KeyTalk CKMS vs Let's Encrypt
KeyTalk CKMS
keytalk.comLet's Encrypt
letsencrypt.orgSide by side
| Figure | KeyTalk CKMS | Let's Encrypt |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €5/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 12 | 3 |
| Spec score · Public Key Infrastructure Software | 8.8 (#2) | 8.6 (#3) |
| Spec score · Certificate Management Software | 8.9 (#3) | 8.6 (#5) |
| API | The product exposes client and administrator REST APIs using JSON over TLS and publishes an OpenAPI specification. | The production ACME directory endpoint is https://acme-v02.api.letsencrypt.org/directory and a separate staging endpoint is provided for testing. |
| Company size | LinkedIn lists KeyTalk at 11–50 employees. | LinkedIn lists ISRG as having 11–50 employees. |
| Headquarters | Amersfoort, Netherlands | LinkedIn lists San Francisco, California as ISRG headquarters. |
| Integrations | Documented integrations include Microsoft Intune, MobileIron, VMware Workspace ONE, JAMF, RADIUS, LDAP, MySQL and HSMs. | Hosting providers can obtain and manage certificates for customers through their own ACME clients. |
| Self-hosting | Customers can install the OVF/VMDK appliance on VMware ESXi or launch the CKMS AMI from AWS. | Boulder can be adapted to operate an internal, non-publicly-trusted ACME certificate authority, although its maintainers say it is often not the right production fit for organizations evaluating it. |
| Support | KeyTalk says it offers customers 24/7 support. | Let’s Encrypt does not offer direct subscriber support and points users to its documentation and community support forums. |
| What it does | KeyTalk CKMS automates enrollment, distribution, renewal and management of digital certificates and keys. | Let's Encrypt is a free, automated, open certificate authority that provides TLS certificates for websites. |
Plans
KeyTalk CKMS
- S/MIME on-premise€5 a month
- S/MIME hosted SaaS€6.50 a month
- CKMS 0–49 seatsPrice not published
- CKMS 100,000+ seatsPriced on request
- CKMS 10,000–24,999 seatsPrice not published
- CKMS 1,000–2,499 seatsPrice not published
- CKMS 25,000–49,999 seatsPrice not published
- CKMS 2,500–9,999 seatsPrice not published
- CKMS 250–999 seatsPrice not published
- CKMS 50,000–74,999 seatsPrice not published
Let's Encrypt
- Let's Encrypt certificatesFree
- Let's Encrypt certificatesFree
- Short-lived certificatesFree
In their own words
KeyTalk CKMS
KeyTalk CKMS automates PKI implementation and the enrollment, distribution and management of digital certificates. It keeps certificates and keys in a central repository and supports automated or semi-automated deployment and renewal, alongside reporting, notifications and alerts. Smart Security Scan finds certificates and keys on a network so valid findings can be imported. The product includes a private certificate authority that can operate beneath an existing root or as a standalone root. Integrations and protocols include DigiCert, DigiCert QuoVadis, GlobalSign, Microsoft CA, Intune, MobileIron, load balancers, HSMs, Citrix, SCEP and ACME. Access controls include AD and Entra ID authorization, multifactor authentication and role-based controls. CKMS can run as a virtual machine on customer infrastructure, in private cloud environments such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, or as KeyTalk-managed PKI service. General CKMS pricing is on request, and a free trial is available. Separate S/MIME plans cost €5 a month for on-premise service and €6.50 a month for hosted SaaS, billed per user per month.
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.