SSL pricing explained
How Much Does an SSL Certificate Cost?
An SSL certificate can cost nothing or a significant yearly amount, and the difference comes from four things: validation level, coverage, brand and warranty. This guide shows what you pay for, with live prices pulled from our catalog.
How much does an SSL certificate cost? It depends on what the certificate proves and what it covers. A basic domain-validated certificate for one website sits at the low end, while extended-validation, wildcard and multi-domain certificates cost more because they involve more checks or protect more names. The encryption itself is the same at every price point.
Prices change with suppliers and promotions, so we do not print fixed figures here. The live components below read current prices straight from our shop.
| Price driver | Lower cost | Higher cost |
|---|---|---|
| Validation level | DV (domain control only) | OV, EV (company checks) |
| Coverage | One domain | Wildcard, multi-domain, multi-domain wildcard |
| Brand | Value brands (e.g. Sectigo PositiveSSL, RapidSSL) | Premium brands (e.g. DigiCert, Thawte) |
| Warranty | Smaller relying-party warranty | Larger relying-party warranty |
| Plan term | Shorter subscription | Multi-year plan (often lower per-year cost) |
Need trusted HTTPS on a budget?
Our lowest-priced certificates give you the same browser trust and encryption as premium options – sorted by live price.
See cheap SSL certificatesHow much should an SSL certificate cost?
An SSL certificate should cost no more than the validation and coverage you actually need. For a blog or brochure site, a low-priced DV certificate is enough; for a company that wants its legal name in the certificate, OV or EV is worth the higher price.
Think of the price as the sum of the four drivers above. Each one adds cost only if it adds something you use. A wildcard is good value when you run many subdomains and wasteful when you run one site.
Validation level: the biggest price factor
Validation is the identity check the certificate authority (CA, the company that issues the certificate) performs before issuance. Domain validation (DV) is automated, so it is cheap. Organization validation (OV) and extended validation (EV) require staff to verify business records and phone numbers, which costs the CA time and money.
As of October 2026, browsers no longer show a green address bar for EV; the details appear in the certificate viewer. You still pay for the stronger identity check. Details on the levels themselves live in our DV vs OV vs EV guide.
Coverage: how many names the certificate protects
A single-domain certificate protects one hostname, usually with and without “www.” A wildcard protects one domain plus all subdomains on one level, such as *.example.com. A multi-domain (SAN) certificate lists several different domains and is often priced with a base number of names plus extra names.
Types of SSL certificates and their prices in 2026
DV SSL Certificates
Fast domain validation for websites that primarily need HTTPS and do not require organization-level…
from $8.99OV SSL Certificates
Organization Validation SSL for businesses that want the organization behind a website to be…
from $41.99EV SSL Certificates
Extended Validation certificates for organizations that require a more extensive identity verification process.
from $105.99Wildcard SSL Certificates
Protect eligible subdomains under one base domain and simplify certificate management for multi-subdomain websites.
from $20.99Multi-Domain SSL Certificates
Protect multiple specified domain names with one certificate, subject to the selected product’s SAN…
from $20.99
Brand: why two DV certificates can cost differently
All brands we sell are publicly trusted, so a browser treats a value-brand DV certificate the same as a premium one. Premium brands charge for reputation, support tiers, management platforms and larger warranties. Sectigo (formerly Comodo CA) and RapidSSL are typical value choices; DigiCert, which acquired Symantec’s website security business in 2017, sits at the premium end.
Warranty: insurance for the visitor, not for you
The warranty is a promise from the CA to compensate relying parties (your site visitors) if the CA issues a certificate wrongly and they lose money as a result. Higher-priced certificates carry larger warranties. Claims are rare, so treat the warranty as a sign of the CA’s confidence rather than a reason to pay more on its own.
Plan term and subscription length
Multi-year plans usually lower the cost per year. As of October 2026, a “1/2/3-year” plan at BUY-SSL is a subscription term with free reissues; each issued certificate is limited to the maximum lifetime set by the CA/Browser Forum (200 days since 15 March 2026). You reissue during the plan instead of paying again.
Tip: The price tag does not change encryption strength. A low-cost DV certificate and a premium EV certificate both use the same algorithms and key sizes. You pay for identity checks, coverage, support and warranty.
What is the average price for an SSL certificate?
There is no meaningful single average, because a DV certificate for one site and an EV multi-domain certificate are different products. A better approach is to compare the lowest price within the category you need.
The comparison below shows live prices and specs for domain-validated certificates, the category most websites start with.
