Certbot
6.0#15 in certificate management softwareFree planFree planLinuxmacOSSelf-hostedWindows
VisitCertbot vs Let's Encrypt
Let's Encrypt
7.6#3 in public key infrastructure softwareFree planFree planWebAPILinuxmacOS
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | Certbot | Let's Encrypt |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States | LinkedIn lists San Francisco, California as ISRG headquarters. |
| HTTPS automation | Certbot can help obtain a certificate from a certificate authority and install it onto a web server automatically in many cases. | The ACME protocol lets an ACME client obtain browser-trusted HTTPS certificates without manual intervention. |
| Intended users | Certbot may suit people comfortable with the command line who administer a website on a dedicated server, VPS, or cloud-hosted server. | The service is available to people and organizations worldwide that need certificates for domain-named servers, including web, mail, and FTP servers. |
| Maker | Certbot is made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which the site describes as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. | The service is operated by the nonprofit Internet Security Research Group. |
| Support | The site points users to project documentation and the Let’s Encrypt community forum for help. | Let’s Encrypt does not offer direct subscriber support and points users to its documentation and community support forums. |
Certbot plans
- CertbotFree
Let's Encrypt plans
- Let's Encrypt certificatesFree
- Short-lived certificatesFree
Pick Certbot if…
Certbot may suit people comfortable with command-line work who administer websites on dedicated servers, VPSs, or cloud-hosted servers. It is less suited to most shared hosting environments, where asking the hosting provider to configure HTTPS is usually easier and more reliable.
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.