Recent days, our back-end center received this question frequently from customers. What is the difference between free SSL and paid SSL? So we pick the topic out specially and let's jump right in to make it clear.

1.   Only 90 days free

•  Free SSL certificates can provide you only 90 days free. You have to swap it out for a new one after expired. It will cost you multiple times efforts on it as well as your precise time. In case you forgot to renew, it will impact your website daily operation, especially for website of finance, e-commerce, and enterprise level.
• Paid SSL certificate is always purchased from one trusted platform, like NicSRS. It will provide you reminder function on your customer operation management system or customer service will also help keeping it in mind once your certificate will be expired soon. Also paid SSL certificate issue out for one year at least, which means it saves up four times efforts and time on SSL certificate issuance and related issue within one year. So, your website will always keep in safe without risk concerns.

2.   No support service

• Free SSL certificates requires customer to do issuance, revocation or virtually anything by themselves. If you are facing with any troubleshooting, just good luck to you as no one you can phone or chat on it...
• For paid SSL certificates, CA agent platform like NicSRS, always has the supporting team: 24/7 customer service standby with hotline. Not only on issuance but also you could raise up any uncertainties, helping you to install SSL certificates on server, renew SSL certificates after it expires, security information missing, etc. The most important thing is you can enjoy the warranty terms and refund guarantee here if you pay for SSL certificate.

3.   Only DV to choose

• Free SSL certificate only provides one option to you: DV single domain SSL certificate only. It covers for simple and individual website with lowest encryption level; sometimes the certificate license even may be revoked because of security vulnerability... Any certain size of organization, enterprise site and e-commerce shops all seek for the highest security level for their website, but free not cover.
• Paid SSL certificates, the platform has various brands with different types for you to select. Take NicSRS as example, we have different types from Single domain, multiple domains to Wildcard, basic DV, OV, EV to enterprise OV and EV, brands from Sectigo, Digicert, Entrust, Thawte, Symantec Secure site, GlobalSign, GeoTrust, Rapid SSL to PositiveSSL. Each customer shall choose the most suitable type of SSL certificate in the platform.

In a short, there’s a clear winner after comparing two types. And if you would like to purchase SSL certificate after read the article, please do not hesitate to contact us, our supporting team is waiting for your questions.