SSL Renewal Check

Guide · updated November 15, 2026

Do I still need to buy an SSL certificate?

For most small websites, no. Most hosts and platforms include a free certificate that renews itself. A paid certificate mainly makes sense if you need organization (OV) or extended (EV) validation, or a certificate your host can’t provide.

What free certificates are

Let’s Encrypt issues domain-validated (DV) certificates for free and doesn’t offer OV or EV, “primarily because we cannot automate issuance for those types”.[Let's Encrypt] Hosts and platforms also use Google Trust Services and other CAs for free automatic certificates (see each provider’s page).

Who already gives you one

14 of the providers we track document free certificates that renew automatically:

Some platforms don’t accept your own certificate at all: Shopify and Squarespace both say third-party certificates can’t be installed.[Shopify; Squarespace]

When a paid certificate can still make sense

  • You need OV or EV validation (organisation details checked). Free ACME CAs like Let’s Encrypt don’t issue these.[Let's Encrypt] Note that OV/EV still needs business re-validation, even with automation.[GoDaddy]
  • Your server or appliance can’t run automatic renewal and your host has no free option.
  • A customer, contract or policy requires a specific certificate authority.

If you do buy, the shorter lifetimes still apply: from March 15, 2027, each certificate lasts at most 100 days, so choose one you can install automatically. What the limits mean for buyers.

Questions

Is a free SSL certificate as secure as a paid one?

A free certificate from Let’s Encrypt is a standard domain-validated (DV) certificate that enables HTTPS. Paid certificates add options such as organization (OV) or extended (EV) validation, which Let’s Encrypt doesn’t offer.

Does Let’s Encrypt charge anything?

Let’s Encrypt says it doesn’t charge a fee for its certificates, though some hosting providers charge a small fee to cover their own costs of providing them.

My host includes free SSL. Should I cancel my paid certificate?

If you don’t need OV/EV validation or a specific certificate authority, the host’s automatic certificate removes the manual reinstall work that shorter lifetimes bring. Check your provider guide first.

Sources

Facts on this page last checked November 15, 2026.