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.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Verisign

Verisign

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.

Categories:
domain registry ssl security

Verisign Features

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

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based
  • Custom Pricing

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

Smallstep Certificates

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.

Categories:
certificates tls ssl pki encryption

Smallstep Certificates Features

  1. Automated certificate issuance and renewal
  2. Support for multiple certificate authorities
  3. CLI and APIs for automation
  4. Built-in OCSP and CRL endpoints
  5. Cryptographic private key generation
  6. Configuration management with JSON/YAML

Pricing

  • Open Source

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