Let's Encrypt
#1 in SSL Certificate · Rated 4.6
Free, automated DV TLS certificates for the web
Let's Encrypt is a nonprofit certificate authority offering free Domain Validation TLS certificates at scale. It automates issuance and renewal via the ACME protocol, which makes it ideal for developers, hobby sites, and hosting providers that want to secure traffic without cost. It does not offer Organization or Extended Validation, so it targets basic encryption and domain ownership proof. The initiative is globally trusted and widely integrated into hosting panels, CI/CD pipelines, and developer tooling. In 2025 the organization continued to operate with 90-day certificate lifetimes (set to move to 45 days by 2028 as part of CA/B Forum timelines). This makes automation essential for ongoing security. The ecosystem includes popular ACME clients (Certbot, ACME.sh) and broad browser trust.
Features
- ACME/ACME-compliant issuance
- Domain Validation (DV) certificates
- Automated renewal and revocation
- Broad browser compatibility
- Large community and ecosystem
Pros
- Zero cost for public TLS
- Strong automation and wide adoption
- Global reach and community support
Cons
- No OV/EV certificates
- Requires automation to manage frequent renewals