# SSL certificate buying guides: providers, types and prices

> Independent guides to choosing an SSL certificate: DV vs OV vs EV, free vs paid, wildcard prices, code signing, VMC and what the 200-day validity limit changes.

Source: https://ssl.sh/compare/
Last updated: 2026-11-10

These buying guides compare TLS/SSL, code signing, S/MIME and VMC certificates by verified price, validation level and renewal effort. Every price links to the [certificate price comparison](/certificates/), which records the date and page it was checked on.

Two facts shape every recommendation in 2026:

- **Shorter certificates.** Since 15 March 2026 a publicly trusted TLS certificate lasts at most 200 days; the limit drops to 100 days on 15 March 2027 and 47 days on 15 March 2029. Multi-year purchases are now subscriptions with several reissues.
- **The padlock is the same for DV, OV and EV.** Browsers removed the EV company name from the address bar in 2019, so paying more buys validation and support, not stronger encryption.

Some links on these pages are affiliate links. Read the [disclosure](https://ssl.sh/disclosure/) for which sellers pay us and how much.