Aller au contenu
Centre d'aide Ruachost

Differences between a cPanel certificate and a traditional CA-issued certificate

Ce contenu n’est pas encore disponible dans votre langue.

The free SSL certificate that cPanel installs on your site through AutoSSL is issued by Let’s Encrypt, a recognised certificate authority (CA). Browsers fully trust it, so visitors see the padlock with no warnings. The only certificate made in cPanel that browsers don’t trust is a self-signed certificate you generate yourself.

AutoSSL certificates (free, included)

Section titled “AutoSSL certificates (free, included)”
  • Issued automatically by Let’s Encrypt for every domain on your hosting plan.
  • Trusted by all major browsers and operating systems.
  • Domain validated (DV): they prove you control the domain.
  • Renewed automatically before they expire, so there’s nothing to manage.
  • Suitable for most websites, including online shops.

See Your free SSL certificate (AutoSSL with Let’s Encrypt).

Self-signed certificates

Section titled “Self-signed certificates”
  • Generated by you in cPanel under SSL/TLS, and signed by your own server rather than a CA.
  • Encrypt the connection, but browsers don’t trust them and show warnings such as Your connection is not private.
  • Only useful for testing or internal tools, never for a public website.

See Installing a self-signed SSL certificate.

Section titled “Paid CA certificates”
  • Issued by a commercial CA such as Sectigo, which Ruachost sells.
  • Trusted by browsers, just like AutoSSL certificates.
  • Available as DV, OV (organisation validated) and EV (extended validation), and as wildcard certificates that cover all subdomains.
  • OV and EV certificates confirm your organisation’s identity, and come with a warranty from the CA.

See Buying and activating an SSL certificate.

Key differences

Section titled “Key differences”
Feature AutoSSL (Let’s Encrypt) Self-signed Paid CA certificate
Issuer Let’s Encrypt (a CA) Your own server Commercial CA (e.g. Sectigo)
Browser trust Trusted Not trusted Trusted
Validation DV None DV, OV, EV
Renewal Automatic Manual Manual, before it expires
Cost Free Free Paid
Best for Most websites Testing only Businesses that want organisation validation, a wildcard or a warranty
Section titled “Related articles”

Cette page vous a-t-elle aidé ?