Web Hosting Providers Offering Free and Automated Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS Certificates for Multiple Domains

Secure websites are increasingly important in today's digital age. Let’s Encrypt provides free SSL/TLS certificates, which not only enhance your website's security but also improve your search engine rankings. Many web hosting providers now offer these certificates as a built-in service. This article explores which web hosting companies provide free and automated Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS certificates for multiple domains, making it easier for website owners to secure their online presence. Additionally, the article will discuss how to set up these certificates using the Certbot app, which is the easiest method available.

Introduction to Let’s Encrypt

Let’s Encrypt is a non-profit organization that provides free SSL/TLS certificates. These certificates are crucial for establishing secure connections between web servers and clients, as they protect sensitive information exchanged over the internet. Let’s Encrypt follows a rigorous validation process to ensure the authenticity of the certificate holder. Since it was launched in 2015, Let’s Encrypt has issued over 100 million certificates, making it one of the most popular certificate authorities.

Advantages of Using Let’s Encrypt

There are several benefits to using Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS certificates:

Free and Open Source: Let’s Encrypt offers free SSL/TLS certificates, which eliminates the need to pay for expensive commercial certificates. Automated Renewal: Let’s Encrypt automatically renew certificates every 90 days, ensuring that your site remains secure and compliant. Easy to Use: Let’s Encrypt provides a simple and user-friendly API, which makes it easy for website owners to manage their certificates. Broad Compatibility: Let’s Encrypt certificates are supported by all major web browsers and operating systems, ensuring that virtually everyone who visits your site will have a secure experience.

Web Hosting Providers Offering Let’s Encrypt Certificates

Not all web hosting providers support Let’s Encrypt certificates natively. However, many popular providers now integrate this functionality, making it easy for website owners to secure their domains with minimal setup. Below are some of the web hosting providers known to offer Let’s Encrypt certificates:

KnownHost: KnownHost is a reliable web hosting provider that offers free Let’s Encrypt certificates for multiple domains. Users can easily obtain and manage these certificates through their control panel. Hostgator: Hostgator is a well-known hosting provider that supports Let’s Encrypt certificates. Additionally, they offer a one-click SSL installation tool, making it easy to secure your site. Bluehost: Bluehost also supports Let’s Encrypt certificates and provides a simple interface for acquiring and managing these certificates. They are popular among small and medium-sized businesses. Hostinger: Hostinger, another popular hosting provider, supports Let’s Encrypt certificates for free. Their easy-to-use control panel makes it simple for users to configure and manage their SSL certificates. GoDaddy: While some sources indicate that GoDaddy may disable Let’s Encrypt support to push their own commercial SSL products, this is not always the case. GoDaddy does offer Let’s Encrypt certificates for free, but not all plans include automated renewal. Users may need to manually renew their certificates.

Using Certbot to Obtain and Manage Let’s Encrypt Certificates

The Certbot app is one of the most popular tools for obtaining and managing Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS certificates. It is designed to be user-friendly and can be installed on most web hosting environments. Here are the steps to obtain and install Let’s Encrypt certificates using Certbot:

Install Certbot: You can install Certbot using your web hosting provider’s package manager, or you can use the Certbot wizard available on the Let’s Encrypt website. Obtain the Certificate: After installing Certbot, you can use the certbot command to obtain a certificate for your domain. For example, to obtain a certificate for and its subdomains, you can use the following command: certbot certonly --manual --preferred-challenges dns -d -d Automate Renewal: To ensure your certificate is always up-to-date, you can set up automatic renewal. Certbot can be configured to renew certificates automatically every 90 days. You can use the following command to configure automatic renewal: certbot renew --dry-run Install the Certificate: Once you have obtained the certificate, you need to install it on your web server. This typically involves updating your web server configuration files to include the certificate and private key.

Conclusion

Let’s Encrypt provides a powerful solution for securing your website with free SSL/TLS certificates. Many web hosting providers now offer Let’s Encrypt support, making it easier for website owners to secure their domains. While some providers, like GoDaddy, may not always enable Let’s Encrypt by default, users can still obtain these certificates manually. The Certbot app is an excellent tool for obtaining and managing these certificates, offering a simple and user-friendly interface for website owners. By securing your website with Let’s Encrypt certificates, you can improve your site's security and user experience, as well as enhance your search engine rankings.