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Let's Encrypt vs Sectigo

How Let's Encrypt and Sectigo differ on deployment, pricing, openness and what each is actually built for.

Let's EncryptSectigo
TypePublic CA (free)Public CA + CLM
DeploymentSaaS (ACME)SaaS
How it worksIssues domain-validated TLS certificates at no cost, exclusively through the ACME protocol. Short 90-day lifetimes force automation, which is the point: renewal is a cron job, not a calendar reminder.Formerly Comodo CA. Issues public TLS, code-signing and S/MIME at volume through a large reseller channel. Sectigo Certificate Manager handles discovery, renewal and private PKI alongside the public roots.
Pricing*FreeFrom $110/yr (1-yr DV)
Free tierYesNo
Open sourceBoulder (MPL-2.0)—
ComplianceWebTrust, CA/B ForumWebTrust, CA/B Forum
Best forPublic web TLS on anything you can automateCost-sensitive estates that still want a CLM

Let's Encrypt

  • Free and genuinely unlimited in practice
  • ACME everywhere — client support is universal
  • Short lifetimes push good automation hygiene
  • Domain validation only — no OV or EV
  • No support contract to escalate to

Sectigo

  • Markedly cheaper than DigiCert for equivalent certificates
  • Public and private PKI in one console
  • Wide reseller availability
  • Brand still carries the old Comodo association
  • Support quality varies by channel

Bottom line

Choose Let's Encrypt for public web tls on anything you can automate. Choose Sectigo for cost-sensitive estates that still want a clm.

* Indicative list pricing (vendor documentation and public pricing pages, August 2026).