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Difference between DV, OV and EV SSL certificates
All three protect the connection in exactly the same way. They differ in how much the certificate authority checks before it issues, what it writes into the certificate, and how long that takes.
What a visitor sees in the browser
Browsers removed the company-name indicator in 2019, and in 2023 Chrome replaced the padlock with a settings icon. Every browser draws the site information control its own way and has restyled it more than once — none of them mark out DV, OV or EV. The screenshots below come from an earlier Chrome.
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No certificate — the browser marks the site as not secure
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DV — the site information control and the domain name
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OV — the same control and domain name as DV
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EV — the same control; the verified company name is inside the certificate
The indicator looks identical for all three. The difference is what the certificate contains, and anyone can open it from the site information panel.
DV, OV and EV side by side
| What differs | DV | OV | EV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encryption | Identical | Identical | Identical |
| What the authority checks | Control of the domain | The domain and that the company exists | The domain and the company, under CA/Browser Forum rules |
| Company details in the certificate | None | Legal name and address | Legal name, address and registration number |
| Documents you provide | None | Company registration | Company registration and confirmation of the request |
| Time to issue | Minutes | 2–3 working days | 7–10 days |
| Usually chosen by | Blogs, test and staging sites | Company sites that want their name in the certificate | Shops, banks and anyone taking payments |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Pick a level and see the certificates
Prices and issue times are on the product pages.
Questions about the three levels
Does a more expensive certificate give a better indicator in the browser?
No. The browser shows the same thing for DV, OV and EV, and the encryption is identical. What changes is what the certificate authority checked and wrote into the certificate.
Will my company name be shown in the browser?
No. Browsers removed that indicator in 2019, and in 2023 Chrome replaced the lock icon with a settings icon. The verified details live in the certificate, which anyone can open from the site information panel.
Which level do I need?
DV proves only that you control the domain. OV and EV also put your checked company into the certificate. A site that takes payments is normally on OV or EV.
