engine (Google), along with all the others, focuses mainly on the user experience. So, using a secure connection is among the ranking factors.
When we talk about a certificate, we always use the term SSL. Actually, when we use an HTTPS connection and a certificate, we are using TLS Transport Layer Security, a more updated and reliable version of SSL.
The certificate allows the encrypted exchange of data between the browser and the server. It ensures a secure connection when a sensitive information exchange occurs, such as your users’ personal information or credit card numbers.
If the certificate is present, you will see a padlock icon in the browser address bar. When you see the green lock, you can be sure that the sensitive data you are communicating is safe.
Let’s start with the analogies. What do Let’s Encrypt and a paid SSL certificate have in common? There are quite a few things in common:
From a technical point of view, data encryption works the same way. Both certificates can be used for your website and allow you to use a secure HTTPS connection. Encryption security also does not change.
There are differences. The SSL Certificates we sell offer features that Let’s Encrypt does not offer:
Comodo is a commercial certification body. It means that it earns and reinvests some of the profits in support and tools for managing the certificate. Conversely, Let’s Encrypt is free, it cannot afford to offer support, management tools, or guarantees. It means that you will have to take care of everything personally.
For support, it is advisable to use a paid certificate type. We also recommend you to choose the paid SSL certificate when you need to process credit cards on the website.
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