Let's Encrypt vs Certbot
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Let's Encrypt and Certbot.
Quick Verdict
3.9/5
Let's Encrypt
254 reviews
4.6/5
Certbot
52 reviews
Certbot is rated higher (4.6 vs 3.9). Let's Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority that provides SSL/TLS certificates at no cost. Powers HTTPS on 300M+ websites. ACME protocol enables automatic renewal. Certbot is the official ACME client for Let's Encrypt certificates. Automates certificate issuance and renewal for Nginx, Apache, and standalone mode on Linux servers.
Let's Encrypt Free SSL certificates for everyone | Certbot ACME client for Let's Encrypt automation | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.9 (254 reviews) | 4.6 (52 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | free | free |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Best for | Every developer and business that needs SSL — the baseline choice for free automated HTTPS | System administrators who want automated Let's Encrypt certificate management on Linux servers |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen source | free tieropen source |
| Visit Let's Encrypt → | Visit Certbot → | |
Let's Encrypt
Pros
- + Completely free SSL for any domain
- + Automatic renewal via ACME protocol
- + Non-profit — trusted by browsers globally
Cons
- - 90-day certificate validity requires automation
- - No Extended Validation (EV) certs available
Certbot
Pros
- + Official EFF-maintained ACME client
- + Nginx and Apache plugins for automated config
- + Free and open source
Cons
- - Requires Linux server access
- - Some server configurations need manual adjustment
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