Let's Encrypt
7.6#3 in public key infrastructure softwareFree planFree planWebAPILinuxmacOS
VisitLet's Encrypt vs step-ca
What both publish
| Fact | Let's Encrypt | step-ca |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Hosting providers can obtain and manage certificates for customers through their own ACME clients. | Documented integrations include Kubernetes cert-manager, Envoy SDS, ACME clients, OIDC providers, PKCS#11, Google Cloud KMS, AWS KMS and YubiKey PIV. |
| License | Boulder is open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. | The certificates repository is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.8 out of 5 from 22 reviews. | 4.2 out of 5 from 10 reviews |
| Self-hosting | Boulder can be adapted to operate an internal, non-publicly-trusted ACME certificate authority, although its maintainers say it is often not the right production fit for organizations evaluating it. | Install options cover macOS Homebrew, Windows Winget or Scoop, multiple Linux distributions, Kubernetes Helm and Docker. |
| Support | Let’s Encrypt does not offer direct subscriber support and points users to its documentation and community support forums. | Open-source users are directed to community Discord support, with optional paid support contracts available from Smallstep. |
Let's Encrypt plans
- Let's Encrypt certificatesFree
- Short-lived certificatesFree
step-ca plans
- step-ca (open source)Free
- step-ca open sourceFree
- Smallstep PlatformPriced on request
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.
Pick step-ca if…
step-ca is positioned for DevOps teams managing certificates for VMs, containers, APIs, databases, Kubernetes workloads, and people. It may suit teams building a private CA with automated certificate workflows.