In the world of WordPress, it’s all about providing a secure, seamless experience for your users. One crucial aspect of this is ensuring your website has an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate, which safeguards your website’s data and boosts your SEO ranking.
Our listicle focuses on the best WordPress SSL Plugins, highlighting top-notch Cloudflare alternatives that can supercharge your website’s security and performance.
Why would you need WordPress SSL Plugins, you may ask? They not only ensure your website’s security but also enhance your users’ trust, privacy, and data integrity. By reading this listicle, you’ll discover the features, benefits, and pricing structures of seven transformative plugins that promise to make your WordPress website more secure and efficient.
Prepare to gain actionable insights and solutions to some of the most common website security concerns.
Table of Contents
WordPress SSL Plugins: Cloudflare Alternatives
Really Simple SSL
Really Simple SSL is a comprehensive security plugin for WordPress websites. Its primary function is to facilitate easy SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) enforcement, while also offering a host of other security features.
SSL is essential for protecting your website, providing privacy, security, and data integrity for both your websites and your users’ personal information.
By offering an easy SSL migration, vulnerability detection, and WordPress hardening, Really Simple SSL addresses the need for a simple, lightweight, and efficient approach to website security.
Features and Benefits
- Supports multiple image formats: Including JPEG, PNG, WebP, and GIF, providing versatility in image optimization. This ensures compatibility with various platforms and requirements.
- Works in the background: Allowing you to continue with other tasks during the optimization process. This maximizes productivity and efficiency.
- Resize large images: Reducing load times and enhancing website performance. This leads to faster loading web pages and improved user experience.
- Offers 2 compression levels: Lossless for minimal compression and maximum quality, and Lossy for maximum compression and slightly reduced quality. This provides flexibility based on your specific quality and size requirements.
- Optimizes images upon upload: Providing automatic and effortless image optimization. This saves time and ensures all uploaded images are optimized without manual intervention.
- Provides both bulk or individual optimization: To cater to your specific needs. This offers flexibility whether you need to optimize a large batch of images or just a few.
- Allows for EXIF Metadata clearance: Further reducing image size without affecting quality. This ensures efficient use of image metadata while optimizing file size.
- Backs up original images: Ensuring you can revert changes if necessary. This adds a layer of security and peace of mind during the optimization process.
- Provides an option to convert images to WebP: A faster-loading and more efficient format for better web performance. This enhances website speed and user experience, especially on platforms that support WebP.
- Resizes all image thumbnails by default and allows for specific image size selection: This ensures uniformity in image presentation and allows for customization based on your design and layout preferences.
Pricing Structure
The plugin is free to use with the premium version starting from $49.
Flexible SSL for CloudFlare
The Flexible SSL for CloudFlare is a vital plugin that simplifies the process of enabling Flexible SSL on WordPress sites. The plugin is designed to prevent infinite redirect loops when loading WordPress sites under Cloudflare’s Flexible SSL system.
Its primary function is to solve the complex issue of enabling Flexible SSL which isn’t as straightforward as merely turning it on.
Features and Benefits
- Seamless Integration: The plugin forms an integral part of enabling Flexible SSL on WordPress, offering a seamless integration with your WordPress site, ensuring that your website runs smoothly without falling into infinite redirect loops, thus improving user experience and site performance.
- Independent Operation: Despite not being affiliated in any way with Cloudflare, Inc., this One Dollar Plugin operates separately and completely independently, giving you the assurance of the plugin’s reliability and reducing dependency on third-party platforms.
- Comprehensive Installation Guide: The plugin comes with a detailed implementation guide, allowing users to follow this guide to navigate the installation process, providing clarity and ease-of-use even for those who may not be technically inclined.
Pricing Structure
The plugin is listed as a “One Dollar Plugin,” suggesting a minimal cost for usage.
SSL Insecure Content Fixer
SSL Insecure Content Fixer is an invaluable plugin designed to streamline the process of resolving HTTPS insecure content and mixed content warnings on your WordPress website. It efficiently clears out any content that could compromise the security of your website, ensuring that your users experience a safe and secure browsing environment.
This plugin is the perfect solution for website administrators who wish to maintain the integrity of their SSL certification by keeping their site free of insecure content.
Features and Benefits
- Automatic Basic Fixes: With its default settings, SSL Insecure Content Fixer performs a range of basic fixes on your website at the Simple fix level, streamlining the process of securing your website and ensuring a safe browsing experience for your users.
- Comprehensive Fix Levels: The plugin offers more comprehensive fix levels that can be selected as per the requirements of your website, offering flexibility and customization to choose a level of security that suits your specific needs.
