Best Wildcard SSL Certificates

What separates the wildcard SSL certificate picks on this page?

Two of the five members cost nothing. Let's Encrypt scores 8.3 and Google Trust Services scores 7.7, and both issue wildcards over ACME. The paid side starts at $3.88 with SSLs.com (8.5), then jumps to $87 for Sectigo direct and $268 for DigiCert.

The gap is not encryption. It is what comes attached. Let's Encrypt issues in under a minute and renews itself every 90 days, but it is domain validation only, with no warranty and no support desk. SSLs.com runs on Sectigo roots, issued a DV certificate in six minutes in our test, and carries a warranty — for under $4 a year. DigiCert charges $268 for a basic OV certificate and finished OV validation in four hours, with warranties up to $2m and phone support that answers.

Coverage and tooling split the field too. Google Trust Services is automatic on Google Cloud Load Balancing and App Engine, but needs a Google Cloud project and API setup. Sectigo Certificate Manager handles large estates and private CAs; DigiCert's CertCentral does the same with an API.

What should I check before buying a wildcard SSL certificate?

Our scoring weighs issuance and validation at 25, coverage at 20, warranty and assurance at 15, support and tooling at 15, and value at 25. Work through those in order.

• Validation type: DV hides nothing about your company. If you need a verified company name, you are looking at OV or EV, which means DigiCert or Sectigo.
• Warranty: Let's Encrypt and Google Trust Services carry none. DigiCert goes up to $2m.
• Renewal price: SSLs.com renews higher than its first year. Check year two before you commit.
• Support: SSLs.com is chat and ticket only. The free options rely on documentation and your host.
• Automation: Let's Encrypt is built into cPanel, Plesk, CloudPanel, Caddy, Cloudflare and most hosts. Google Trust Services uses standard ACME, so Certbot works unchanged.

If you just need encryption

Let's Encrypt is free and renews itself every 90 days with no action. Google Trust Services is the pick if your infrastructure already lives in Google Cloud.

If you want a paid certificate cheaply

SSLs.com at $3.88 a year gives you Sectigo roots, a warranty and a support desk. Sectigo direct sells the same PositiveSSL certificate for $87, so buying direct makes sense only at volume.

If you have an auditor

DigiCert at $268 brings four-hour OV validation, warranties up to $2m and CertCentral for large estates. Overkill for anything smaller than a company with an auditor.

For most sites, Let's Encrypt covers a wildcard for free and renews itself every 90 days. If you want a warranty and a support desk without spending much, SSLs.com at $3.88 a year is the paid pick. DigiCert at $268 suits companies that need OV validation, warranties up to $2m and phone support.