SSL certificates: what, why, and how to get one for free
SSL (or TLS as it is actually called today) encrypts traffic between your web shop and your customers' browsers. Here is what it is, why you need it, and how it is free in 2026.
What is SSL? And where does TLS come in?
Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is a method for encrypting communication between two devices, in your case, between your web shop and your customer's browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox or Arc). To verify that your web shop actually uses encryption, so-called SSL certificates serve as identification.
SSL technology was developed in the 1990s and has in practice been replaced today by Transport Layer Security (TLS). But "SSL" lives on as a term and is often used synonymously with TLS. In practice it also shows up as HTTPS in the address bar with a padlock icon.
Why you should protect your web shop
A valid SSL/TLS certificate makes it harder for someone to hack, manipulate or eavesdrop on the information your customers give you, names, addresses, passwords and card details.
Because the certificate protects customer privacy, it is also a quality mark that builds trust in your store. In 2026 HTTPS is no longer optional, modern browsers mark HTTP sites as "Not secure" with prominent warnings, and Google applies a strong negative ranking signal to HTTP pages. If you lack SSL today you lose both customers and search visibility.
It is also mandatory if you accept card payments via Stripe, Klarna, Swish Handel or any other modern payment provider.
Buy an SSL certificate? You can get one for free
There was a time when virtually all SSL certificates cost hundreds of dollars per year. Today they are free via Let's Encrypt, a non-profit certificate authority sponsored by Google, Meta, Cisco and many more. Let's Encrypt is the de facto standard for web encryption, over 80% of HTTPS sites worldwide use them.
Companies still selling SSL certificates often only offer a variant called EV certificates (Extended Validation), which used to display the company name in the address bar. That visual cue was removed by browsers in 2019-2020, so EV certificates today give in practice the same visible protection as a free Let's Encrypt certificate.
How to activate your SSL certificate
And it does not have to be hard: SSL/TLS certificates (HTTPS) are included with Quickbutik and activate automatically as soon as your store is configured. Renewal is automatic too, you never have to think about it. The same goes for most modern e-commerce platforms.
If you run your own server setup you need to install and configure the certificate yourself, but even there, thanks to tools like Certbot, it is usually a matter of minutes.