Types of SSL Certificates (DV, OV, EV)

SSL certificates come in several types based on the level of validation performed by the Certificate Authority (CA). Choosing the right type depends on your website’s purpose, the level of trust you need to establish with visitors, and your organization’s requirements.

Domain Validation (DV) Certificates

What It Is

A DV certificate is the most basic type of SSL. The CA only verifies that the applicant controls the domain name — no organization identity checks are performed.

Validation Process

• Method: Email validation, DNS record verification, or HTTP file upload
• Time: Issued within minutes
• Information verified: Domain ownership only

What Visitors See

• Padlock icon in the browser address bar
• https:// in the URL
• Certificate details show the domain name but no organization information

Best For

• Personal websites and blogs
• Small business sites without e-commerce
• Development and staging environments
• Sites that need quick and affordable SSL coverage

Typical Cost

Free (via Let’s Encrypt) to approximately $50/year.

Organization Validation (OV) Certificates

What It Is

An OV certificate requires the CA to verify the organization’s identity in addition to domain ownership. This provides a higher level of trust.

Validation Process

• Method: Domain verification plus business identity checks (government records, phone verification, etc.)
• Time: Typically 1–3 business days
• Information verified: Domain ownership, organization name, address, and phone number

What Visitors See

• Padlock icon in the browser address bar
• https:// in the URL
• Certificate details display the verified organization name and location

Best For

• Business websites
• Organizations that want to display verified identity
• Government and educational institutions
• Non-e-commerce sites that handle user data

Typical Cost

$50–$200/year.

Extended Validation (EV) Certificates

What It Is

EV certificates provide the highest level of validation. The CA conducts a thorough vetting process that verifies the legal, physical, and operational existence of the organization.

Validation Process

• Method: Extensive verification including legal entity checks, physical address verification, operational status, and authorized contact confirmation
• Time: Typically 1–2 weeks
• Information verified: Everything in OV, plus legal existence, operational status, and authorized signatories

What Visitors See

• Padlock icon in the browser address bar
• https:// in the URL
• Certificate details display full verified organization details
• Some older browsers displayed a green address bar with the organization name (this practice has been discontinued by most modern browsers)

Best For

• E-commerce websites
• Financial institutions and banks
• Healthcare organizations
• Any site handling sensitive financial transactions
• Large enterprises wanting maximum trust signals

Typical Cost

$100–$500+/year.

Comparison Table

Other Certificate Categories

Beyond validation level, certificates also differ by coverage:

Wildcard Certificates

Cover a domain and all its first-level subdomains (e.g., *.example.com covers www.example.com, mail.example.com, etc.). Available in DV and OV types.

Multi-Domain (SAN) Certificates

Cover multiple different domain names under a single certificate. Available in DV, OV, and EV types.

Single-Domain Certificates

Cover exactly one domain name (e.g., example.com or www.example.com).

How to Choose

1. Personal blog or informational site? → DV certificate (or free Let’s Encrypt)
2. Business website that collects user data? → OV certificate
3. E-commerce or financial transactions? → EV certificate
4. Multiple subdomains? → Wildcard certificate
5. Multiple separate domains? → Multi-Domain (SAN) certificate

Further Reading

• SSL Certificate Basics
• Wildcard SSL Certificates Explained
• What Is SSL and Why Do You Need It?