So, you’re interested in securing your website without breaking the bank. You’ve probably heard of SSL certificates, those small digital files that keep your site secure and your users’ data safe. But did you know you can get them for free? From providers like Let’s Encrypt or ZeroSSL to cloud services like Amazon, there are numerous options for you to secure your website at no extra cost.
This article shows you how to get a free SSL certificate and secure your website with the same encryption technology that commercial certificates offer. On top of that, you will also learn how to install your free SSL cert. Let’s get going!
Table of Contents
- Ways to Get a Free SSL Certificate
- Best Free SSL Certificate Providers
- Hosting Providers That Offer Free SSL Certificates
- How to Install Your Free SSL Certificate
- How to Get a Premium SSL Certificate?
Ways to Get a Free SSL Certificate
Since all websites now require an SSL certificate, there isn’t a shortage of options, including free SSL solutions. You can secure your website via free public certificate authorities, cloud services, content delivery networks, and free trial SSL certificates. Let’s explore each of these choices.
Free Public Certificate Authority
You can get an SSL certificate for free from several trustworthy certificate authorities, enhancing your website’s security without breaking your budget. These best free SSL certificate providers include organizations like Let’s Encrypt and ZeroSSL. They offer free, automated, and open certificates that are recognized worldwide.
Free SSL certificates from reputable public CAs are accessible to all website owners and streamline the encryption process, reducing administrative burdens.
Automation features ensure hassle-free certificate issuance and renewal, enhancing overall security. Recognized by all web browsers, these certificates inspire trust among visitors, boosting user confidence in sharing sensitive data.
Many free CAs adhere to open standards and protocols, such as ACME (Automated Certificate Management Environment), which promote interoperability and compatibility with a wide range of web servers, platforms, and applications.
Supported by active developer communities, free public CAs continuously improve their services, prioritizing cybersecurity and encouraging widespread encryption adoption.
Cloud Services
In addition to free public certificate authorities, you can also secure a free SSL certificate through various cloud services. These services are evolving as a popular option for hosting websites and applications, and many offer free SSL certificates.
You might wonder: “How do I get a free SSL certificate for my website?” Well, cloud services like Heroku, AWS, and Google Cloud provide free SSL as part of their packages.
These certificates encrypt data transmission, boosting security and user trust. But remember, they belong to the cloud provider, not you. So, if you switch providers or stop using the service, the SSL certificate will become void.
Check the provider’s terms of use carefully. They outline any limitations or requirements tied to the free SSL certificates. While the setup, renewal, and security are usually managed automatically, keep an eye on any changes in the provider’s policies. Staying informed ensures you comply with their terms and maintain uninterrupted SSL coverage for your site.
Despite these considerations, using free SSL certificates from cloud services has its perks. It saves you the hassle of buying SSL certificates separately, cutting costs. Just be sure to grasp the ins and outs of these certificates from your cloud provider. This will strengthen your site’s security while avoiding potential hiccups.
Content Delivery Networks
Branching out into Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) can also land you a free SSL certificate for your website. CDNs are networks of servers scattered worldwide that deliver web content based on the user’s geographical location.
They’re a fantastic way to speed up your site and a great avenue to secure an SSL certificate for free. Companies like Cloudflare offer free SSL certificates as part of their services. You need to sign up and point your DNS to their servers, and they’ll handle the rest, including the automatic issuing and renewal of your SSL certificate.
One thing about the free CDN certs is that the provider owns and manages these SSL Certificates. Consequently, if you stop using the CDN service, the SSL certificate tied to it will become void. Despite this caveat, leveraging a CDN for SSL can simplify data encryption and enhance your website’s performance globally.
Free Trial SSL Certificates
Several reputable companies like GoGetSSL provide free SSL certificate trials. The trial lasts 90 days and allows you to test a commercial cert before making a financial commitment.
During this period, you’ll enjoy all the features of a paid certificate at no extra cost. You can get the trial cert in just a few minutes, and after it expires, buy it or switch to any other certificate of your liking.
Free Trial SSL certs are an excellent option for testing environments and complex websites in the development phase that will use a commercial certificate in production.
Best Free SSL Certificate Providers
Let’s explore the top providers for free SSL certificates: Let’s Encrypt, Amazon, and CloudFlare. Depending on your needs, each service offers unique benefits. We’ll discuss how you can benefit from their offerings and secure your website without spending a dime.
Let’s Encrypt
Let’s Encrypt is the go-to choice for many website owners, and for good reason. As a service by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), Let’s Encrypt provides automated, open, and secure certificates at absolutely no cost.
Getting started is a breeze. Simply set up a certificate management agent on your web server, and Let’s Encrypt takes care of the rest, validating your domain and issuing certificates seamlessly. Plus, Let’s Encrypt ensures your certificates stay updated with easy renewal options, always protecting your website.
