# Wildcard SSL certificates compared (*.example.com)

> Wildcard certificates cover one domain and all its first-level subdomains. Verified 1-year prices for DV and OV wildcards.

Source: https://ssl.sh/certificates/type/wildcard/
Last updated: 2026-11-10

# Wildcard SSL certificates compared (*.example.com)

A wildcard certificate for *.example.com covers www.example.com, shop.example.com and any other first-level subdomain, but not a.b.example.com. Wildcards are available as DV or OV, never EV.

## What to check before buying

- A wildcard only matches one label: *.example.com does not cover a.b.example.com.
- Free wildcard certificates exist: Let's Encrypt and other ACME CAs issue them through the DNS-01 challenge.
- One private key on many servers is a larger blast radius; if subdomains run on separate machines, separate certificates can be safer.
- Paid DV wildcard prices vary by more than 3x for similar products, so compare before buying.

## Certificates in this category

| Certificate | Brand | Validation | Covers | Lowest price / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Sectigo EssentialSSL Wildcard](/certificates/essentialssl-wildcard/) | Sectigo | DV (domain) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $84.00/yr (GoGetSSL) |
| [Namecheap Standard Wildcard SSL (SSL.com)](/certificates/namecheap-standard-wildcard-ssl/) | SSL.com | DV (domain) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $89.99/yr (Namecheap) |
| [Sectigo PositiveSSL Wildcard](/certificates/positivessl-wildcard/) | Sectigo | DV (domain) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $128.00/yr (GoGetSSL) |
| [RapidSSL Wildcard](/certificates/rapidssl-wildcard/) | RapidSSL (DigiCert) | DV (domain) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $149.31/yr (GoGetSSL) |
| [Namecheap OV Wildcard SSL (SSL.com)](/certificates/namecheap-ov-wildcard-ssl/) | SSL.com | OV (organization) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $185.99/yr (Namecheap) |
| [Sectigo DV Wildcard](/certificates/sectigo-dv-wildcard/) | Sectigo | DV (domain) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $215.00/yr (The SSL Store) |
| [GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium Wildcard](/certificates/geotrust-quickssl-premium-wildcard/) | GeoTrust (DigiCert) | DV (domain) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $279.98/yr (GoGetSSL) |
| [SSL.com Wildcard SSL (OV)](/certificates/ssl-com-wildcard/) | SSL.com | OV (organization) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $299.00/yr (SSL.com) |
| [Thawte SSL123 Wildcard](/certificates/thawte-ssl123-wildcard/) | Thawte (DigiCert) | DV (domain) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $303.31/yr (GoGetSSL) |
| [GeoTrust True BusinessID Wildcard](/certificates/geotrust-true-businessid-wildcard/) | GeoTrust (DigiCert) | OV (organization) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $429.31/yr (GoGetSSL) |
| [Sectigo OV Wildcard](/certificates/sectigo-ov-wildcard/) | Sectigo | OV (organization) | Domain + all subdomains (*.) | $535.00/yr (The SSL Store) |