Comparisons
Compare SSL products, providers, and certificate types
13 articles in this category
Free S/MIME Certificate: Who Still Offers One, and the Catch
Actalis's Mailbox Validated certificate is the one publicly trusted free S/MIME certificate left in October 2026: free for the first year, then €6.00 + VAT a year, with the private key generated by Actalis. What it can show, which roots it depends on, how to check the PKCS#12 file you receive, and why self-signed, CAcert and Let's Encrypt don't fill the gap.
AATL vs Qualified Electronic Signature: What Your Certificate Actually Buys
Two separate tests get run together in almost every buying guide. Adobe's Approved Trust List decides whether Acrobat shows the signature as trusted the moment the PDF opens. eIDAS decides what the signature means in law, and only a qualified electronic signature carries the handwritten-signature equivalence in Article 25(2). A standard AATL document signing certificate passes the first test and stops at advanced on the second. How the two axes differ, what the EUTL wording in Acrobat's signature properties tells you, how to confirm qualified status from the QcCompliance statement inside the certificate, and which level a counterparty can actually demand.
DV vs OV SSL Certificates: What Organization Validation Actually Buys You
DV and OV certificates encrypt traffic identically — the only bytes that differ are three extra lines in the subject field. What changed in March 2026 is that OV now runs two validation clocks at different speeds: domain proof expires after 200 days and keeps shrinking toward 10 days by 2029, while organization proof was cut from 825 days to 398 and stays there. Which counterparties actually read the organization name (browsers stopped showing it in 2019), why PCI DSS has never required OV, and the single question that settles most upgrade requests.
Sigstore vs Code Signing Certificates: What Each One Can Actually Prove
Sigstore signs packages and images for free, and Windows ignores it completely. Why Fulcio's root never reaches the Microsoft Trusted Root Program, where a detached bundle stops mattering, and which half of your release needs a certificate you pay for.
Code Signing vs SSL/TLS Certificates: What Actually Differs in 2026
Both are X.509 certificates from a publicly trusted CA, and neither can do the other's job. The Extended Key Usage field that blocks the substitution, the hardware key rule that only applies to one of them, and why the website certificate is now the one you renew more often.
S/MIME vs PGP: Which Email Encryption Should You Use?
S/MIME and PGP both sign and encrypt email, but they trust keys in opposite ways. S/MIME uses a CA-issued certificate your mail app already runs; PGP uses a web of trust and usually an add-on. How the two standards differ on trust, client support, and deployment — and which one fits your situation.
How Long Does SSL Certificate Validation Take?
DV SSL validates in minutes; OV takes 1–3 business days; EV up to two weeks. What the CA verifies at each level, the documents to have ready, and why an unverifiable phone number is the delay that stalls most OV and EV orders.
Wildcard vs Multi-Domain SSL: Which Certificate Do You Need?
Wildcard SSL secures unlimited subdomains of one domain; multi-domain (SAN) certificates cover many separate domains. Compare coverage, validation, cost, and the EV wildcard rule, then pick the right certificate for your topology.
ECC vs RSA SSL Certificates: Which Key Algorithm Should You Choose?
ECC and RSA secure TLS equally well, but differ in key size, signing speed, and legacy-client support. Compare ECDSA P-256 against RSA-2048 — security strength, performance, CA/Browser Forum rules — and pick the right key for your next CSR.
Let's Encrypt vs Paid SSL Certificates: What Actually Differs in 2026
Free and paid SSL certificates encrypt traffic identically — the real differences are validation level, lifetimes, wildcards, rate limits, warranty, and support. A fact-based comparison with a clear decision rule for when paying makes sense.
OV vs EV SSL in 2026: Cost & When Each Is Worth It
Compare OV and EV SSL certificates in 2026: vetting, validity, browser UI, cost differences, and a clear decision rule for choosing the right certificate.
Who Issues the Most SSL Certificates? What Certificate Transparency Data Reveals (2026)
Understand SSL certificate issuance statistics, Certificate Transparency logs, and CA market share trends. Learn how to interpret SSL data correctly when choosing a certificate.