Buying an SSL Certificate: Which One Do You Need?
If a website has no padlock in the address bar, you probably leave straight away. An SSL certificate is now the standard, not a nice extra. But with options like free, standard, wildcard and business, it isn't always clear which certificate fits your website.
In this article you'll learn why you need an SSL certificate, which types exist, and how to work out which one fits your situation.
Why do you need an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate encrypts the traffic between your visitor's browser and your server. Without SSL, data such as passwords or payment details could be intercepted. With SSL, your website shows the familiar padlock and HTTPS in the address bar.
SSL has become essential, for three reasons:
- Trust. Visitors immediately see that your website is secure. Without the padlock, browsers show a warning, and most visitors leave.
- Google ranking. HTTPS has been an official ranking factor for years. A website without SSL structurally ranks lower than a comparable website with SSL.
- Legal requirement for personal data. If you process personal data, for example through a contact form or webshop, an encrypted connection is effectively required under privacy law.
Good news: every bHosted hosting package automatically includes a free SSL certificate. For most websites, that's all you need.
Free SSL: enough for most websites
The free SSL certificate you get with web hosting at bHosted is a domain-validated (DV) certificate. That means only your ownership of the domain is checked, not who is behind the website.
This certificate is installed and renewed automatically, so you don't have to do anything yourself. For a personal website, blog, portfolio, or most business websites, this is more than enough: the connection is encrypted just as strongly as with a more expensive certificate.
When do you need a paid SSL certificate?
For specific situations, bHosted offers three paid SSL certificates via the SSL certificates page:
- Standard SSL (from €10.00 per year): a domain-validated certificate for one domain name, with and without www. Useful if you need a standalone certificate, for example outside your hosting package.
- Wildcard SSL (from €125.00 per year): secures an unlimited number of subdomains under one domain name, such as shop.yourdomain.com, mail.yourdomain.com and app.yourdomain.com. Practical if you work with multiple subdomains and don't want to manage a separate certificate for each.
- Business SSL (from €139.00 per year): a certificate with extended validation (EV), where your company name is also verified and included in the certificate. This gives visitors the highest level of trust.
Which SSL certificate fits your website?
A quick overview to help you decide:
| Situation | Recommended certificate |
|---|---|
| Personal website, blog or portfolio | Free SSL (included by default) |
| Business website with one domain name | Free SSL, or Standard SSL if you need a standalone certificate |
| Multiple subdomains (shop., mail., app.) | Wildcard SSL |
| Webshop or organisation that wants extra trust | Business SSL (EV) |
Still not sure? Start with the free certificate. You can always upgrade later once your website grows or you have specific requirements.
Renewing your SSL certificate automatically
Certificates have a limited validity period and need to be renewed in time, otherwise the padlock disappears and visitors see a warning. The free SSL certificate at bHosted renews itself automatically, so you don't need to worry about it.
Do you work with your own DNS setup and want to fully automate certificates, for example for multiple (sub)domains at once? Read our article on automating SSL certificates via the DNS API for a technical walkthrough using acme.sh.
Frequently asked questions about SSL certificates
Is a free SSL certificate actually safe? Yes. The encryption of a free DV certificate is technically just as strong as that of a paid certificate. The difference lies in the validation level: paid certificates also verify your business identity.
How long is an SSL certificate valid? Most certificates are valid for anywhere between 90 days and 1 year. At bHosted you don't need to keep track of this: the free certificate renews itself automatically.
What happens if my SSL certificate expires? Visitors then see a warning that the connection isn't secure, and most will leave the website immediately. Always make sure your certificate is renewed in time.
Can I see the difference between a free and a paid certificate in the browser? With a standard or wildcard certificate, you only see the padlock, just like with the free certificate. Only with a business (EV) certificate can visitors find the verified company name in the certificate details.
Can I upgrade to a different type of SSL certificate later? Absolutely. You can switch from the free certificate to a standard, wildcard or business certificate at any time via the SSL certificates page.
Get started with SSL at bHosted
For most websites, the free SSL certificate that comes automatically with your web hosting is more than enough. Do you have specific needs, such as multiple subdomains or extra trust for your webshop? Take a look at the options on our SSL certificates page.
Not sure which certificate fits best? Our support team is happy to think along with you. Want to know more about hosting and security? Keep reading on our blog.
