Verisign vs Smallstep Certificates

Struggling to choose between Verisign and Smallstep Certificates? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Verisign is a Business & Commerce solution with tags like domain, registry, ssl, security.

It boasts features such as Provides domain name registry services, Manages .com and .net top-level domains, Offers digital certificates and SSL/TLS services, Provides DDoS protection and mitigation, Offers identity and authentication services and pros including Trusted brand for domain names and certificates, Highly reliable and secure infrastructure, Scalable services for high-traffic sites, Extensive DDoS protection capabilities, Comprehensive identity and access management.

On the other hand, Smallstep Certificates is a Security & Privacy product tagged with certificates, tls, ssl, pki, encryption.

Its standout features include Automated certificate issuance and renewal, Support for multiple certificate authorities, CLI and APIs for automation, Built-in OCSP and CRL endpoints, Cryptographic private key generation, Configuration management with JSON/YAML, and it shines with pros like Open source and free to use, Simple and easy to use, Secure by default with short-lived certificates, Highly customizable and extensible, Active development and community support.

Feature	Verisign	Smallstep Certificates
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Business & Commerce	Security & Privacy

Product Overview

Verisign

Description: Verisign is a company that provides domain name registry services and internet infrastructure. They are the official registry operator for .com and .net top-level domains.

Smallstep Certificates

Description: Smallstep Certificates is an open source certificate authority that makes it easy to issue and manage TLS certificates. It provides a simple CLI and APIs to automate certificate lifecycle.

Key Features Comparison

Verisign Features

• Provides domain name registry services
• Manages .com and .net top-level domains
• Offers digital certificates and SSL/TLS services
• Provides DDoS protection and mitigation
• Offers identity and authentication services

Smallstep Certificates Features

• Automated certificate issuance and renewal
• Support for multiple certificate authorities
• CLI and APIs for automation
• Built-in OCSP and CRL endpoints
• Cryptographic private key generation
• Configuration management with JSON/YAML

Pros & Cons Analysis

Verisign

Pros

• Trusted brand for domain names and certificates
• Highly reliable and secure infrastructure
• Scalable services for high-traffic sites
• Extensive DDoS protection capabilities
• Comprehensive identity and access management

Cons

• Domain registration and certificates can be expensive
• Limited to only managing .com and .net TLDs
• Complex array of services may be confusing
• Requires long-term commitment for many services
• Not as flexible or customizable as some competitors

Smallstep Certificates

Pros

• Open source and free to use
• Simple and easy to use
• Secure by default with short-lived certificates
• Highly customizable and extensible
• Active development and community support

Cons

• Limited enterprise management features
• Not as feature rich as some commercial CAs
• Requires more technical expertise to operate
• Not ideal for extremely high certificate volumes

Pricing Comparison

Verisign

• Subscription-Based
• Custom Pricing

Smallstep Certificates

• Open Source