cert-manager
5.9#12 in public key infrastructure softwareFree planFree planAPILinuxSelf-hosted
Visitcert-manager vs Let's Encrypt
Let's Encrypt
7.6#3 in public key infrastructure softwareFree planFree planWebAPILinuxmacOS
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | cert-manager | Let's Encrypt |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Satellite projects include istio-csr, approver-policy, Kubernetes CSI drivers, csi-driver-spiffe, and trust-manager. | Hosting providers can obtain and manage certificates for customers through their own ACME clients. |
| Support | Palo Alto Networks offers commercial support and FIPS builds as part of its Long Term Support offering. | Let’s Encrypt does not offer direct subscriber support and points users to its documentation and community support forums. |
cert-manager plans
- Open source cert-managerFree
Let's Encrypt plans
- Let's Encrypt certificatesFree
- Short-lived certificatesFree
Pick cert-manager if…
cert-manager suits teams running Kubernetes or OpenShift workloads that need certificates for public-facing or internal services. It is relevant to operators seeking automated issuance and renewal, including for Ingress TLS or pod-to-pod mTLS.
Pick Let's Encrypt if…
Let's Encrypt serves people and organizations worldwide who need certificates for domain-named web, mail, or FTP servers. It suits users able to manage certificates through ACME clients and consult documentation or community forums when needed.