Overview
SSL.com was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas, United States. With over 20 years of operational history as a publicly trusted Certificate Authority (CA), SSL.com is one of the few mid-market CAs that issues certificates under its own root — independent of DigiCert or Sectigo. The company is known for offering a full range of digital certificate products at competitive prices, positioning itself as an economical alternative to top-tier CAs.
In the SSL Certificate market, SSL.com targets SMBs and individual users who need trusted HTTPS encryption and digital signing certificates without the premium pricing of DigiCert main brand or the enterprise-only focus of GlobalSign. In addition to SSL/TLS certificates, SSL.com provides S/MIME email certificates, code signing certificates, document signing, and custom enterprise PKI solutions. The company serves over 200,000 customers across 140+ countries, with particular strength in the North American SMB segment.
Key Strengths
- 20+ Years as Independent CA: SSL.com operates its own root certificate infrastructure (not a reseller or DigiCert sub-brand), providing full control over certificate issuance policies and compliance with CA/Browser Forum baseline requirements. Its root certificates are pre-installed on major browsers and operating systems, ensuring over 99% compatibility.
- Complete Certificate Portfolio at Competitive Prices: Offers DV certificates from $39.95/yr, OV from $69.95/yr, and EV from $149/yr — significantly more affordable than DigiCert main brand equivalents while maintaining the same trust level as a publicly trusted CA. This price positioning is ideal for SMBs that need branded HTTPS without the premium markup.
- Free SSL Diagnostic Tools: Provides free SSL server tests, port scanning, vulnerability assessment, and configuration checkers — useful tools for system administrators to validate certificate deployment and server security posture without purchasing a certificate first.
- S/MIME and Code Signing Included: Supports S/MIME email certificates (starting at $19.95/yr) and code signing certificates (starting at $199/yr), covering document signing and Microsoft Authenticode requirements. This makes SSL.com a one-stop shop for organizational digital certificate needs.
Product Ecosystem
DV SSL Certificates
Domain Validation certificates starting at $39.95/yr. Automated domain control validation via email, DNS TXT record, or HTTP file upload. Issuance typically completed within minutes. Suitable for personal blogs, information sites, and internal tools where only basic encryption is needed.
OV SSL Certificates
Organization Validation certificates from $69.95/yr. Includes manual verification of business registration details. Displays organizational identity in the certificate details. Typical issuance time is 1-3 business days. Ideal for corporate websites and business-facing portals.
EV SSL Certificates
Extended Validation certificates from $149/yr. Requires independent auditor verification of the organization. Displays the company name in the browser address bar. Issuance time is 3-7 business days. Recommended for e-commerce, financial services, and any site where user trust is a priority.
S/MIME Email Certificates
Secure email communication with digital signatures and encryption. Starting at $19.95/yr per mailbox. Compatible with Outlook, Apple Mail, Gmail, and other major email clients. Useful for organizations needing email security compliance.
Code Signing Certificates
Digitally sign software code to verify publisher identity and ensure code integrity. Starting at $199/yr. Supports Microsoft Authenticode, Adobe AIR, Java, and Windows kernel-mode driver signing. Essential for software publishers and application developers distributing code online.
Limitations
- Smaller Market Share (~2%): SSL.com commands approximately 2% of the global CA market, significantly trailing DigiCert (~30%) and Sectigo (~20%). This means fewer third-party integrations, less community support, and lower brand recognition among non-technical end users compared to top-tier CAs.
- Mid-Range Pricing Gap: While affordable relative to premium CAs, SSL.com's DV at $39.95/yr is still 10x the price of Let's Encrypt (free) and significantly above Sectigo PositiveSSL (~$4/yr). For budget-sensitive users, the brand premium may be hard to justify over free or ultra-low-cost alternatives.
- No Low-Cost Wildcard DV: Wildcard certificates start at approximately $200/yr, notably more expensive than Sectigo's wildcard DV (~$80/yr). For websites managing multiple subdomains, this pricing disadvantage compounds across renewal cycles.
- Limited Support Channels: Standard plans include only online ticketing and knowledge base access. Phone support and dedicated account management are reserved for enterprise-level customers. Users requiring immediate assistance during off-hours may experience slower response times.
Use Cases
| Scenario | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SMB Corporate Website | ★★★★☆ | OV from $69.95/yr, verified business identity at reasonable cost |
| Personal Blog / Portfolio | ★★★★☆ | DV from $39.95/yr, independent CA trust at mid-range price |
| Software Publisher / Developer | ★★★★☆ | Code signing from $199/yr, covers Authenticode and kernel-mode signing |
| E-commerce / Financial | ★★★★☆ | EV from $149/yr, green address bar at competitive price vs DigiCert |
| Multi-subdomain Site | ★★★☆☆ | Wildcard from $200/yr, pricing less competitive than Sectigo |
Pricing
| Certificate Type | Validation Level | Reference Price (/yr) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard DV | Domain Validation | $39.95 | Single domain, automated issuance |
| Standard OV | Organization Validation | $69.95 | Business verification, 1-3 days |
| Standard EV | Extended Validation | $149.00 | Green address bar, 3-7 days |
| Wildcard DV | Domain Validation | $199.00 | Main domain + all subdomains |
| S/MIME Email | Organization Validation | $19.95 | Per mailbox, email encryption |
| Code Signing | Organization Validation | $199.00 | Authenticode, Adobe AIR, Java |
FAQ
- Is SSL.com a publicly trusted CA? Yes. SSL.com operates its own root certificate infrastructure and is publicly trusted by all major browsers and operating systems. Its root certificates are pre-installed in Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome, and Firefox trust stores—see CDN and SSL/TLS configuration best practices.
- Can I use SSL.com with Let's Encrypt ACME automation? SSL.com supports the ACME protocol for automated certificate enrollment and renewal, similar to Let's Encrypt. This allows integration with existing ACME clients for DevOps and CI/CD workflows—see CDN and SSL/TLS configuration best practices.
- Does SSL.com offer wildcard certificates? Yes, SSL.com offers wildcard DV and OV certificates starting at $199/yr. Wildcard certificates protect the primary domain and all first-level subdomains. Note that wildcard EV certificates are not currently available—see CDN and SSL/TLS configuration best practices.
- What is the difference between SSL.com and a DigiCert reseller? SSL.com is an independent CA with its own root certificates — it is not a DigiCert sub-brand or reseller. This means SSL.com controls its own certificate issuance policies, root key management, and compliance processes independently—see CDN and SSL/TLS configuration best practices.