ecure your website and all its first-level subdomains with a single Wildcard SSL Certificate. Instead of purchasing and managing separate certificates for each subdomain, one Wildcard certificate can protect www.example.com, mail.example.com, shop.example.com, portal.example.com and any other subdomain under the same domain.
At euroSSL you can compare DV and OV Wildcard SSL certificates from leading Certificate Authorities including Sectigo, RapidSSL, GeoTrust and Thawte. Choose the validation level and certificate that best suit your needs and simplify SSL management across your entire domain.
| Name | Yearly | Order Now | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| EssentialSSL Wildcard (DV) | €93.89 | ||
| GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium Wildcard | €221.17 | ||
| Comodo PositiveSSL Wildcard | €80.65 | ||
| InstantSSL Premium Wildcard (OV) | €173.81 | ||
| Sectigo OV Wildcard SSL | €359.68 | ||
| Comodo Wildcard SSL Certificate (DV) | €193.56 | ||
| Sectigo SSL Wildcard | €193.56 | ||
| RapidSSL Wildcard Certificate | €80.65 | ||
| Thawte SSL123 Wildcard | €204.16 | ||
| GeoTrust True BusinessID Wildcard | €380.82 |
What is a Wildcard SSL Certificate?
A Wildcard SSL Certificate is an SSL certificate designed to secure a domain and an unlimited number of its first-level subdomains with a single certificate.
Instead of purchasing a separate SSL certificate for every hostname, a Wildcard certificate uses an asterisk (*) as a wildcard to cover all subdomains at the same level.
For example, a certificate issued for:
*.example.com
can secure:
www.example.commail.example.comshop.example.comblog.example.comportal.example.com
This makes Wildcard SSL particularly convenient for websites and online infrastructures that use multiple subdomains or regularly add new ones.
A single certificate simplifies installation, renewal and certificate management while providing secure HTTPS encryption across all covered subdomains.
Why Choose a Wildcard SSL Certificate?
A Wildcard SSL certificate can significantly simplify SSL management when several services or websites operate as subdomains of the same domain.
The main advantages include:
- Unlimited first-level subdomains – protect existing and future subdomains without purchasing a separate certificate for each one.
- Simplified SSL management – manage, renew and reissue a single certificate instead of maintaining multiple individual certificates.
- Lower costs – when several subdomains need protection, one Wildcard certificate can be more cost-effective than purchasing multiple certificates.
- Flexible deployment – use the certificate across different servers and services, subject to the licensing terms of the selected certificate.
- Easy expansion – create new subdomains without having to purchase a new SSL certificate every time.
Wildcard SSL is particularly useful for businesses running multiple web services, customer portals, webmail systems, development environments or other applications under a common domain.
Who Should Use a Wildcard SSL Certificate?
A Wildcard SSL certificate is an ideal solution whenever multiple subdomains under the same domain need HTTPS protection.
It is particularly suitable for:
- businesses operating several websites or services under one domain;
- SaaS platforms using multiple subdomains;
- customer and administration portals;
- webmail and other online services;
- development, staging and testing environments;
- organizations that regularly create new subdomains.
For example, if your organization uses www.example.com, mail.example.com, customers.example.com and support.example.com, a Wildcard SSL certificate can protect all of them without requiring four separate certificates.
If you need to secure different domain names rather than multiple subdomains of one domain, a Multi-Domain (SAN) SSL certificate may be a better solution.
DV vs OV Wildcard SSL Certificates
Wildcard SSL certificates are available with both Domain Validation (DV) and Organization Validation (OV). Both provide strong HTTPS encryption and can protect unlimited first-level subdomains, but they differ in the level of identity verification performed before issuance.
A DV Wildcard SSL certificate verifies control of the domain. Validation is generally fast and can often be completed automatically, making DV Wildcard certificates an excellent choice when rapid issuance and affordable subdomain protection are the main priorities.
An OV Wildcard SSL certificate also verifies the identity of the organization requesting the certificate. This requires additional checks by the Certificate Authority and therefore usually takes longer to issue.
The encryption itself is not stronger with OV. The main difference is the additional verification of the organization behind the secured websites.
Choose DV Wildcard SSL for fast and convenient subdomain protection, or OV Wildcard SSL when verified organizational identity is also important.
Wildcard SSL vs Multi-Domain SSL: Which One Do You Need?
Wildcard and Multi-Domain SSL certificates both allow you to protect multiple hostnames with a single certificate, but they are designed for different purposes.
A Wildcard SSL certificate is designed to protect multiple subdomains belonging to the same domain. For example, *.example.com can protect www.example.com, mail.example.com and shop.example.com.
A Multi-Domain (SAN) SSL certificate is designed to protect different domain names or hostnames within the same certificate, such as example.com, example.net and anotherdomain.com.
If you operate many subdomains under a single domain, Wildcard SSL is usually the simplest solution. If you need to secure several different domains, choose a Multi-Domain SSL certificate.
For more complex environments requiring both multiple domains and multiple subdomains, a Multi-Domain Wildcard SSL certificate may provide the most flexible solution.