What SSL Certificate Brands Exist and How They Differ

SSL certificate providers

SSL certificates are issued by various Certificate Authorities (CAs).
Encryption strength is identical across all brands, but they differ in trust level, reputation, validation quality, warranty, support, and pricing.

Major SSL Certificate Brands

1. Sectigo (Comodo)

• one of the most widely used CAs;
  
• broad range: DV, OV, EV, Wildcard, Multi-Domain;
  
• fast issuance & affordable pricing;
  
• high browser compatibility.

2. DigiCert

• premium, enterprise-level brand;
  
• highest trust rating;
  
• ideal for OV/EV certificates;
  
• strong warranty and professional support.

3. GeoTrust (DigiCert)

• mid-range pricing;
  
• reliable and popular among corporate clients;
  
• high trust with lower cost compared to DigiCert.

4. Thawte (DigiCert)

• one of the oldest SSL brands;
  
• affordable;
  
• good OV solutions and excellent compatibility.

5. RapidSSL (DigiCert)

• budget DV certificates;
  
• extremely fast issuance (minutes);
  
• suitable for small sites, blogs, and testing environments.

6. GlobalSign

• premium enterprise CA;
  
• used by large companies and infrastructure systems;
  
• stable and highly trusted.

What Differentiates SSL Brands

• trust level & reputation;
  
• validation quality (especially for OV/EV);
  
• price and warranty;
  
• issuance speed;
  
• support quality.