What SSL does
When a visitor opens a site, the browser and the server open a session. SSL encrypts the address, the cookie, and the form data in that session. The protocol in use today is TLS. Shops and panels still say SSL. Both names describe the work behind the lock icon. The lock itself does not print a company name. The lock says the connection is encrypted.
Encryption and identity checks are separate lines. Every publicly trusted certificate encrypts the session. Whether the company name is written inside the certificate depends on the validation type. On the OwnHost SSL page those types sit on separate cards. The page also says SSL does not guarantee a search ranking. HTTPS is an old, light signal for Google. It is not a promise of the top position. Bing and Yandex also read a browser’s “not secure” warning on plain HTTP as a problem for the site. The warning goes away. The rank is not for sale.
DV: domain validation
DV means Domain Validation. The certificate authority checks that the person who asked for the certificate controls the domain. No documents are required. On the OwnHost cards, DV delivery says “immediate” and the check says “domain”. This type is written for a blog, a forum, a brochure site, and a first shop that is not waiting on paperwork.
The DV prices on the page are yearly. Comodo SSL (DV) is $6.50. Positive SSL (DV) is $7.99. Essential SSL (DV) is $17.49. All three list free installation. The price gap is the brand and the package name. All three are the same DV class. A more expensive DV does not become OV.
Let’s Encrypt is also a DV. The authority is a nonprofit and the certificate is free. Its lifetime and automation are in a separate article. The gap between free and a yearly card is in the comparison article.
OV: company documents
OV means Organization Validation. On top of the domain, the company’s existence is checked with official papers. The OwnHost OV group says the company details are validated in the certificate. Organization SSL (OV) is $89.99 a year. The delivery window is 2–21 business days. Premium OV SSL is $129.99 a year. The delivery window is 1–5 business days. Both require documents, and installation is free.
OV does not print the company name in the address bar. The company name is in the certificate details. The visitor sees the lock. Someone who wants the legal name opens the certificate. Do not expect a green bar. That look is gone from current browsers. The EV section below says the same thing for EV.
EV: extended validation
EV means Extended Validation. The check is more detailed than OV. The legal name, the existence of the company, and the right to request the certificate are asked for with documents. Positive EV SSL is $79.99 a year. Sectigo EV SSL is $249.99 a year. PositiveSSL EV Multi-Domain is $189.99 a year. All three cards list delivery in 1–5 days and the check as company validation. Installation is free. The multi-domain card puts several separate domain names on one EV certificate. That is not a wildcard.
The cards say “green bar”. That is the name of an old browser interface. Current Chrome, Firefox, and Safari do not show the company name as a green bar in the address bar. The visitor still sees a lock. The validated name is inside the certificate. Buying EV for a green bar is an expectation the 2026 screen does not meet. Buying EV because a bank or a partner asks for EV in writing is a different decision. If there is no such requirement, DV encrypts the connection the same way.
Wildcard and multi-domain
A wildcard means one certificate covers the pattern *.example.com. If www, shop, and panel sit under the same root, you do not open a separate certificate for each. PositiveSSL Wildcard (DV) is $73.99 a year. Essential (DV) Wildcard is $130.99 a year. Both are marked immediate delivery and domain validation. Installation is free. The page calls this the economical option for several subdomains.
A wildcard does not cover a second root domain. example.com and another.com are two names. Those look at a multi-domain card. EV multi-domain is that job with documents. The wildcard line is DV. It covers subdomains. It does not document the company.
One star is one level. *.example.com does not always cover a second level such as a.b.example.com. If you have a second level, read the names covered in the certificate details. The card title does not say that by itself.
Which one to choose
No documents, one site, or a few subdomains: DV. If subdomains will multiply: wildcard DV. If the company name should be written inside the certificate and the papers are ready: OV. If a contract or a payment provider explicitly asks for EV: EV. “A green bar lifts the ranking” is not the reason for this choice. The page’s own introduction does not guarantee a ranking.
Installation is free on every card you buy. The support team installs the certificate. The free SSL line on a WordPress hosting card is not this shop’s yearly price. That line does not name the authority. If you want a yearly DV, OV, or EV, the order page is the SSL page. The encryption line on the page says SHA-256 and 2048-bit RSA. That means the session is encrypted. Rank and conversion are not promised on top of it.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions this article is most often asked.
1 Do DV and OV show the same lock?
Both encrypt the connection. DV checks the domain only. OV asks for company documents and writes the legal name inside the certificate.
2 Does EV still show a green bar?
The card says green bar. Current Chrome, Firefox, and Safari do not show the company name as a green bar. The name is inside the certificate.
3 Does a wildcard cover a second domain?
No. A wildcard is for subdomains of the same root. A separate root domain looks at a multi-domain card.