Let's Encrypt
Let's Encrypt is a free, automated, and open Certificate Authority brought to you by the nonprofit Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). Read all about our nonprofit work this year in our 2024 Annual Report.
Let's Encrypt is a free, automated, and open Certificate Authority (CA), run for the public's benefit. It is a service provided by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). Let's Encrypt provides digital certificates for Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption at no charge. The certificates are valid for 90 days, and the process of obtaining them is automated through software like Certbot, which can be installed on a web server.
9M
300000 / day
15M
500000 / day
5.5 min
3.5 pages per visit
40%
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Domain Rating
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Domain Authority
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Citation Level
2014
English, etc
Website Key Features
Free TLS/SSL Certificates
Provides free digital certificates for securing websites with HTTPS.
Automated Certificate Management
Automates the process of obtaining, installing, and renewing certificates.
Open and Transparent
Operates as a transparent and open Certificate Authority for the public's benefit.
Wide Browser Support
Certificates are recognized and trusted by all major browsers.
Domain Validation
Offers domain-validated certificates, ensuring the requester has control over the domain.
Wildcard Certificates
Supports wildcard certificates for securing all subdomains under a domain.
API for Automation
Provides an API for automating the certificate issuance and management process.
Community Support
Backed by a strong community and supported by sponsors and partners.
Environmentally Friendly
Promotes a more secure and privacy-respecting Web by making HTTPS the default.
Educational Resources
Offers extensive documentation and guides for users and developers.
Similar Sites and Competitors
Additional information
Parent Organization
Internet Security Research Group (ISRG)
Key People
Josh Aas (Executive Director), Jacob Hoffman-Andrews (Lead Developer)
Sponsors
Includes major companies like Mozilla, Cisco, Akamai, EFF, and others.
Mission
To create a more secure and privacy-respecting Web by promoting the widespread adoption of HTTPS.
Impact
Significantly increased the percentage of websites using HTTPS, contributing to a safer internet.
Technology
Uses the ACME protocol for automating interactions between certificate applicants and the CA.
Certificates Issued
As of the last update, Let's Encrypt has issued hundreds of millions of certificates.
Security
Implements state-of-the-art security practices to protect its infrastructure and the certificates it issues.
HTTP headers
Security headers report is a very important part of user data protection. Learn more about http headers for letsencrypt.org