GlobalSign Managed PKI vs Let's Encrypt
GlobalSign Managed PKI
globalsign.comLet's Encrypt
letsencrypt.orgSide by side
| Figure | GlobalSign Managed PKI | Let's Encrypt |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 3 |
| Spec score · Public Key Infrastructure Software | 5.8 (#22) | 8.6 (#3) |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan | LinkedIn lists San Francisco, California as ISRG headquarters. |
Plans
Let's Encrypt
- Let's Encrypt certificatesFree
- Let's Encrypt certificatesFree
- Short-lived certificatesFree
In their own words
GlobalSign Managed PKI
GlobalSign Managed PKI has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Let's Encrypt
Let’s Encrypt is a global Certificate Authority that provides SSL/TLS certificates for HTTPS connections. The ACME protocol verifies control of a domain, and compatible clients can automate issuance, management, and renewal. Its client directory includes Apache HTTP Server, Caddy, nginx, Kubernetes, Docker, and Windows/IIS environments. Certificates are Domain Validation only; Let’s Encrypt says it does not plan to issue Organization Validation or Extended Validation certificates. Wildcard certificates are available through the DNS-01 challenge. Standard certificates last 90 days, with an optional six-day lifetime; these periods cannot be adjusted. Subscribers generate and manage private keys on their own servers. Issued and revoked certificates are publicly recorded, and the service says its certificates are trusted by most browsers and operating systems. Certificates cost nothing. A registered domain can receive up to 50 certificates every seven days under published rate limits. Direct subscriber support is not offered.