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9 min

How to Choose an SSL Certificate

DV vs OV vs EV vs Wildcard vs Multi-domain explained.

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BeoHosting Team

10+ years of experience — Web hosting and infrastructure specialists

Last updated:

SSL is mandatory for every site in 2026 — browsers mark non-HTTPS sites as "Not Secure" and Google ranks them lower. But not all SSL certificates are the same. Domain Validated (DV), Organization Validated (OV), Extended Validation (EV), Wildcard and Multi-domain each serve different needs. This guide explains the difference, when to use each, and how much they should cost.

How to Choose an SSL Certificate

1

Domain Validated (DV) — free Let's Encrypt

DV verifies you control the domain (via DNS or HTTP file). Free via Let's Encrypt (auto-renewed on BeoHosting). Use for blogs, portfolios, small business sites.

2

Organization Validated (OV) — for companies

OV verifies company name, address and registration. Shows company name in cert details. Costs $33-65/year. Use for sites handling business transactions or wanting verified business identity.

3

Extended Validation (EV) — for banks and high-trust

EV is the strictest validation — months of paperwork verifying legal entity. Costs $108-325/year. Modern browsers removed the green bar, but EV is still trusted in cert details. Use for banks, large e-commerce, government.

4

Wildcard — *.domain.com

A Wildcard certificate covers all subdomains: blog.domain.com, shop.domain.com, app.domain.com. Saves time and money if you have many subdomains. Costs $65-163/year (DV) or more (OV/EV).

5

Multi-domain (SAN/UCC)

Covers multiple distinct domains in a single certificate: domain.com, domain.com, otherbrand.com. Useful for Microsoft Exchange and multi-brand. Costs $43-108/year for 3-5 domains.

6

Install and configure

Install via cPanel → SSL/TLS Status (one-click for AutoSSL/Let's Encrypt). For paid certs: generate CSR in cPanel, submit to provider, install. Force HTTPS in .htaccess with a 301 redirect.

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FAQ

Answers to the most common questions about our services.

Yes — same 256-bit encryption as paid certificates. Browsers trust it equally. Only thing missing is OV/EV company validation. For 95% of sites, Let's Encrypt is enough.

Only for large financial transactions (banking, brokerage) or industries that expect EV. For typical e-commerce, DV or OV is enough. Modern browsers no longer show the green bar that justified EV historically.

Let's Encrypt: 90 days (auto-renewed). Paid certificates: 1 year max (CA/Browser Forum rule from 2020). Plan for annual renewal and budget for it.

If you have 3+ subdomains and they change often, Wildcard is cheaper and easier. For 1-2 stable subdomains, separate Let's Encrypt certs are simpler and free.

On BeoHosting, a free AutoSSL certificate is installed automatically on all domains and subdomains tied to your hosting account — you do not have to do anything. For a paid SSL certificate, buy it through our site or contact support, and our team installs it for free within a few hours. You can also install SSL yourself through the cPanel "SSL/TLS" section if you have the CSR and certificate files from another provider.

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