What is the difference between fastSSL and geotrust certificates?

Question

I want to buy a 128-bit SSL certificate for selling websites. I checked http://www.rapidssl.com/ssl-certificate-products/ssl-certificate.htm and http://www.geotrust.com/ssl/compare-ssl-certificates.html . Why are the prices for QuickSSL (Geotrust, $ 249) and RapidSSL (rapidSSL, $ 69) so different? Is there any specific reason for this or just marketing?

RapidSSL says the following:

However, in our opinion, sites that conduct more than 50 transactions will require an SSL certificate for a professional level due to the increased likelihood that website customers expect SSL from a highly profitable and established SSL provider and the well-known international brand SSL.

(“professional SSL” refers to Geotrust certificates)

PS will users really pay attention to the brand name issuing the SSL certificate?

Answer 1

The goal of a certificate authority (CA) / SSL provider is to verify your organizational identity so that when customers access your website they not only receive a security lock, but also know that your identity as a fully qualified host name is authentic, not phishing scammers.

True, most users look no further than a padlock, indicating a secure connection to their banking website, email, etc. However, if any CA was to be hacked, all browsers that trust this CA will be vulnerable, because an attacker can fake a certificate for any domain, including yours. Choosing a certificate provider is not relevant. I have not really heard about this yet. MITM attacks now make a big difference when wireless hotspots become more common.

Another thing is browser compatibility. You expect your newly acquired certificate to be compatible with all modern browsers. This is because they are all loaded with a list of CA root certificates that trust the selected list of SSL certificate authorities. If you buy from a certification authority that is not on this list, all of your client browsers will receive a security warning that the site certificate is not trusted. Just double check that RapidSSL, Geotrust, or whoever you are, is on the list of all browsers you care about. (for example, for Firefox, it is located on the Tools / Options / Advanced / Encryption / View certificates / Authorities tab)

In the end, just get the cheapest one that will give you the necessary level of encryption. He will do his job. Contact your web hosting provider. They may have discounts.

Answer 2

To clarify, both belong to Geotrust (R). One of the differences is that the Geotrust root is used in Geotrust certificates, and the Equifax root is used in RapidSSL certificates, which will be displayed in the Issued certificate information.

Answer 3

I know that this is an accepted answer, but there is another aspect.

More expensive SSL certificates usually have a better guarantee when it comes to fraud. A lower value SSL certificate can cover fraud of $ 10,000, while, for example, a higher value SSL certificate can cover you for $ 100,000.

Answer 4

they both do the same job, only brand perception i guess

honestly, I don’t think the end user would even notice. while they see a little castle they will be happy

ps. godaddy certificates are cheaper

Answer 5

This is a good overview of RapidSSL faqs .

This will give you the same for QuickSSL .

The main difference between these certificates is the number of checks at the time of purchase. Encryption is basically the same for both.

Answer 6

Regarding the guarantee mentioned above, as I understand it, this is a guarantee for the "end user" if the certification authority issues a certificate to a fraudulent person / domain. This is not a guarantee for the website owner.

Answer 7

Pretty late in the game, but there is one more detail here - RapidSSL is not included in the IE8 trust list.