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SSL certificate price in India: free vs paid

A basic SSL certificate is free. Let’s Encrypt and cPanel’s AutoSSL issue domain validated (DV) certificates at no cost, and many hosts include one. Paid OV and EV certificates cost from a few thousand rupees a year and add checks on your organization, not stronger encryption. For most websites, free SSL is enough.

Updated · HostUpIndia team

SSL certificate types and prices

A free certificate and a paid one give the same encryption. What differs is what the certificate authority checks before it issues one, and how many names it covers.

Paid prices vary by brand and seller. The ranges below are a rough guide.

Type What it means Typical price
Domain validated (DV)The authority checks only that you control the domain. Issued in minutes.Free from Let’s Encrypt or cPanel’s AutoSSL. Some brands sell paid DV for a small yearly fee.
Organization validated (OV)The authority also checks that your organization is registered and real. Its name appears in the certificate details.From a few thousand rupees a year
Extended validation (EV)The strictest checks on the organization, its address and the person who orders it. Can take several days.More than OV
WildcardCovers every subdomain at one level, such as shop.example.com and blog.example.com, under *.example.com.Free from Let’s Encrypt with a DNS check. Paid DV or OV wildcards cost more than single-name certificates.
Multi-domain (SAN)One certificate for several different domains.Free certificates can list many names. Paid ones are priced by the number of domains.

Is free SSL enough?

Yes, for most websites. In every major browser, a free DV certificate looks the same in the address bar as a paid one and gives the same encryption.

Search engines do not rank a paid certificate higher. HTTPS counts, not the certificate type.

  • Blogs, portfolios and personal sites.
  • Business websites, including those with contact forms and logins.
  • Most online stores that take payment through a payment gateway. Gateways need your site on HTTPS; a free certificate meets that unless yours says otherwise.

When to pay for an SSL certificate

Pay for OV or EV when someone needs your organization’s identity confirmed in the certificate, not just your domain.

Major browsers no longer show the company name in the address bar. Visitors see it only if they open the certificate details.

  • A client, bank or partner requires OV or EV in a contract, audit or security review.
  • An enterprise or government rule, or a tender, names a certificate type.
  • You want your company name in the certificate, for visitors and partners who check.

How free SSL works in cPanel

cPanel’s AutoSSL issues a free DV certificate for each domain and subdomain in your account. It checks the certificates regularly and renews them before they expire, with nothing to buy or install.

AutoSSL confirms you control each name, usually by loading a file from /.well-known/ on your site. Each name must point to your hosting for that to work.

  • Point the domain and www to your hosting: how to connect a domain to your hosting.
  • In cPanel, open SSL/TLS Status.
  • Select Run AutoSSL and wait for it to finish.
  • Check that each name shows a valid certificate and an expiry date.
  • If the site runs WordPress, back it up first, in cPanel › Backup.
  • In WordPress, open Settings › General and change WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to start with https://.
  • In cPanel, open Domains and turn on Force HTTPS Redirect for the domain.

Install a paid SSL certificate in cPanel

Bought a certificate from a certificate authority or reseller? Create the request in cPanel, then install what the seller sends.

Publicly trusted SSL certificates issued since 15 March 2026 are valid for at most 200 days. A certificate sold by the year has to be reissued and installed again within that year. AutoSSL does not reissue a certificate you bought.

  • In cPanel, open SSL/TLS, then Certificate Signing Requests (CSR).
  • Enter the domains and your organization’s details exactly as registered.
  • Select Generate. cPanel creates a private key with the request.
  • Copy the request into the seller’s order form and complete its checks.
  • When the certificate arrives, open SSL/TLS, then Manage SSL sites.
  • Paste the certificate and select Autofill by Certificate.
  • If the Certificate Authority Bundle field stays empty, paste the CA bundle the seller sent.
  • Select Install Certificate.
  • Set a reminder to reissue the certificate before it expires.

Fix SSL certificate errors

Most SSL warnings mean the certificate has expired, does not cover the name in the address bar, or was never issued because DNS pointed elsewhere. Full steps: how to fix “Your connection is not private”.

  • Check that the domain and www point to your hosting, then run AutoSSL again.
  • Make sure no firewall, security plugin or .htaccess rule blocks /.well-known/.
  • If the page loads but the address bar still shows a warning, change images and scripts loaded over http:// to https://.
  • If the domain runs through Cloudflare or another CDN, check the certificate status there too.

HostUpIndia Web & cPanel Hosting

HostUpIndia Web & cPanel Hosting includes free SSL on every plan, and cPanel for the steps above. Plans also include LiteSpeed, NVMe storage, terminal (SSH) access, the AI Website Builder and daily backups kept 30 days.

Plans start at ₹49 a month on 3-year billing. Prices exclude 18% GST. See Web & cPanel plans.

  • Moving from another host? The in-house team moves your site for you: free website migration.
  • Support tickets and email are received 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; WhatsApp is open for questions from 10 am to 7 pm IST, Monday to Saturday.
  • More help guides.