Certbot

6.9easy start · #7 of 31
in Certificate Management Software

Free to practise onyes
Free trialnot on record
Well documentedyes
Runs where you workyes

Runs on Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows.

Certbot is ranked #7 of 31 in certificate management software on The Geeks Club. It runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Windows. There is a free plan.

Certbot plans and pricing

All plans

Certbot Free Free, open source software; automatically uses Let’s Encrypt certificates on manually administered websites certbot.eff.org · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on certificate management software

Free plan: Yes
Certificate discovery: No
Automatic renewal: Yes
Deployment automation: Yes
Revocation workflows: Yes
Certificate types: tls
CA integrations: Yes

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The record

Purpose: Certbot automatically uses Let’s Encrypt certificates on manually administered websites to enable HTTPS.
Open source: Certbot is free, open source software.
Certificate renewal: Certbot renews certificates when less than one-third of their lifetime remains, or half their lifetime for certificates lasting 10 days or less.
Web server integration: The site names Apache and Nginx integrations and also describes webroot and standalone usage methods.
DNS validation: DNS validation does not require Let’s Encrypt to make an inbound connection to the server, so an existing HTTP site or open port 80 is not required for this method.
Command line: Certbot runs from a command-line interface, usually on a Unix-like server, and most users run it on a remote server over SSH.
Intended users: Certbot may suit people comfortable with the command line who administer a website on a dedicated server, VPS, or cloud-hosted server.
Shared hosting limitation: Certbot is less suitable for most shared hosting environments, where asking the provider to set up HTTPS is usually easier and more reliable.
HTTPS automation: Certbot can help obtain a certificate from a certificate authority and install it onto a web server automatically in many cases.
Support: The site points users to project documentation and the Let’s Encrypt community forum for help.
Security purpose: The project says it aims to help make the internet more structurally private, safe, and protected against censorship through HTTPS adoption.
Maker: Certbot is made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which the site describes as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in San Francisco, California.
Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on The Geeks Club

Best Certificate Management Software in 2026#7 of 31

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Sources

certbot.eff.org/pages/about· checked 3 Oct 2026
certbot.eff.org/hosting_providers· checked 3 Oct 2026
certbot.eff.org/pages/help· checked 3 Oct 2026
certbot.eff.org· checked 28 Sept 2026