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DV SSL vs OV SSL vs EV SSL Certificates Comparison for Ideal Choice of SSL Certificate for Your Website
When it comes to securing a website, not all SSL certificates offer the same level of trust. While DV, OV, and EV SSL certificates all use strong encryption, they differ in how they verify the identity behind the website. These validation levels can impact how secure your visitors feel and how credible your brand appears.
In this article, we will discuss the different types of SSL certificates, i.e., DV, OV, and EV certificates. Get key comparisons to conclude on the ideal choice for your website.
What is a Domain Validation SSL Certificate?
A Domain Validation – DV SSL certificate is a type of SSL/TLS certificate that verifies domain ownership and secures communication between a browser and server by encrypting data. To issue the certificate, the certificate authority (CA) verifies that applicant has administrative control over the domain through email, DNS record, or file-based authentication process.
Here, the Certificate Authority (CA) verifies whether the person requesting the SSL certificate is the actual holder of the domain name. It also checks whether the domain name is registered in the WHOIS register. After the domain authority is verified, the CA issues the SSL certificate.
DV SSL is also referred as entry-level or standard SSL certificates. They support strong encryption standards using algorithms like RSA/ECC, along with SHA-2 hashing. These certificates are specially designed for personal websites, blogs, or informational pages to provide encryption without requiring extensive identity verification.
Features
- Domain Validated Certificates provide 256-bit SSL encryption security and 2048-bit CSR encryption.
- The Email verification process leads to the quick issuance of DV SSL.
- They are available at very cheap rates, e.g., Comodo PositiveSSL is available at a low price of $8.00/year.
- DV SSL certificates are ideal for individuals, small businesses, start-ups, forums, and blogs.
- No business documents are needed for verification for obtaining DV SSL.
- They have more than 99% compatibility with browsers and mobile devices.
- All DV SSL certificates are combined with brand-specific benefits like warranty protection, money-back guarantees, unlimited server licensing, and a trust seal.
- They are SHA-2 enabled and help boost Google SEO ranks.
- DV can be issued to wildcard SSL and multi domain SSL, as both these certificates fall under DV SSL certificate category.
How a Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificate Appears in a Browser?
What is an Organization Validation SSL Certificate?
Organization Validation (OV) SSL certificate is a type of digital security certificate that authenticates domain ownership and the legitimacy of the organization requesting the certificate. The organization needs to clear the following processes for getting OV SSL security for their website.
- Authenticating the Domain name
- Ascertaining the Organization and Business information with AOI (Article of Incorporation)
- Verifying the Physical address mentioned
- Verifying Registered Telephone numbers
OV SSL certificates include verified business details in the certificate, which helps users confirm that they are interacting with a trustworthy business. They are recommended for business websites, company portals, and web applications that collect user data or credentials.
Features
- OV SSL certificates support modern algorithms like RSA/ECC, combined with secure SHA-2 hashing.
- Since full organization validation is required, the issuance time of OV SSL is 1-3 business days.
- They are costlier than DV SSL because of in-depth verification of organization and security of both domains and subdomains, depending on the type of SSL certificate selected. For example, Comodo InstantSSL Pro certificates are available at a rate of $48.00/year.
- OV SSL certificates are best suited for corporate websites, portals, and data-sensitive applications that need business authentication.
- They are cross-compatible with 99% of browsers and mobile devices.
- All OV SSL certificates come with high warranties depending on the brand selected, money-refund offers, and unlimited server licensing.
- OV SSL certificates come with a site seal that displays the authenticated organization details and time stamp offered from trusted CAs.
- For Wildcard SSL certificates, OV SSL is the highest validation option available since there is no EV option.
How an Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificate Appears in a Browser?
What is an Extended Validation Certificate?
Extended Validation, EV SSL Certificate is an SSL certificate which delivers the highest level of identity assurance by combining strong encryption with rigorous verification of the legal entity controlling the domain. This certificate is issued under strict guidelines set by the CA/Browser Forum.
The Certificate Authority will verify these details to prove authenticity and legitimacy.
- Applicant’s legal status
- Verifying the Telephone number
- Verifying the Domain name
- Verifying the Organization
- Physical existence and Operational stability
- Third-party Database Verification
EV SSL is considered to give the highest security level to its users, and hence it is also termed as the premium level in SSL certificates. Large enterprises and corporates unanimously opt for EV SSL because of its high trust levels.
Features
- EV SSL certificates provide the same 256-bit SSL encryption security and 2048-bit CSR encryption, just like DV SSL and OV SSL.
- Due to its thorough verification process, the issuance time of EV SSL is 5-15 business days.
