Let's Encrypt vs ZeroSSL
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Let's Encrypt and ZeroSSL.
Quick Verdict
4.4/5
Let's Encrypt
0 reviews
3.5/5
ZeroSSL
0 reviews
Let's Encrypt is rated higher (4.4 vs 3.5). Powers HTTPS on 700M+ websites OV/EV and full certificate lifecycle management are offered through parent company HID Global's Enterprise SSL product, not as standard ZeroSSL plans.
Let's Encrypt Free SSL certificates for everyone | ZeroSSL Free SSL alternative to Let's Encrypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.4 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.5 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | free | freemium |
| Starting price | Free | Free tier available |
| Best for | Every website and API endpoint where domain validation is acceptable — the default TLS layer for personal sites, SaaS products, and automated infrastructure. | Freelancers and agencies managing certificates across many client domains who want a browser console, email validation, a REST API and one invoice — or teams wanting a second CA for diversification |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ✓ | |
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen source | free tierapi access |
| Visit Let's Encrypt → | Visit ZeroSSL → | |
Let's Encrypt
Pros
- + Completely free certificates for any domain, including wildcards
- + Fully automated issuance and renewal via the ACME standard
- + Sponsor-funded nonprofit with no paid tier and no lock-in
- + Public issuance statistics and transparent incident communication
- + Huge client ecosystem (Certbot, acme.sh, Caddy, Traefik, control panels)
Cons
- - Domain validation only — no OV or EV certificates
- - 90-day lifetimes (64 days from February 2027) make automation mandatory
- - No support SLA or contractual recourse; community forum only
- - Rate limits can constrain large multi-tenant deployments
- - No warranty sums or multi-year terms for procurement checklists
ZeroSSL
Pros
- + Genuine free tier with no credit card: 3 × 90-day certificates plus multi-domain, wildcard and ACME support
- + Strong automation story for a UI-first CA: REST API, ACME clients, monitoring and installation checks
- + Vienna-founded CA (2016) backed by HID Global since 2024, with a clear enterprise path for OV/EV and lifecycle management
- + Transparent published pricing including fixed Platinum tiers up to $6,719.90 per year
Cons
- - Paying for DV certificates is hard to justify when Let's Encrypt is free and equally trusted in browsers
- - Vendor's own pages disagree on free certificate count and on issuance/client volume
- - No published uptime SLA outside HID's enterprise offering; support priority scales with plan price
- - Credit-based annual certificate quotas and Basic/+ Protect variants make the plan matrix hard to compare
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