Until now, there haven’t been many options when it comes to free security certificates for your website. ZeroSSL offers completely free SSL certificates that are easy to use thanks to an intuitive user interface and API.
Here, we’re going to take a look at this viable alternative to Let’s Encrypt and how you can make ZeroSSL your website security solution.
This is a tool you can use and trust. And you won’t be alone. Companies such as Slack, Uber, and Shopify use ZeroSSL.
What is ZeroSSL?
ZeroSSL is a new, and free, trusted certificate authority and SSL Platform, with a goal of making it easy and extremely affordable to create SSL certificates.
ZeroSSL has been around since 2016 and has more than 500,000 customers around the world. It’s a trusted certificate authority that you can put faith in.
The tool was built on three primary principles with your website needs in mind:
- Accessibility: A Rock-solid SSL certificate should be affordable and available to everyone.
- Usability: The SSL management user interface comes with every account and lets you set up your own certificates and keep track of existing ones. The process is fully transparent.
- Automation: SSL certificates are an essential web feature and the process should be straightforward. The ZeroSSL REST API interface automates most tasks for you and is supported across all major ACME integrations worldwide.
ZeroSSL issues more than 1 million certificates each month with 99.99% browser coverage. This is a tool you can use and trust. And you won’t be alone. Companies such as Slack, Uber, and Shopify use ZeroSSL.
ZeroSSL is part of the apilayer family of products, including tools such as IPstack, Eversign, Invoicely, and a host of other API products.
Key Features
A security certificate is a must-have for websites. A website with a valid security certificate begins with HTTPS and users are beginning to shy away from sites without this designation (noted by the padlock next to the URL). Some browsers, such as Chrome, will even provide a security warning when you land on these websites.
ZeroSSL makes getting a security certificate easy and affordable. There are free options that work for almost any need, as well as more robust options for corporate- and enterprise-level users.
Key features of ZeroSSL include:
- It’s a real alternative to Let’s Encrypt, another free SSL provider, but is easier to use and understand for most users.
- Get full protection for any domain in less than 5 minutes.
- The tool works with an existing certificate authority and ZEROSSL is a completely trusted sub-authority of its own.
- Offers API/ACME; plus testing is underway for a dedicated ACME serve in BETA that will allow all ACME and Let’s Encrypt clients to automate certificates though ZeroSSL. It’ll be a plugin alternative that’s easy to use. (Coming soon.)
- Easy to use API allows you to create 90-day and 1-year certificates using a simple process.
- Ability to get single domain, multi-domain, and wildcard certificates for free through ACME.
- REST API to issue certificates automatically. It supports all major programming languages.
- Owners can validate domain ownership via email (not just DNS). Let’s Encrypt can’t do that. This makes it easier and quicker to get a valid SSL certificate.
Get an SSL Certificate in 3 Steps
If you aren’t sure you have the technical know-how to obtain and use an SSL, ZeroSSL tools take all of the work out of it.
You can get SSL protection in just three steps:
- Enter your primary domain and select a certificate duration
- Generate the CRS and validate
- Install the certificate
It really is that easy to get started. Then you can manage and renew certificates automatically.
Pricing
ZeroSSL offers free and paid SSL certificate plans, based on your website and business needs. Paid plans also come with a discount for annual payment.
ZeroSSL plans include:
- Free: No credit card required for free plans; includes three 90-day certificates
- Basic ($10 per month): Includes unlimited 90-day certificates, three 1-year certificates, multi-domain certificates, REST API access, and technical support
- Premium ($50 per month): Includes everything in Basic plus 10 1-year certificates, unlimited 90-day wildcards, and one 1-year wildcard
- Business ($100 per month): Includes everything in Premium plus 25 1-year certificates and 3 1-year wildcards
- Enterprise (custom pricing): Custom packages built for your business
Conclusion
Ready to get started with ZeroSSL? Just head over to their website and type your domain into the search bar. That’s all you have to do to get started.
You’ll be on your way to acquiring a free SSL certificate in no time, helping ensure trust in your website. Try it now.
