Have you ever wondered why would you choose to buy an SSL certificate when you have the alternative to issuing a free Let's Encrypt certificate right from your ROMARG account? 

This is what we are going to explain in this article.

The security offered by an SSL certificate is the same as the one offered by a paid solution. Let's Encrypt certificates are trusted by all the popular browsers, just like their counterparts. That being said, you need to know that there are several differences that need to be taken into consideration when deciding which one is the right choice for your website:

1. Let's Encrypt can't provide a seal for your website the way bigger certification authorities do and this may lead to a lower level of trust for your visitors. 

2. Let's Encrypt issues only Domain Validation certificates; for example, you can't issue an Extended Validation (DV) type of certificate, because there must be made rigorous verification in order to obtain this kind of SSL, which can inspire more trust in your visitors.

3. Let's Encrypt has a shorter validity period (90 days) compared to a paid certificate, whose validity may be up to one year, but Let's Encrypt certificates are automatically reissued.

4. Let's Encrypt is free while the rest of the available options may cost as low as a few euros but may also go up to 200 euros or even more, so if you only need a Domain Validation certificate then the Let's Encrypt certificate may be just right for you.

5. If you have a website for your business or an online store, where sensitive information is requested, some visitors may not be willing to provide their card details and other personal data, because of the superficial verification that takes place when issuing a Let's Encrypt certificate. 

6. Paid SSL certificates do offer a warranty if there is a security breach while Let's Encrypt certificates don't offer any guarantee.

In conclusion...

Let's Encrypt is not the right solution for every website, even though it may be sufficient for a large part of them. It's free and easy to install. If you just want to protect your website with an SSL certificate this option may answer your needs.

In case you want to ensure your visitors that behind the website is your company - assurance given by the verification process that takes place -  or if you want a guarantee for the security, then you will have to purchase an SSL certificate.