SSL Certificate Types: Which One Do You Need?

Not all SSL certificates are created equal. Understanding the different types helps you choose the right level of validation and coverage for your website.

Validation Levels

SSL certificates are categorized by how thoroughly the Certificate Authority (CA) verifies the certificate requester's identity.

DV

Domain Validation (DV)

The most basic type. The CA only verifies that you control the domain - no identity verification.

Verification Process:

  • Email to admin@yourdomain.com
  • DNS TXT record
  • HTTP file on your server

Best For:

  • Personal blogs and websites
  • Small business sites
  • Internal applications
  • Development/staging environments
Issuance time: Minutes
Cost: Free - $100/year
OV

Organization Validation (OV)

Medium level of trust. The CA verifies that your organization legally exists and controls the domain.

Verification Process:

  • Domain control verification (like DV)
  • Business registration documents
  • Phone verification call
  • Physical address verification

Best For:

  • Corporate websites
  • Public-facing business applications
  • Government sites
  • Educational institutions
Issuance time: 1-3 days
Cost: $50 - $300/year
EV

Extended Validation (EV)

Highest level of trust. Requires thorough vetting of the organization's legal, physical, and operational existence.

Verification Process:

  • All OV requirements plus:
  • Legal existence verification (government records)
  • Operational existence (active business)
  • Physical address confirmation
  • Verified phone number callback
  • Domain ownership legal agreement

Best For:

  • E-commerce sites
  • Financial institutions
  • Healthcare organizations
  • Any site handling sensitive data
Issuance time: 1-2 weeks
Cost: $100 - $500/year
Note: While EV certificates used to show a green address bar with company name, most browsers have removed this visual indicator. EV still provides the highest validation level, and company information is viewable in certificate details.

Coverage Types

Beyond validation level, certificates also differ in which domains they cover.

Single Domain Certificate

Covers exactly one domain (e.g., www.example.com). Most basic and affordable option.

example.com

Wildcard Certificate

Covers a domain and all its first-level subdomains using *.domain.com notation.

Covers:

*.example.com = www.example.com mail.example.com api.example.com etc.

Does NOT cover:

example.com (root) sub.sub.example.com
Tip: If you need the root domain covered, many CAs include both *.example.com and example.com in the same certificate.

Multi-Domain (SAN) Certificate

Uses Subject Alternative Names (SAN) to cover multiple different domains with one certificate.

Example Coverage:

example.com example.org example.net brand.io

Best For:

  • Microsoft Exchange and Office 365
  • Companies with multiple brands
  • Unified Communications (UC)
  • Multi-tenant applications

Multi-Domain Wildcard Certificate

The most flexible option - combines wildcards with SAN to cover multiple domains and all their subdomains.

Example Coverage:

*.example.com *.example.org example.com example.org

Comparison Table

Type Validation Time Cost Best For
DV Domain only Minutes Free - $100 Blogs, personal sites
OV Organization 1-3 days $50 - $300 Business sites
EV Extended 1-2 weeks $100 - $500 E-commerce, finance
Wildcard DV or OV Varies $100 - $500 Many subdomains
Multi-Domain DV, OV, or EV Varies $100 - $600 Multiple brands

Free SSL Certificates

Several providers offer free DV certificates:

  • Let's Encrypt: Automated, free DV certificates (90-day validity)
  • Cloudflare: Free SSL for sites using their CDN
  • AWS Certificate Manager: Free for use with AWS services
  • ZeroSSL: Free DV certificates with easy issuance
Recommendation: For most websites, a free DV certificate from Let's Encrypt combined with proper TLS configuration provides excellent security. Use OV or EV when you need to display verified organization identity.

Choosing the Right Certificate

Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Do you handle financial transactions? Consider EV or OV
  2. Do you have many subdomains? Wildcard is more economical
  3. Do you have multiple brands/domains? Multi-domain SAN
  4. Is it a personal project? Free DV is perfect
  5. Do you need to display organization info? OV or EV required

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