Sectigo vs ZeroSSL
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Sectigo is a commercial Certificate Authority that issues TLS/SSL certificates, code signing certificates, and provides a full certificate lifecycle management platform. It supports DV, OV, EV, wildcard, and multi‑domain certificates trusted by all major browsers and operating systems. The platform offers automated provisioning via ACME and REST APIs, a centralized dashboard for monitoring and revocation, and compliance reporting tools for enterprises, MSPs, and developers who need robust PKI solutions.
ZeroSSL is a certificate authority that issues X.509 certificates using the ACME protocol, offering both free domain-validated certificates and paid options with extended validation and wildcard support. It provides a web dashboard for manual issuance and an API for automated workflows. The service integrates with popular automation tools, supports RSA and ECC keys, and offers enterprise-grade features such as dedicated support and SLA-backed issuance for large-scale deployments.
- Broad range of certificate types
- High assurance validation levels
- Global trust roots recognized by browsers
- Robust API for automation
- Free tier provides fully functional DV certificates.
- Supports ACME standard, compatible with existing tooling.
- Wildcard and extended-validation options available.
- Simple web dashboard for manual issuance.
- Higher cost compared to free CAs
- Complex pricing requires contact
- Support response times vary by plan
- Limited rate limits on the free tier.
- Paid plans require subscription and may be pricey for small sites.
- No built-in CDN or hosting services.
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataSectigo offers enterprise‑grade, high‑assurance certificates with robust automation but at a paid cost, while ZeroSSL provides free DV certificates and low‑cost upgrades, suitable for smaller sites.
Key differences
- •Sectigo includes EV, OV, and code‑signing certificates; ZeroSSL only offers DV (wildcard available on paid plan).
- •ZeroSSL has a free tier with 90‑day certificates; Sectigo has no free option.
- •Sectigo provides a centralized dashboard and API for large‑scale lifecycle management; ZeroSSL’s dashboard is simpler and geared toward manual issuance.
- •Sectico’s pricing is subscription‑based and higher‑cost; ZeroSSL uses a freemium model with paid upgrades.
- •Sectigo targets enterprises/MSPs; ZeroSSL targets developers and small businesses.
Pricing & value
ZeroSSL offers a free tier with 90‑day DV certificates; Sectigo has no free tier and higher subscription costs.
Uptime & reliability
Not specified for either product.
Performance
Not specified for either product.
Developer experience
ZeroSSL supports ACME, RSA/ECC keys, and simple web dashboard; Sectigo offers API and ACME but focuses on enterprise automation.
Regions & compliance
Sectigo lists global datacenter regions; ZeroSSL provides no region information.
Support
Sectigo offers tiered support with varying response times; ZeroSSL mentions dedicated support only for enterprise customers.
Lock‑in
Not specified for either product.
Choose Sectigo if…
Enterprises needing EV/OV, code signing, and centralized lifecycle automation.
Choose ZeroSSL if…
Developers or small businesses wanting free DV certificates and simple ACME integration.
Common questions
Can I get a wildcard certificate for free?
ZeroSSL offers wildcard certificates only on paid plans; Sectigo provides wildcard certificates on paid subscription.
Do both providers support ACME automation?
Yes, both Sectigo and ZeroSSL support ACME for automated issuance.
Is there a free tier for enterprise‑level validation (OV/EV)?
No, only Sectigo offers OV/EV certificates and they require a paid subscription.