What Is an SSL Certificate, and How Much Does It Cost?

Protecting user information and securing data is essential for any online presence. With increasing cyber threats and growing privacy concerns, implementing an SSL certificate is one of the most effective ways to safeguard your visitors. This straightforward yet powerful method enhances security on your website.

• What Is An SSL Certificate?
  • How Does an SSL Certificate Work?
  • Types of SSL Certificates
• How Much Does an SSL Certificate Cost?
• Purchased An SSL Certificate for your Bluehost Account?
• Summary
   

What Is An SSL Certificate?

An SSL Certificate is the Secure Sockets Layer protocol that creates secure communication between client and server. This is done by both server and client authentication and negotiating an encryption algorithm and cryptographic keys.

Internet users associate SSL with the padlock that appears in your browser’s address bar when you enter the secure area of a website. They know to look for this before entering personal or financial information online. If information is entered on an unsecured website, the data is transmitted from your computer to the web server unencrypted and viewable in plain text. Anyone sniffing packets on the network or the internet can capture and use your information fraudulently.

How Does an SSL Certificate Work?

SSL Certificates use encryption to protect data. Here’s how the process works:

1. When you visit an SSL-secured website, your browser requests its SSL Certificate.
2. The website sends a copy of its certificate, which the browser verifies with trusted authorities.
3. Once validated, encryption keys are exchanged to create a secure connection.
4. All transmitted data is encrypted, preventing unauthorized access.

This encryption ensures that even if hackers intercept data, they cannot read or misuse it.

Types of SSL Certificates

Choosing the right SSL Certificate depends on your website’s needs. Here are the main types:

• Domain Validated (DV) SSL – Basic encryption; verifies domain ownership; ideal for blogs and personal sites.
• Organization Validated (OV) SSL – Confirms business legitimacy; recommended for small businesses.
• Extended Validation (EV) SSL – Highest verification level; displays the company name in the browser; ideal for eCommerce and financial websites.
• Wildcard SSL – Secures a domain and its subdomains.
• Multi-Domain SSL (MDC) – Covers multiple domains under one certificate.

Free Shared SSL (Let’s Encrypt) is a basic security option included with Bluehost hosting. It’s ideal for low-traffic websites but offers limited features like shared trust and frequent renewals. Single Domain SSL is a paid certificate with stronger security, domain validation, and annual renewals. It’s recommended for websites handling sensitive data or aiming for better SEO and browser compatibility.

How Much Does an SSL Certificate Cost?

All Bluehost customers have a free shared SSL Certificate available through Let’s Encrypt for all assigned and parked domains and subdomains. These should be installed and activated themselves. Please see How to activate a free SSL Certificate for more information on manually enabling your free certificates.

SSL pricing varies based on validation level and provider. Here’s a general breakdown:

• To have a Private (non-shared) SSL Certificate explicitly installed for your domain.
• This can only be done if your account has a Dedicated IP address.

For information about purchasing a Dedicated IP address, view our Bluehost article How to Purchase A Dedicated IP.

Standard and Pro accounts can only have one Dedicated IP and one SSL Certificate. This is because you will have only one cPanel. However, you can have multiple Dedicated IPs and SSL Certificates for VPS, dedicated, and reseller accounts because you can create multiple cPanels within your account.

Purchased An SSL Certificate for your Bluehost Account?

Once you have purchased a Dedicated IP for your Bluehost account, you may continue with one of the following knowledgebase articles:

• How to Set Up an SSL Certificate for Website Security
• Purchase a trusted Private SSL Certificate through a 3rd party

SSL Certificates are domain-specific. When renaming the main domain, please be aware that the SSL Certificate for the old main domain will not work after the rename process. The new main domain name will require a new SSL Certificate.

Summary

An SSL Certificate is essential for securing online transactions and protecting user data. Bluehost offers a free SSL Certificate for all hosting plans, ensuring your site remains safe and trusted. Whether you’re using Shared Hosting, WordPress Hosting, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting, enabling SSL improves security, enhances SEO rankings, and builds credibility with visitors. Secure your website today!