What are the Differences Between Standard and Wildcard SSL Certificate?
Have you ever thought why the difference between a regular SSL certificate and wildcard SSL certificate really is? In case you are attempting to protect your web-site and came across these two alternatives, you are not the first person. The question of how many electric cookies to buy is asked by many people and the answer is relative to your needs.
Therefore, how about explaining it in everyday language?
A basic SSL certificate, also referred to as a single domain certificate secures only one domain. Suppose your vanity is example.com, under a standard SSL, anybody going to example.com is secure. But what this does not take into account is that you may be running blog.example.com or shop.example.com too. Well, a regular SSL will not be able to cover those. Each of them would have to be certified separately.
It is then the wildcard SSL certificate comes as a superhero. A single certificate can secure your primary domain and every subdomain you have or make no matter how numerous they are. Therefore, when you have store.example.com, login.example.com, mail.example.com and intend to add more in future, you are covered by using the SSL wildcard certificate.
The question you may now pose is; is one of them safer than the other?
Good question. Both are equally high in security in regard to the strength of encryption. It is not the question of whether they are safe or not but rather the amount of things they protect.
Another thing that may be on your mind is: which one is suitable to me?
When you are using a simple site, perhaps a portfolio or a small business and there cannot be subdomains, standard SSL is good enough. It is inexpensive, non-complicated and simplistic.
However, in case your business includes more than one service on subdomains, or you might need to add services in the future, then wildcard SSL would save you many hours and money. A single certificate, a single renewal and a single installation – regardless of subdomains.
Yes, wildcard SSLs are costlier than regular ones are. However, when you look at the price you have to pay to purchase a few standard certificates, the wildcard turns out to be more affordable to larger or expanding websites.
It all boils down to this, how many domains do you want to secure? When it is only one, then standard it is. In case it consists of a single domain that includes numerous subdomains, then wildcard should be used.
Still can’t make up which to choose?
After consideration, it can be still an issue to make that informed decision and settle on one option. Others sometime think of using both of them, but is it worth? What remains a question, which is better? All I n all consider your plans in the future. Are you planning to include more subdomains of services and pages? In that case wildcard is the more intelligent one. However, when the targeted object is a single site and no subdomains are to be involved, then just go with a basic SSL.
Enjoy this hope has clarified!
