Certbot

Automated Let's Encrypt certificate management

Hosting & Deployment Automation Encryption

What is Certbot?

Certbot (hosting & deployment): Automated Let's Encrypt certificate management. Certbot gets free SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt and installs them automatically. Run a command, and your website gets HTTPS—no certificate authorities to deal with, no annual renewals to remember. Plugins handle Apache and Nginx automatically. Renewal runs via cron or systemd. The certificates are legitimate and browser-trusted. Certbot is free to use with no paid tier.

TL;DR - Certbot

Certbot is a free tool for automatically obtaining and renewing Let's Encrypt certificates
It configures HTTPS on web servers with a single command
Free and open-source

Pricing: Free forever

Best for: Individuals & startups

Pros & Cons

Pros

Free SSL certificates
Let's Encrypt official
Auto-renewal
Many plugins
Well documented

Cons

Command line focused
Server access needed
90-day certs
Plugin quality varies
Troubleshooting complex

Ratings Across the Web

5(1 reviews)

SourceForge1 reviews

5/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

SSL certificatesLet's EncryptAuto-renewalPlugin systemFreeOpen source

Pricing Plans

Free

Open source

Let's Encrypt client
Auto-renewal
All platforms
EFF project

View full pricing

About Certbot

LCLouis CorneloupUpdated Apr 29, 2026

Certbot gets free SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt and installs them automatically. Run a command, and your website gets HTTPS—no certificate authorities to deal with, no annual renewals to remember. Plugins handle Apache and Nginx automatically. Renewal runs via cron or systemd. The certificates are legitimate and browser-trusted. Server administrators who want HTTPS without the traditional certificate hassle use Certbot to automate what used to require vendors and annual fees.

How we evaluate tools →Source: certbot.eff.org