- Since they belong to the premium category, they are expensive due to its premium features, in-depth verification of organization, physical existence, and security of domains and subdomains, depending on the type of SSL certificate selected. For example, Comodo PositiveSSL EV certificates are available at a rate of $61.60/year.
- EV SSL certificates are ideal for large corporates, banks, payment processors, online shops dealing with heavy amount of financial transactions, banks, etc. since they provide maximum security.
- EV SSL certificates can work with the majority of browsers and operating systems.
- Backed by best warranties, refund policies, and deployment flexibility.
- Display dynamic site seal in real-time, with verified organization name and timestamp to increase visitor confidence. Fully SHA-2 enabled, ensuring cryptographic compliance and contributing to long-term SEO health.
How an Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate Appears in a Browser?
DV SSL vs. OV SSL vs. EV SSL certificates: Feature Comparison
The table below compares key features of each validation level to help you decide which one best fits your website’s security needs.
| DV SSL | OV SSL | EV SSL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validation Procedure |
Validated via automated methods like:
|
Domain Validation + manual verification of:
|
Domain & Organization Validation + extended verification of:
|
| Issuance Time | Issued within few minutes | Issued in 1-3 business days | Issued in 5-15 business days |
| Usage | Blogs, forums, individual websites, and small businesses | Medium and large businesses, corporate websites, portals, and data-sensitive applications | Enterprises, financial institutions, and healthcare industries. |
| Price & Warranty | Very affordable; warranty starts at $10,000. | High rates compared to DV; warranty typically starts at $100,000. | Expensive than OV & DV; warranty generally starts at $1,000,000. |
| Site Seal | Comes with Static Site Seal | Comes with Dynamic Site Seal | Comes with Dynamic Site Seal displaying verified company details. |
| Wildcard Support | Available | Available | Not Available |
| Company Name Display | No organization details in certificate | Organization name visible in certificate details panel. | The company name is visible in the certificate details & browser’s security information. |
| BUY DV SSL | BUY OV SSL | BUY EV SSL |
Which SSL certificate is best for your website?
Selecting the right SSL certificate depends on your website’s security requirements, the level of trust you want to establish, and your budget. Each type DV, OV, and EV follows a different SSL validation process and provides a different level of authentication. Refer to the following table to compare and make an informed decision.
 |
|
|
|
Comodo PositiveSSL Certificate |
Comodo InstantSSL Pro |
Comodo PositiveSSL EV Certificate |
|
| Price (per year) |
$8.00
|
$48.00
|
$61.60
|
|---|---|---|---|
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW | BUY NOW | |
| Vendor Price |
$37.80
|
$139.80
|
$119.80
|
| Product SKU | S2BCMD301 | S2BCMD305 | S2BCMD319 |
| Certificate Authority | Comodo | Comodo | Comodo |
| Category | Single Domain SSL | Single Domain SSL | Single Domain SSL |
| Validation Method | Domain Control Validation | Organization Validation | Extended Validation |
| Domains Secured | FQDN (www+non-www) | FQDN (www+non-www) | FQDN (www+non-www) |
| Additional Domain Support | No | No | No |
| Delivery Time | 10 Minutes | 1 - 3 Days | Up to 5 Days |
| Supported Key Type(s) | RSA, ECC | RSA, ECC | RSA, ECC |
| Supported Key Length(s) | 2048 bit | 2048 bit | 2048 bit |
| Hash Algorithm | SHA-2 | SHA-2 | SHA-2 |
| Server Licenses | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Certificate Reissuance | Unlimited and Free of Cost | Unlimited and Free of Cost | Unlimited and Free of Cost |
| Device Compatibility | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Trust Site Seal |  |
 |
|
| CA Warranty | $10,000 USD | $100,000 USD | $1,000,000 USD |
| Vendor Refund Policy | 30 Days | 30 Days | 30 Days |
| Technical Support | Free Live Chat and Ticket Support | Free Live Chat and Ticket Support | Free Live Chat and Ticket Support |
| Installation Service | Purchase on Demand | Purchase on Demand | Purchase on Demand |
In a Nutshell
The million-dollar question is, which SSL certificate is better? And the answer entirely depends on your business and its web requirements. If you have started a new venture, DV SSL is the best option, it quickly secures your website with HTTPS. But if you own an e-commerce store, you need to create a trustworthy environment, and hence OV SSL or EV SSL certificate is preferable.
Since all these validations provide the same encryption securities, OV SSL or EV SSL certificates are more favored for banks, financial institutions, ecommerce, and health-care industries.
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