SSL certificates can be obtained from different sources, most commonly through Let’s Encrypt or through traditional Certificate Authority providers. While both options enable HTTPS encryption, they differ significantly in validation level, lifecycle management, and business features.
What Let’s Encrypt Provides
Let’s Encrypt is a certificate authority that issues free, automated SSL certificates. Its primary goal is to make basic HTTPS encryption widely accessible.
Key characteristics of Let’s Encrypt certificates include:
- Domain Validation only
- Fully automated issuance and renewal
- No cost
Let’s Encrypt certificates are commonly used on personal websites, internal tools, and many standard projects hosted on cloud server infrastructure.
[Screenshot placeholder: control panel showing Let’s Encrypt enabled]
Certificate Validity Period
Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for a short period and require frequent renewal.
- Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days
- Renewal must occur regularly to avoid expiration
Traditional CA-issued certificates typically have longer validity periods.
- Most CA certificates are valid for one year
- Some providers offer multi-year options through reissuance models
Short validity periods are not a security issue by themselves, but they require reliable automation to avoid outages.
Warranty Coverage
Warranty protection is another key difference.
Let’s Encrypt certificates:
- Do not include any warranty
Traditional CA-issued certificates:
- Commonly include a financial warranty
- May cover losses related to certificate mis-issuance or failure
Warranty coverage is often required for commercial websites, especially those processing payments or customer data on dedicated server platforms.
Support Availability
Let’s Encrypt operates without direct customer support.
- No installation or troubleshooting assistance
- Community-based documentation only
Traditional certificate authorities typically provide:
- Technical support via ticketing systems
- Live chat or phone support
- Assistance during issuance, renewal, and installation
This difference becomes important for business-critical environments where downtime must be minimized.
Validation and Identity Verification
Let’s Encrypt uses automated domain validation through the ACME protocol. This confirms control over the domain but does not verify the identity of the organization behind it.
Traditional CA providers offer multiple validation levels:
- Domain Validation
- Organization Validation
- Extended Validation
Higher validation levels verify legal business identity and physical address, which increases user trust and reduces impersonation risk.
[Screenshot placeholder: certificate details showing validation level]
Available Certificate Types
Let’s Encrypt only issues Domain Validated certificates. It does not support:
- Organization Validation certificates
- Extended Validation certificates
Traditional certificate authorities provide a wider range of options, including:
- Single-domain certificates
- Wildcard certificates
- Business and Extended Validation certificates
These options are often required for eCommerce platforms, client portals, and enterprise services hosted on Plesk-based hosting platforms.
Choosing the Right Certificate
The correct SSL certificate depends on how the website is used.
Let’s Encrypt is suitable when:
- Basic encryption is sufficient
- Automation is preferred
- No formal identity validation is required
Traditional CA-issued certificates are more appropriate when:
- Business identity verification is required
- Warranty coverage is needed
- Support and advanced certificate types are necessary
Understanding these differences helps ensure the chosen certificate aligns with both technical and business requirements.