GHS
KES - Kenya
NGN - Nigeria
ZAR - South Africa
USD - International
Short answer
All three encrypt your website in the same way. The difference is what the certificate authority checks: DV (domain validation) checks only that you control the domain, OV (organisation validation) also checks that your company is real, and EV (extended validation) adds the strictest company checks. Most websites only need DV, and the free SSL on Hostnali hosting is DV.
Side by side
| DV | OV | EV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checks | Domain control | Domain + company | Domain + full company vetting |
| Issued | Usually within minutes | Once the company checks pass | Once the full vetting passes |
| Company name in certificate | No | Yes | Yes |
| Padlock in the browser | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Typical use | Websites, blogs, shops | Company sites, portals | Banks, payments, large brands |
Which one do you need?
- DV: business websites, blogs and most online shops. The free SSL that comes with Hostnali hosting is DV; it installs itself and renews automatically.
- OV: when customers or partners want proof that a real company stands behind the site, for example login portals, B2B services or suppliers bidding for tenders.
- EV: organisations handling payments or sensitive personal data that want the highest level of company verification.
Other things to compare
- Wildcard certificates cover every subdomain (*.yourdomain.com).
- Multi-domain (SAN) certificates cover several different domains.
- Paid certificates include a warranty from the certificate authority.
What OV and EV need from you
Your company registration documents (for a Ghanaian business, the certificate from the Office of the Registrar of Companies), a business phone number that can be verified, and a contact person who can answer the certificate authority’s checks. Have these ready and approval goes faster.
Compare prices on SSL certificates, or read do I need to pay for SSL?