DV vs OV vs EV SSL certificate

19.05.2020 5,540 19

Martin Pramatarov

There are 3 popular types of SSL certificates. The first one is Domain Validated or DV SSL. The second one is Organization Validated – OV SSL and last but not least – the most expensive one – Extended Validation – EV SSL. Are there any significant differences?

An SSL certificate, what is it?

SSL = Secure Socket Layer. It is the most popular cryptographic protocol that now almost everybody uses it for securing communication. Encrypted data can be read only with the correct key from the other side and if somebody steals it, they won’t be able to understand it. Decryption is not easy, because the certificate is up to 256-bit encrypted.

DV certificate

The extremely widespread DV beats the rest by a long shot in the popularity contest. It achieves it with a simpler verification method and lower price. To verify it, the Central Authority (CA) will check if the e-mail matches the one listed for the domain in the WHOIS record. Then the CA will issue the verification file and then you can put it on the website.

OV certificate

Here things get more complicated. There are more verification criteria. You will need to offer business data, commonly that is the name of the organization, the actual address, telephone number, and more. It is common for the governments to use it and it is a bit more expensive.

EV certificate

And here comes the most expensive of the three. The authenticity here takes even more steps than the OV one. It is often used to verify applications or for big companies that want to promote maximum trust in their services.

Sites with EV SSL have the following extra elements that make them distinguishable:

Google Chrome – green color, padlock icon, HTTPS, the name of the organization and the country-code are written.

Firefox – green color, padlock icon, HTTPS, the name of the organization and the country-code are written.

Safari – green color, padlock icon, HTTPS (on click), the name of the organization and the country-code are written.

Edge – green color, padlock icon, HTTPS (on click), the name of the organization and the country-code are written.

There are many big companies that get this kind of SSL certificate.

The well-known brand Apple wants to attract premium clients using the certificate to show the highest level of security.

Nike, another premium brand with online sales.

Mazda who wants to show that their site is as safe as their cars.

Advantages

• Extra trust for your clients thanks to the distinguished look.
• Boost the confidence in your brand, and it can lower the amount of phishing attacks.
• Serves for signing Windows 10 applications. Having it will prevent the pop-up message that shows your app as untrusted.
• Needed for managing sensitive data in some countries.

Disadvantages

• More expensive, a lot more in comparison to the DV one.
• Harder to get. It has more steps.
• Takes more time to get.
• It does not show on mobile. This is a big deal because mobile traffic is constantly getting stronger.
• People don’t pay so much attention. Yes, they check if there is an SSL, but almost all of them won’t bother checking what type it is.

DV vs OV vs EV SSL Conclusion

If there still is a clash between the DV vs OV vs EV SSL in your mind, let us help you.

The most sophisticated is the EV SSL. Choose it if you can afford it and you are ok with paying the extra price. You will get a few benefits over the rest. The OV is also good and enough for the majority of companies, and the DV is the minimum that you can get.