Free standard SSL certificate with every hosting plan

Fully automated, fully managed and at no extra cost.

With us you get a valid standard SSL certificate with every hosting plan: web hosting, performance hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS or dedicated server. Our professionals take care of installation and management for you: we install and manage your SSL certificate and renew it automatically when it's about to expire. For most websites this is all you need.

Got a special situation — a webshop with a payment gateway, a bank or a business that requires full customer trust? Then a different specific SSL certificate is needed. In that case we'll look at the options together.

What does SSL actually do?

The SSL protocol creates a secure connection between your customer's browser and your website's server. All transmitted data — passwords, credit card details, contact form submissions — cannot be read by anyone else. Visitors see this as the padlock in the browser's address bar and the "https://" at the start of your website's URL.

Without an SSL certificate you get a "not secure" warning in Chrome, Firefox and Safari. On top of that Google penalises you in the search results and your website breaches GDPR the moment you process personal data without an SSL certificate. In short: SSL isn't just desirable, it's required.

Standard at DHF: Let's Encrypt

Our default certificate provider for all hosting plans is Let's Encrypt, a non-profit certificate authority (CA) backed by Mozilla, Cisco, Akamai, EFF and the Linux Foundation. More than 300 million websites worldwide are secured with Let's Encrypt certificates.

In terms of features and performance there's absolutely no difference between a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate and an expensive DV-SSL certificate. The only difference is in the validation process and the cost: you pay nothing extra for the standard certificate and we handle everything.

Automatic installation

For every new domain we install the certificate immediately. No request, no manual steps.

Automatic renewal

Let's Encrypt certificates are automatically renewed every 60 days. You don't notice a thing.

Fully browser-trusted

Accepted by Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and all mobile browsers. No warnings, just the padlock.

GDPR-compliant

Fully meets the legal requirement to send personal data over an encrypted channel.

SEO boost

Google ranks HTTPS sites higher than non-HTTPS sites. Direct effect on your visibility.

Wildcard support

One certificate for your main domain plus all subdomains. Available on request.

When do you want an extended SSL?

For 95% of websites, a Let's Encrypt SSL is everything you need. But there are situations where a higher validation level adds value. We distinguish three levels:

Most chosen

DV — Domain Validation

The base level. Proves you own the domain.

At De Hosting Firma

What we provide by default via Let's Encrypt — free with every plan.

Suitable for: blogs, portfolios, brochure sites, small webshops, virtually all SME websites

OV — Organization Validation

In addition to domain ownership, the company behind the site is also verified. The company name becomes visible in the certificate details.

At De Hosting Firma

On request: we handle the validation and issuance for you.

Suitable for: B2B websites, business portals, government bodies, organisations that want verifiable identity

EV — Extended Validation

The highest validation level. Strict manual verification of the company, legal status, physical address and operational activity.

At De Hosting Firma

On request: issuance typically takes 5-10 business days due to the extensive validation.

Suitable for: banks, payment processors, financial institutions, large enterprises that demand maximum brand trust

Not sure which SSL fits you?

Just give us a call. We look at your situation and advise honestly: if Let's Encrypt is enough we'll say so too. No sales talk, just honest advice from someone who gets it.

9,0/10

Dutch data centres

99.9% uptime

Personal support

GDPR compliant

100% green power

Since 2001

What our customers say

“Great service, almost never any problems, and when something does come up it's handled super quickly. Always up-to-date. Top!”
Leo — Rijnsburg

Frequently asked questions about SSL

Questions about SSL at De Hosting Firma? The most asked questions are below. Not finding yours? Call or email us.

Do I really get free SSL with every hosting plan?
Yes, with web hosting, performance hosting, WordPress hosting, reseller hosting, VPS and dedicated servers. With every plan we install a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate by default. No extra cost, no hidden line on the invoice. We also renew it automatically so you're never stuck with an expired certificate.
Is a free Let's Encrypt SSL just as secure as a paid SSL?
Technically: yes, identical. Same 256-bit encryption, same padlock in the browser, same acceptance by Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. The difference between Let's Encrypt and a paid DV-SSL is purely in the issuer and validation procedure, not in the security itself. For an extended OV or EV SSL, that's different, since the organisation behind the site is verified there.
When do I actually need an extended SSL?
In most cases you don't. It becomes relevant if you run a commercial webshop with your own payment processing, are a financial institution (bank, insurer, payment provider), or a large B2B organisation where visitors expect verifiable corporate identity. In those cases an OV or EV certificate offers extra brand trust because your company name becomes visible in the certificate details. In doubt? Call us, we'll figure it out together.
How do I arrange an OV or EV SSL at DHF then?
Call or email us with your situation and we'll figure out what fits. For an OV or EV issuance we need a few documents from your company (Chamber of Commerce extract, identification of an authorised signatory) and the issuance process takes 1-10 business days. We charge an on-request rate depending on the certificate type and term.
Will I get a browser warning if I use Let's Encrypt?
No. Let's Encrypt is fully trusted by all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, mobile browsers). Visitors just see the padlock in the address bar and the "https://" before your domain. It's functionally indistinguishable from a paid DV certificate.
What if my certificate expires?
It won't: Let's Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days and we automatically renew them every 60 days, well before the expiry date. Should something go wrong with the renewal (very rare), our monitoring systems intervene immediately and fix it before visitors notice anything.

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SSL is just standard with us

Pick a hosting plan and your SSL certificate is automatically ready. No extra steps, no extra cost. For exceptions with OV/EV needs: give us a call and we'll figure out what fits.