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Loading...What is The Difference Between Positive SSL Wildcard and Essential SSL Wildcard Certificates?
Choosing the right SSL certificate is a challenging process because when you start browsing, the options seem infinite! SSL certificates come with various brands, validation types, SAN and Subdomain coverage, encryption strengths and perks! If you’re feeling exhausted by the SSL buying process, we understand you. That’s why in this article, we’re covering the similarities and differences of two widely popular SSL certificates: Positive SSL Wildcard and Essential SSL wildcard.
Let’s start with basics and understand what a wildcard SSL certificate is.
What is a wildcard SSL certificate?
A Wildcard SSL certificate secures one primary domain and unlimited accompanying subdomains. If you own mywebsite.com, a wildcard SSL will secure all the accompanying first-level subdomains (blog.mywebsite.com, mail.mywebsite.com, admin.mywebsite.com, etc.) along with mywebsite.com.
The thumb rule is, a wildcard SSL certificate secures one primary domain and its unlimited first level of subdomains. For example, domain.com and the unlimited number of *.domain.com, where * can be any word, letter or digit.
What is the difference between Positive SSL wildcard and Essential SSL Wildcard?
Both Positive SSL wildcard and Essential SSL Wildcard are highly trusted wildcard SSL certificates offered by Sectigo. Sectigo was previously known as Comodo CA. ‘Positive SSL Wildcard VS Essential SSL Wildcard’ has always generated a great deal of curiosity among our customers because these both products look similar and yet, there was a significant price difference between them. In the past, Essential Wildcard SSL used to offer a number of extra perks such as free PCI scanning, free daily website security scans, etc. However, Sectigo has reduced the differences among these two popular wildcard SSL certificates. They both come with the following key features:
- Powerful 2048-bit signature key
- Fully automated issuance process
- Can be issued and installed in minutes
- Industry-standard 256-bit encryption
- Static Sectigo Secure Site Seal
The only difference between both of them is the warranty. Positive Wildcard SSL provides a $50,000 warranty, and Essential Wildcard SSL comes with a $10,000 warranty.
Essential Wildcard SSL has been considered a premium product and was quite popular among small and medium businesses. It gained a high brand value, and many businesses prefer EssentialSSL to PositiveSSL.
Now the price difference between the two is as negligible, at $2/year! The good news is, Essential Wildcard SSL still has its old panache and many business people prefer the EssentialSSL brand.
The bottom line is, the products are technically similar, so choose the brand you prefer!
Compare PositiveSSL Wildcard vs EssentialSSL Wildcard
| Sectigo SSL | PositiveSSL Wildcard | EssentialSSL Wildcard |
|---|---|---|
| Product Technical Features |  |
 |
| SSL Type | 2048-Bit Standard SSL | 2048-Bit Standard SSL |
| Warranty | $50,000 | $10,000 |
| Refund Policy | 30 Days | 30 Days |
| Pricing: 1 Year | $97.90/Yr | $99.80/Yr |
| Pricing: 2 Years | $85.86/Yr | $87.33/Yr |
| Encryption Strength | 256-Bit | 256-Bit |
| Issuance Time | Within Minutes | Within Minutes |
| Validation Type | Domain Validated | Domain Validated |
| Documents Required | None | None |
| SAN Support | No | No |
| Sub-domains | Unlimited Sub-domains – Level 1 | Unlimited Sub-domains – Level 1 |
| Display Indicator | HTTPS with Padlock in URL | HTTPS with Padlock in URL |
| Server license | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Validation Methods | File/Email/DNS Validation | File/Email/DNS Validation |
| SSL Reissuance | Anytime till Expiration | Anytime till Expiration |
| OS Compatibility | Latest versions of Windows, Apple MAC, Linux, etc. | Latest versions of Windows, Apple MAC, Linux, etc. |
| Browser Compatibility | 99.9% Web and Mobile | 99.9% Web and Mobile |
| Mobile OS Support | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS, etc. | Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS, etc. |
| Site Seal | Static Positive Site Seal | Static Comodo Site Seal |
| PCI compliance scanning | Not Available | YES |
| 1 Year | $97.90 | $99.90 |
| 5 Year | $87.32 | $79.84 |
| Buy Today | Add to cart | Add to cart |