Choosing the right certificate from SSLs.com: If you need to secure your site on a budget, then SSLs.com is an ideal choice. Offering high-quality SSL certificates and gold-standard support for some of the lowest prices on the market, it’s fast becoming the go-to store for affordable SSLs.

But choosing where to get your SSL is one thing; choosing the right one for your site is another beast entirely. With so many different kinds on offer, how do you know which is the right one for you? This article should help you decide!

Read on to find out the best SSL for you.

The two most important questions

Figuring out the right is SSL for your site is as simple as asking yourself two simple questions:

  1. How many domains and subdomains do you have?
  2. Is your website for personal or business use?

By answering these queries, you should narrow your choices down significantly, and the ideal certificate will soon become apparent. Here are the different SSL types broken down.

SSL types by number of sites

SSLs.com offers three SSL types based on the number of domains and/or subdomains you have:

One site SSLs: If you just have one website, then this is the SSL for you.

Wildcard SSLs: This type of SSL protects a single domain and multiple subdomains of one level linked to it. In this instance, a single level subdomain of example.com would look like *.example.com. It also automatically protects any subdomains you create after SSL installation without you having to lift a finger.

Many site SSLs: This kind of SSL allows you to secure multiple domains under a single certificate.

Once you answer this question, you then should think about the validation level you need.

SSL types by validation level

Validation refers to how much the SSL issuer checks into your background before sending you your SSL. This will be dependent on your preferences and the type of website you have. For example, if you own a large online store, users may want to know that you have been well vetted before purchasing. Here are the three main validation levels broken down by category:

Personal SSL certificates: Personal SSL certificates are ideal for blogs or portfolio sites. They offer domain validation, which is the lowest validation level. The Certificate Authority (CA) will simply check that you own the website you wish to secure.

Business SSL certificates: Recommended for business websites that require more information from users (for example, filling out forms or making purchases), Business SSLs offer organization validation, which involves more rigorous background checks.

E-commerce SSL certificates: Offering the most extensive background checks, e-commerce certificates come with extended validation, which requires that a company be properly registered with government agencies to avail of it. This SSL type offers the highest level of assurance to users.

Now that you’ve asked yourself the two key questions and read an overview of the main SSL types on offer, you should have a better idea of the kind of SSL to choose. For example, if you have one website with multiple subdomains for personal use only, then a PositiveSSL Wildcard, which has domain validation, would be ideal for your situation.

No matter what type of SSL you use, all SSL certificates have the strongest level of 256-bit protection, so no need to worry about choosing a low validation level. Every SSL certificate from SSLs.com offers the same level of SSL security.

Conclusion

Picking the right SSL for your site isn’t as hard as you might think. Once you narrow down the parameters of your website scope, the kind of SSL you need should become clear. If you’re still not entirely sure, no need to worry. SSLs.com even has free trials, where you can take any SSL for a test run for 30 days for free, no credit card required.