Let's Encrypt alternatives
Let's Encrypt takes a cut of your revenue instead of charging a flat price. Here's what the 4 other domain, DNS or SSL providers we track cost. The closest match, Amazon Route 53, covers 81% of what Let's Encrypt does. Each one shows how much of it it covers, capability by capability, next to the price.
What Let's Encrypt does
Core: API & infrastructure as code, Free automated SSL.
Important: Wildcard & multi-domain certs.
Alternatives to Let's Encrypt at 1 .com domain at renewal, best match first
- Amazon Route 53: $1.33/mo Ref is .com renewal only; no ICANN fee stated (Pay-as-you-go .com standard renewal ($16 a year)). It covers 81% of Let's Encrypt; missing or partial: Free automated SSL (partly). Free plan: none. Last price hike: Jul 2026.
- Cloudflare Registrar: $0.87/mo Tracker price; official page lists no .com price (Standard .com renewal at Cloudflare's at-cost price of $10.46/yr (tracker figure), with WHOIS redaction free.). It covers 63% of Let's Encrypt; missing or partial: API & infrastructure as code (partly), Free automated SSL (partly). Free plan: Free DNS, Universal SSL and WHOIS redaction come with every domain; domain registration itself is paid.. Last price hike: May 2026.
- Namecheap: $1.56/mo Renewal list price (no coupon) + $0.20 ICANN fee (One .com domain at list renewal ($18.48/yr plus $0.20 ICANN fee; WHOIS privacy free), divided by 12.). It covers 63% of Let's Encrypt; missing or partial: API & infrastructure as code (partly), Free automated SSL (partly). Free plan: FreeDNS: no-cost DNS hosting that also works for domains registered with other registrars (up to 800 records per domain).. Last price hike: Sep 2023.
- GoDaddy: $1.93/mo Third-party aggregator; GoDaddy pages blocked (1-year renewal of one existing .com domain, incl. $0.20 ICANN fee (WHOIS privacy free on renewal)). It covers 63% of Let's Encrypt; missing or partial: API & infrastructure as code (partly), Free automated SSL (partly). Free plan: none.
Other kinds of products that cover part of Let's Encrypt
- Vercel (Hosting): covers 69% of Let's Encrypt; missing or partial: Free automated SSL (partly), Wildcard & multi-domain certs (partly)
- Hostinger (Web & WordPress hosting): covers 38% of Let's Encrypt; missing or partial: API & infrastructure as code (partly), Free automated SSL (partly), Wildcard & multi-domain certs
Prices at every size
- Let's Encrypt: 1 .com domain at renewal not offered, DNS for 5 domains not offered, 1 single-domain SSL certificate free (Free only; domains and DNS not offered)
- Amazon Route 53: 1 .com domain at renewal $1.33/mo, DNS for 5 domains $4.50/mo, 1 single-domain SSL certificate no public price (Ref is .com renewal only; no ICANN fee stated)
- Cloudflare Registrar: 1 .com domain at renewal $0.87/mo, DNS for 5 domains free, 1 single-domain SSL certificate free (Tracker price; official page lists no .com price)
- Namecheap: 1 .com domain at renewal $1.56/mo, DNS for 5 domains free, 1 single-domain SSL certificate $0.92/mo (Renewal list price (no coupon) + $0.20 ICANN fee)
- GoDaddy: 1 .com domain at renewal $1.93/mo, DNS for 5 domains no public price, 1 single-domain SSL certificate no public price (Third-party aggregator; GoDaddy pages blocked)
Prices are USD per month: the headline is one .com domain at its yearly renewal price (not the first-year promo), with contact privacy and any required account plan, divided by 12. We also price managed DNS for 5 domains registered elsewhere at 5 million queries a month and one single-domain SSL certificate for a year divided by 12; a product that does not do a job shows no price for it.
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Everything about Let's Encrypt's own prices and price hikes: Let's Encrypt.