But here’s the best part: Many hosting providers include Let’s Encrypt certificates in their packages. With one-click installation and activation, along with automated renewal, securing your site has never been easier or more convenient.
Amazon
Switching gears to Amazon, you’ll find that they, too offer a robust and complimentary SSL certificate service, known as Amazon Web Services Certificate Manager. This service allows you to get an SSL certificate for free and manage it easily. It secures your website without the need for any complex configurations.
Using AWS Certificate Manager, you can quickly request an SSL certificate, deploy it on your AWS resources like ELB and CloudFront, and let Amazon handle the rest. They’ll renew your certificates before they expire, ensuring your website remains secure.
Cloudflare
Cloudflare also offers a free SSL certificate service that’s worth considering. Known for its speed and security, Cloudflare offers a flexible SSL solution that helps protect your website while improving its performance.
Cloudflare’s free plan includes an SSL certificate, automatic HTTPS rewrites, and unmetered mitigation of DDoS attacks. Plus, it’s easy to set up. You simply change your domain’s DNS settings to point to Cloudflare, and the service automatically takes care of the rest.
Don’t underestimate the value of this offer. In addition to providing a free SSL certificate, Cloudflare offers a robust security suite that can help safeguard your website from potential threats.
Hosting Providers That Offer Free SSL Certificates
Nowadays, most hosting companies offer free SSL certificates as part of their packages, allowing you to secure your website without additional costs.
- Bluehost. Known for its infrastructure and excellent customer service, it includes a free SSL certificate on all its hosting plans.
- SiteGround is a well-known company that provides a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate that can be activated with just a few clicks.
- DreamHost is another provider you should consider. It offers a free SSL certificate and automatic updates, keeping your site’s security up-to-date.
- HostGator, a well-respected player in the hosting industry, offers a free SSL certificate with every hosting plan.
If your hosting provider doesn’t do it, consider switching to another company. SSL certificates are now mandatory for all websites, so it’s in hosting providers’ interest to help customers meet this requirement.
How to Install Your Free SSL Certificate
If you’re on a shared hosting, installing and activating the free SSL certificate will take just a few steps.
Log into your hosting account. Look for the ‘Security’ or ‘SSL’ section in the control panel. Here, you’ll find an option to ‘Install/Activate SSL Certificate’ or something similar. Click on it. And that should be it.
The same goes with the free SSL certs from CDN providers and Cloud Services. If you struggle with SSL installation, look for official documentation or ask the support team to help.
Install a Free SSL Certificate Manually
Here’s a simplified guide to manually install Let’s Encrypt with Certbot:
- Get Certbot: First, you need to install Certbot. You can easily find it by searching “Certbot download” on your favorite search engine. Once you find it, download it according to your operating system.
- Run Certbot: After downloading, follow the installation instructions. Then, open your terminal or command prompt and run Certbot with the appropriate command.
For example, if you’re using Apache, you can type:
certbot --apache
If you’re using Nginx, you can type:
certbot --nginx - Follow the Instructions: Certbot will guide you through the process. It will ask for your domain name(s) and communicate with Let’s Encrypt to generate SSL/TLS certificates for them. Make sure your domain’s DNS is correctly pointed to your server.
That’s it! Certbot will handle the rest, including modifying your web server configuration to use the new certificates. Once done, your website will be secured with SSL/TLS certificates from Let’s Encrypt, providing encrypted communication between your server and visitors’ browsers.
How to Get a Premium SSL Certificate?
A premium SSL certificate can improve visitors’ trust in your website. Unlike free SSL certificates, premium ones come with additional benefits like business identity verification, an SSL warranty against potential data breaches, and site seals to boost customer trust.
The best place to get a premium SSL certificate is from an SSL reseller like SSL Dragon. We’re official SSL distributors of the leading CAs and offer affordable premium SSL options for every need.
You need only choose a CA and decide on the type of certificate you need. It could be a single-domain, multi-domain, or wildcard SSL certificate.
After that, our intuitive website will guide you through the buying and CSR generation process (a complementary enrollment step). Once the CA verifies your identity, it will email the certificate files.
Next, unlike free SSL certs, you’ll need to install the premium certificate manually on your server. Our step-by-step SSL installation guides will help you with that.
Bottom Line
We’ve shown you several ways how to get a free SSL certificate. Now, it’s your turn to pick the most suitable option. Keep in mind that free certs come with limitations and are appropriate for smaller websites, blogs, online portfolios, and businesses that don’t process payments.
If your website is an e-commerce platform, a startup, or a medium-sized business, consider getting a premium SSL certificate for improved customer trust and extra security features.
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