- Network Settings for WordPress Multisite: For WordPress Multisite users, the plugin provides a network settings page to set default settings for all sites within a network, simplifying the management of network-wide security settings and saving time for network administrators.
- Translations: SSL Insecure Content Fixer is available in several languages thanks to the efforts of dedicated translation teams, increasing accessibility and usability of the plugin for non-English speaking users.
- Privacy: The plugin does not collect any personally identifying information or set any cookies, maintaining user privacy and enhancing the credibility and trustworthiness of your website.
Pricing Structure
The plugin is free to use.
WP Force SSL & HTTPS SSL Redirect
WP Force SSL & HTTPS SSL Redirect is a highly effective SSL plugin that aids in redirecting insecure HTTP traffic to secure HTTPS, thereby fixing SSL errors without the need for any code manipulation.
The plugin stands out by its capability of working with any SSL certificate, be it a free one from Let’s Encrypt or a paid one. The essentiality of this plugin is in its ability to fulfill the need for a secure browsing experience, effectively protecting your site from potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Features and Benefits
- Redirect HTTP to HTTPS: This feature ensures that all your site traffic is automatically redirected to a secure HTTPS connection, providing a secure browsing environment.
- SSL Certificate Testing Tool: The plugin comes with an SSL certificate testing tool that checks the validity, installation, and updates of the SSL certificate, ensuring the SSL certificate is always up-to-date.
- SSL Tests: The plugin performs a variety of SSL tests checking for SSL certificate, its expiry date, SSL monitoring, HTTPS redirection, HSTS enabling, and more, protecting the site from potential threats.
- Settings: The plugin allows setting up HTTP to HTTPS redirect, enabling HSTS, expecting CT header, X-Frame options, and more, offering easy setup and management options.
- Support: WP Force SSL offers a dedicated support forum to help users with any issues or questions they might face, ensuring a smooth user experience.
Pricing Structure
The plugin is free to use with the premium version starting from $109.
Easy HTTPS Redirection (SSL)
Easy HTTPS Redirection is a versatile SSL plugin that ensures your website’s security by automatically redirecting your webpage URLs to their HTTPS versions. This is crucial after installing an SSL certificate on your site.
The plugin essentially solves the problem of unsecured website accesses, ensuring that search engines index the secure HTTPS version of your webpage(s), thereby enhancing your site’s safety, trustworthiness, and SEO ranking.
Features and Benefits
- Auto Redirection for Entire Domain: This feature ensures that every URL of your domain is automatically redirected to its HTTPS version, thereby enhancing website security and protecting your site from potential breaches, while also enhancing user trust.
- Selective Auto Redirection: This feature allows you to selectively choose a few pages to be automatically redirected to their HTTPS versions, providing flexibility to ensure that crucial pages of your site are always secure.
- Force Load Static Files Using HTTPS: For sites with many static files embedded with NON-HTTPS URLs, this plugin allows you to force load those static files using HTTPS URLs dynamically, ensuring seamless SSL compatibility and preventing browser warnings for your visitors.
Pricing Structure
The plugin is free to use.
WP Encryption
WP Encryption is a powerful SSL plugin designed to secure your WordPress site with a free SSL certificate provided by Let’s Encrypt®.
The plugin effortlessly forces SSL/HTTPS sitewide, checks your SSL score, and fixes insecure content & mixed content issues. With WP Encryption, you can achieve a secured padlock on your site within minutes, all without needing any technical knowledge.
Features and Benefits
- Automatic domain verification: The plugin automatically verifies your domain, allowing for a smoother SSL installation process.
- Automatic SSL certificate installation: WP Encryption takes care of your SSL certificate installation, eliminating any technical hassle.
- Wildcard SSL support: The plugin supports Wildcard SSL certificate, covering all your sub-domains.
- SSL monitoring & Automatic email notification: WP Encryption monitors your SSL certificate and sends you an email notification before it expires.
- Free SSL certificate: The plugin generates a free SSL certificate, key, and Intermediate certificate files for your site.
- Force HTTPS/Enable HTTPS 301 redirection: With WP Encryption, you can force HTTPS sitewide in a single click.
- Advanced HTTP Security Headers: The plugin enables important security headers including X-XSS-Protection, X-Content-Type-Options, and Referrer-Policy.
- Vulnerability Scanner: The plugin includes a vulnerability scanner which scans your WordPress, Plugins, and Themes for known vulnerabilities, helping you stay secure.
- Automatic SSL renewal: WP Encryption automatically renews your SSL certificate 30 days prior to its expiry date.
- Proactive Security Measures: The plugin blocks common web application vulnerabilities and common WordPress attacks.
