Understand the difference between EV and DV certificates

This guide explains the main differences between an EV and DV certificate.

SSL EV Certificates: for companies

The Sectigo SSL EV certificate can only be issued to companies registered in an official registry.

It provides the highest level of trust with your clients and offers unique advantages in addition to including the benefits of a DV certificate:

• name of your company in the navigation bar
• lock in the navigation bar
• dynamic site seal
• domain name validation
• manual verification of your company's details and identity
• warranty up to $1,750,000 for end users
• 7/7 support

Activating an EV SSL certificate may take up to 24 hours and will require action on your part.

SSL DV Certificates: for companies and individuals

The Sectigo DV certificate is available to individuals and companies. It does not include some of the advantages mentioned above, but it offers additional benefits compared to free Let's Encrypt SSL certificates:

• dynamic site seal
• domain name validation
• guarantee up to $10,000 for end users
• support 24/7

The activation of a DV SSL certificate is immediate.

And what about Let's Encrypt certificates?

A free Let's Encrypt certificate guarantees the same level of encryption as an EV or DV certificate. However, Let's Encrypt certificates unfortunately do not offer the following benefits:

• manual validation of your company's credentials and authenticity (EV)
• warranty for end users in case of fraud (EV/DV)
• support in case of questions

In summary, Let's Encrypt certificates ensure the encryption of exchanges between your users and your site, but they do not guarantee to internet users that they are on a legitimate site whose identity has been authenticated by a certification authority.