CAcert

CAcert

CAcert is a community-driven certificate authority that provides free SSL certificates. It is an open alternative to commercial CAs for web servers wanting HTTPS encryption.
CAcert image
ssl certificates https encryption web-servers

CAcert: Free Open-Source Certificate Authority

A community-driven CA providing free SSL certificates, an open alternative to commercial CAs for web server HTTPS encryption needs.

What is CAcert?

CAcert is a non-profit, community-driven certificate authority that provides free SSL certificates for web servers. It was founded in 2003 as an open alternative to commercial certificate authorities.

Some key facts about CAcert:

  • Openly audited and trusted by the community
  • Validates identities through an assurance process
  • Issues browser-trusted certificates for free
  • Relies on volunteers to vet and approve requests
  • Supported by donations and minimal fees for extra services
  • Used by over 100,000 domains to enable HTTPS encryption

In summary, CAcert removes the cost barrier of obtaining SSL certificates by providing them for free through community vetting. It enables small websites and startups to easily add HTTPS security to their sites.

CAcert Features

Features

  1. Provides free SSL certificates for websites
  2. Open source and community-driven model
  3. Validation of identity done through peer confirmation process
  4. Supports RSA and ECC encryption algorithms
  5. Issues Domain Validated (DV), Organization Validated (OV), and Extended Validation (EV) certificates

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free SSL certificates

Open and transparent operations

Decentralized trust model

Cons

Limited browser and software support

Identity validation process can be tedious

Lower assurance level than commercial CAs


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