Pricing Structure
The plugin is free to use with the premium version starting from $29/ year.
Why You Need Cloudflare Alternatives for WordPress SSL Plugins
There are a few reasons why you might consider looking for alternatives to the Cloudflare plugin for WordPress SSL, even though Cloudflare offers a free SSL certificate:
Limited Control:
- Cloudflare’s free SSL is a Universal SSL certificate, which means it secures your entire domain (and subdomains) with a single certificate. This might be fine for basic needs, but it offers less control compared to getting your own certificate.
- With your own certificate, you can have more granular control over features like hostname validation and certificate transparency.
Focus Beyond SSL:
- The Cloudflare plugin is primarily focused on enabling SSL with their service.
- If you need additional security features beyond just SSL encryption, like malware scanning or firewalls, you might need a more comprehensive security plugin.
Conflicting Features:
- In some cases, the Cloudflare plugin might conflict with other plugins you’re using, especially if they also have SSL-related functionalities.
- Using a separate SSL plugin can help avoid these conflicts.
Peace of Mind:
- Some users prefer having more control over their SSL certificate by using a dedicated plugin from a different vendor.
- This can provide a sense of security and independence from relying solely on Cloudflare’s service.
However, there are also advantages to using the Cloudflare plugin:
- Convenience: If you’re already using Cloudflare for other services, using their plugin for SSL can be a convenient one-stop shop for managing your website’s security.
- Simplicity: The Cloudflare plugin is generally very easy to set up, especially for basic SSL needs.
Overall, the decision of whether to use a Cloudflare plugin alternative depends on your specific needs and priorities. If you require more control, additional security features, or prefer a separate solution, then exploring alternative SSL plugins might be a good option. But if simplicity and ease of use are your top concerns, the Cloudflare plugin can be a solid choice.
Final Word
The utilization of these plugins can significantly elevate the security of your website, ensuring secure browsing for your audience, and protecting sensitive data. Their diverse features facilitate easy SSL enforcement, resolve insecure content, and offer protection against potential threats.
This can boost your credibility, enhance user trust, and improve your SEO ranking.
Take the next step to fortify your website’s security, establish authority in your niche, and provide your audience with a secure and engaging user experience. Secure your website today and explore the exciting possibilities these plugins can create for your digital presence.
FAQs About WordPress SSL Plugins
- What are SSL plugins for WordPress?
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) plugins for WordPress are tools that help secure your website by enabling HTTPS, which encrypts data transferred between your site and its visitors. This ensures that sensitive information like login credentials and personal details remain private and protected from potential cyber threats. - Why should I consider alternatives to Cloudflare for SSL on WordPress?
While Cloudflare is a popular choice for SSL and other security features, there may be reasons to consider alternatives, such as the need for specific features, better compatibility with certain hosting environments, or preference for different pricing models. Some alternatives may offer more tailored support for your WordPress site’s specific needs. - How do SSL plugins improve website security?
SSL plugins enforce the use of HTTPS, ensuring that all data transmitted between the user’s browser and your website is encrypted. This protects against eavesdropping, data tampering, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Additionally, SSL certificates help build user trust by displaying the padlock icon in the browser’s address bar. - Are there any free SSL plugins available for WordPress?
Yes, several free SSL plugins are available. Some popular free options include Let’s Encrypt (often integrated with hosting providers), Really Simple SSL, and WP Encrypt. These plugins provide a straightforward way to enable HTTPS on your WordPress site at no cost. - How difficult is it to install and configure SSL plugins on WordPress?
Installing and configuring SSL plugins on WordPress is generally straightforward. Most plugins, like Really Simple SSL, are designed to be user-friendly, often requiring just a few clicks to set up. Detailed documentation and support are usually available to assist with the process. - Can I use multiple SSL plugins on my WordPress site?
No, you should not use multiple SSL plugins simultaneously as they can conflict with each other and cause issues with your site’s SSL configuration. It’s best to choose one reliable plugin that meets your needs and stick with it. - How do SSL plugins affect website performance?
SSL plugins themselves do not significantly affect website performance. However, enabling HTTPS can have a minor impact on load times due to the encryption process. Modern servers and browsers are optimized for SSL/TLS, minimizing any performance impact. Additionally, the security benefits and potential SEO boost from using HTTPS outweigh the slight performance cost. - Will using an SSL plugin improve my website’s SEO?
Yes, using an SSL plugin to enable HTTPS can improve your website’s SEO. Search engines like Google consider HTTPS as a ranking factor, meaning that sites with SSL certificates may rank higher in search results. Additionally, HTTPS is critical for securing user data and enhancing overall trust in your website.