Every Fast Hive hosting plan includes a free SSL certificate that is issued and renewed automatically, and for most websites that is genuinely all you need. Paid certificates exist to solve specific problems - proving your organisation's identity, covering unlimited subdomains, or carrying a warranty. This guide explains the differences honestly, so you buy one only if it actually helps you.
The validation levels
Fast Hive's SSL store groups certificates into three validation levels plus wildcards.
| Level | What is checked | Issued in | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Validation (DV) | Only that you control the domain | Minutes | Blogs, personal sites, most small business sites |
| Organization Validation (OV) | Basic checks on your registered organisation | Days | Business sites handling sensitive information |
| Extended Validation (EV) | Full legal, physical and operational verification | Days to weeks | Finance, large ecommerce, regulated sectors |
| Wildcard | Domain control, but covers *.yourdomain.com |
Varies | Many subdomains, especially ones created dynamically |
Pricing rises steeply with validation level - DV certificates start in the low tens, OV in the low hundreds, and EV substantially higher. The store shows current pricing for each.
Which one do you actually need?
Work down this list and stop at the first line that matches.
| Your situation | Get |
|---|---|
| A normal website, shop included, hosted with us | The free included certificate. Nothing to buy or configure. |
| Many subdomains, or subdomains created automatically | A wildcard certificate |
| A client contract, tender or auditor requires verified identity | OV, or EV if specified |
| You need a warranty against mis-issuance | A paid certificate at the level the warranty requires |
| Several unrelated domains on one certificate | A multi-domain certificate |
| You simply want the padlock and no warnings | The free certificate. Buying will not improve this. |
Wildcard certificates in practice
A wildcard covers *.yourdomain.com - every subdomain at one level. Two limits catch people out:
- It covers
shop.yourdomain.combut noteu.shop.yourdomain.com. One level only. - It usually does not cover the bare domain
yourdomain.comunless that is listed separately.
Note that our free automatic certificate already covers each subdomain that resolves to your account. A wildcard is worth paying for when subdomains are created dynamically and cannot wait for individual issuance.
What the free certificate does not do
To be straightforward about the trade-offs:
- No organisation identity. It proves domain control only.
- No warranty. Paid certificates carry financial guarantees against mis-issuance.
- Requires working DNS. It cannot issue until the domain resolves to your Fast Hive server.
- Not for domains hosted elsewhere. It secures sites on your account here.
For the overwhelming majority of websites, none of these matter.
Buying and switching
- Go to the SSL Certificates store.
- Choose the validation level, or use the wildcard category.
- Complete the order. If you are moving an existing certificate from another provider, use the Switch to Us option.
- Generate a CSR in cPanel and submit it - the installation article covers this step by step.
- Complete validation, then install the certificate and its CA bundle.
Troubleshooting
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You bought OV or EV and validation is taking days | Expected - a human is checking company records. Make sure your organisation is listed in a public business directory with a matching phone number, which is what usually holds it up. |
| Validation rejected on company details | The name on the order must match your registered legal name exactly, including suffixes such as Ltd. Correct it and resubmit. |
| Wildcard does not cover a deeper subdomain | Expected. Add that hostname explicitly or buy a second wildcard for that level. |
| You paid for a certificate you did not need | Ask Accounts & Billing promptly - refunds are subject to the issuing authority's policy, and are far more likely before validation completes. |
| Paid certificate installed, browser still warns | Usually a missing CA bundle or mixed content. See the SSL errors and mixed content articles. |
Frequently asked questions
Is the free certificate less secure?
No. The encryption is identical. The difference is what the certificate authority verified before issuing it.
Will a paid certificate improve my SEO?
No. Search engines care that you use HTTPS, not which certificate you bought. The free one satisfies that completely.
Do customers trust a paid certificate more?
Almost none of them can tell the difference without clicking into the certificate details, which very few people do. Trust comes from your content, reviews and checkout experience.
When is EV genuinely worth it?
When something external requires it - a banking partner, an insurer, a compliance framework, a tender. Rarely for its own sake.
Can I use a certificate bought elsewhere?
Yes. Generate the CSR in cPanel and install the issued certificate with its CA bundle.
What happens to my free certificate if I install a paid one?
The paid certificate takes over for that domain. If you later let it lapse, tell us so automatic issuance can resume cleanly.
