You have many choices when it comes to purchasing an SSL/TLS certificate for your website. You’ll see all kinds of acronyms — DV SSL vs OV SSL , OV vs EV SSL, etc. It can be a somewhat disconcerting experience having to scour through the web to find the perfect certificate that will meet your needs. Confused about which product to choose? Consider looking at domain validated (DV) and organization validated (OV) SSL certificates if you’re on a budget but need your site to run on HTTPS in a secure manner.

If we look at DV SSL vs OV SSL, a domain validation SSL certificate is a quick and easy solution to switch your site from HTTP to HTTPS. However, it has advantages and disadvantages, too. This type of certificate provides the same level of encryption as any other SSL certificate. However, it can also be purchased by malicious attackers who phish data from end-users. OV SSL, on the other hand, has a relatively stringent process to validate the legitimacy of your business and website and is a much more secure alternative.

Choosing between these and their variants will depend upon your specific requirements. The two validation levels are different, but before getting into DV vs OV SSL, let’s take a look at each of these individually.

DV SSL vs OV SSL: What Is Domain Validation?

Domain validated SSL/TLS certificates are a fast and convenient way to encrypt your website with the least vigorous verification process. It is the most basic validation level where the certificate authority (CA) only checks if the applicant (organization or individual) truly owns the registered domain.

To verify ownership of the domain that was submitted with the order, you can respond to the email the CA sends on your registered mail ID. The CA can also send the domain control validation (DCV) email to five preapproved emails associated with your website. Email-based authentication is the simplest and most preferred form of verification.

You can also verify your ownership via alternative methods like file-based authentication or hash-based authentication (offered exclusively by Sectigo).

Get a DV SSL certificate starting at as little as $8.95 per year

DV SSL vs OV SSL: What Is Organization Validation?

Organization validated SSL/TLS certificates offer the same level of protection as their domain validated counterparts. In addition to encrypting the traffic and verifying domain ownership, they also check the organization details.

In case of an OV certificate, the issuing certificate authority verifies if the business that is associated with the domain is genuine. It validates registration details like the business’s name, location, address, and incorporation information. For public-facing websites representing a company where the security and authenticity of a website is a concern, OV certificates have proved to be a suitable solution.

To get an OV certificate, you’ll need to clear the following verification steps:

• Domain Verification
• Organization Authentication
• Locality Presence
• Telephone Verification
• Final Verification Call

These steps are considerably straightforward, and the process is hassle-free for most legitimate businesses.

Get an OV SSL certificate starting at $33.69 per year

DV SSL vs OV SSL: Let’s Compare the Differences

Up until now, we have looked at a high-level overview of the individual certificates and what they have to offer. Now let us dive into a comparison to understand which certificate will serve you best when it comes to DV vs OV SSL:

DV SSL Certificate	OV SSL Certificate
DV SSL only verifies the ownership of the associated domain.	OV SSL not only verifies the domain information but also the legitimacy of the business associated with it through basic business validation.
DV SSL certificate supports automated issuance and can be issued within minutes.	OV SSL certificate can be issued within a single business day.
DV SSL certificates provide the most basic form of validation. This is perfect for websites that merely need the traffic to be encrypted.	OV SSL certificates have a more thorough vetting process as compared to DV and should be used where the identity of an organization needs to be asserted.
DV SSL certificates should not be used on security-critical sites or sites that collect any sensitive data.	OV SSL certificates provide greater assurance in terms of identity. It is a much safer alternative as far as security goes.
The company information is not provided. A phishing site might also be able to get a DV certificate.	The company information is mentioned in the certificate, which provides a certain level of trust among users.