| Feature | Comodo Domain Validated UCC SSL | Comodo EssentialSSL | Comodo EssentialSSL Wildcard | Comodo PositiveSSL | Comodo PositiveSSL Multi-Domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domains included | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Domains covered | 3 hostnames (e.g. mail, autodiscover, webmail), expandable to 250 | example.com and www.example.com | *.example.com and example.com | example.com and www.example.com | 3 separate domain names, expandable via SANs |
| SAN support | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Additional domains (SAN) | 247 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 997 |
| Multi-domain | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Subdomains | Specific subdomains listed as SANs | Not included (www only) | Unlimited first-level subdomains | Not included (www only) | Individual subdomains can be listed as SANs |
| Issuance time | Minutes | Immediate after validation | Immediate after validation | Minutes | Minutes |
| Warranty | $250,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Encryption | 256-bit, RSA 2048+/ECC | 256-bit, RSA 2048+/ECC | 256-bit, RSA 2048+/ECC | 256-bit, RSA 2048+/ECC | 256-bit, RSA 2048+/ECC |
| Supported servers | Microsoft Exchange, Office Communications Server, IIS, Apache, Nginx | Apache, Nginx, IIS, cPanel, Plesk (not for Exchange) | All major web servers; unlimited server licenses | Apache, Nginx, IIS, cPanel, Plesk and all major servers | Apache, Nginx, IIS, cPanel, Plesk and all major servers |
| Browser compatibility | 99%+ of browsers and devices | 99%+ of browsers and devices | 99%+ of browsers and devices | 99%+ of browsers and devices | 99%+ of browsers and devices |
| Reissue | Unlimited free reissues | Unlimited free reissues | Unlimited free reissues | Unlimited free reissues | Unlimited free reissues |
| Validity period | 1–5 year plans (subscription with reissues) | 1–5 year plans (subscription with reissues) | 1–5 year plans (subscription with reissues) | 1–5 year plans (subscription with reissues) | 1–5 year plans (subscription with reissues) |
| Recommended for | Small to mid-sized businesses | Individuals and small businesses | Individuals and small businesses | Individuals and small businesses | Small businesses, agencies and resellers |
| Wildcard | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Price | from $89.60 / yearView product | from $15.20 / yearView product | from $84.00 / yearView product | from $7.20 / yearView product | from $18.40 / yearView product |
How much does an SSL certificate cost by type?
This SSL certificate cost comparison shows where each type sits relative to the others. Use this table to see where each type sits relative to the others. Live prices are in the category cards above and on each category page.
| Certificate type | Relative cost | Typical buyer | Where to compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| DV single domain | Lowest | Blogs, portfolios, small business sites | Cheap / DV categories |
| OV single domain | Medium | Companies that want a verified name | OV category |
| EV single domain | High | Banks, payment, regulated sites | EV category |
| Wildcard (DV or OV) | Medium to high | Sites with many subdomains | Wildcard category |
| Multi-domain (SAN) | Base price plus extra names | Agencies, multiple brands | Multi-domain category |
Wildcard SSL certificate cost
A wildcard costs more than a single-domain certificate because it covers unlimited subdomains on one level. If you run three or more subdomains, a wildcard is often cheaper than buying separate certificates. Compare current options under wildcard SSL certificates.
EV certificate cost
EV is the most expensive validation level because the CA follows the EV Guidelines, which include legal-existence, address and authority checks. You can compare current EV options under EV SSL certificates.
Why do SSL certificates cost money?
SSL certificates cost money because issuing a trusted certificate costs the CA money. Free certificates exist because some CAs automate everything and fund it differently.
- Audits: CAs must pass yearly WebTrust or ETSI audits to stay in browser root programs.
- Validation staff: OV and EV checks are partly manual.
- Infrastructure: secure key storage, revocation services and logging to Certificate Transparency logs.
- Support: help with CSRs, installation and reissues.
- Warranty: the CA’s financial backing for relying parties.
Why are some SSL certificates so expensive?
The expensive ones combine several drivers: EV validation, multi-domain or wildcard coverage, a premium brand and a large warranty. Many sites do not need all of these. If your site only needs encryption and a padlock, the higher price buys you nothing technical.
Free vs paid: is a free certificate enough?
Free certificates such as Let’s Encrypt provide the same encryption as paid DV certificates. The trade-offs are no OV or EV, no warranty and shorter lifetimes that rely on automation; see our guide on free vs paid SSL for the full decision.
How much would it cost to get an SSL certificate? Work it out in 4 steps
Count your names
List every domain and subdomain you need to secure. One name means single-domain; many subdomains point to a wildcard; different domains point to multi-domain.
Pick a validation level
Choose DV for encryption only, OV to show your company name, EV for the strictest identity check.
Choose brand and term
Value brands cost less for the same trust; multi-year plans usually lower the yearly cost.
Compare live prices
Open the matching category and sort by price to see the current total.
What else adds to the cost of an SSL certificate for a website?
The certificate price is usually the largest cost, but not the only one. Plan for these as well.
- Installation time: generating a CSR and installing the certificate, or paying your host to do it.
- Renewal effort: shorter lifetimes mean more frequent reissues, so automation or reminders save time.
- Host fees: some hosts charge to install a third-party certificate; check current terms on their site.
- Multiple servers: check the product’s server licensing if you run the same site on several servers.
You do not need a dedicated IP address for HTTPS on modern servers, because SNI (Server Name Indication) lets many certificates share one IP.
How to pay less without losing trust
Match the certificate to your actual need, and choose a value brand when you do not need premium support. A reseller can often offer lower prices than buying directly from the CA, because resellers buy in volume. Before you decide, compare all SSL certificates side by side, then pick the lowest-priced option that covers your names and validation level.
Find the lowest price for your site
Browse publicly trusted certificates from Sectigo, RapidSSL and more, sorted by live price.
Browse cheap SSL certificates