Wildcard vs multidomain or San certificates, what is the difference?

What is a Wildcard Certificate?

Wildcard certificates are ideal when you have a single domain but want to use SSL on multiple subdomains. If you own sslcertificate.ch, your certificate *.sslcertificate.ch  will allow you securing multiple subdomains. DigiCert, Thawte, Geotrust & sectigo all offers this type of SSL certificate.

What are SAN Certificates?

SAN Certificates or Multidomain SSL certificate allows you to secure multiple subdomains from different domain with a single certificate.

One use of a SAN certificate is when you have multiple domains for the website. For instance, you might own domain.com and domain.net and want a certificate for both.

Several companies offer these options to customers, including Thawte, Geotrust, DigiCert, and Sectigo. These companies may offer specific features that make their SSL products more appealing.

There are other options to consider. Customers can also choose the level of encryption that works best for them. Digicert Secure site Pro range has the higher encryption of all with up to 512 bit.

Unlike wildcards that are restricted to Domain Validated (DV) & Organisation validated (OV), you are able to obtain SAN certificate as an extended validation certificate

Fortunately, these options mean that you can find the ideal solution for your company at a price point that works for you.