The difference between a free and a paid SSL certificate

An SSL certificate makes your website work over https, with a padlock in the address bar. The connection between the visitor and the website is then encrypted. So what is the difference between a free and a paid certificate?

Free: Let's Encrypt

• Free with every hosting package at WebOké.
• Encryption just as strong as a paid certificate.
• Requested and renewed automatically.
• Shows that the website belongs to the domain name (domain validation).

Paid

• You buy it from a certificate authority.
• Can also include your company details (organisation validation). The authority will first verify your company.
• Sometimes required for certain integrations or when a client asks for it.
• You install it yourself and replace it in time before it expires. Since March 2026, a purchased certificate is valid for at most 200 days, and that period will get even shorter in the coming years. So expect to replace it at least twice a year.

For almost every website, including webshops, the free certificate is enough. Visitors see the same padlock in their browser.

Also read Activating an SSL certificate and Installing your own (paid) SSL certificate.

See also in the DirectAdmin manual: Installing your own (paid) certificate.

Detailed explanation with screenshots: What is SSL and how does WebOké handle it? in the DirectAdmin manual.