Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SSLs VS Smallstep SSH

Compare SSLs VS Smallstep SSH and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

SSLs logo SSLs

SSLs is a security certificate providing platform that lets organizations protect their website infrastructure with TLS and SSL security features.

Smallstep SSH logo Smallstep SSH

Single Sign-on SSH
  • SSLs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-25
  • Smallstep SSH Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-04

SSLs features and specs

  • Security
    SSLs provide encrypted communication between users and websites, ensuring data privacy and security against eavesdropping.
  • Trust
    Websites with SSL certificates are marked as secure by browsers, increasing user trust and potentially boosting conversion rates.
  • SEO Boost
    Search engines, notably Google, prioritize secure HTTPS sites over non-secure ones, possibly improving search rankings.
  • Data Integrity
    SSL certificates ensure data is not altered during transfer, protecting the integrity of information sent between server and client.
  • Compliance
    Using SSL helps websites comply with privacy regulations like GDPR by ensuring data protection during transmission.

Possible disadvantages of SSLs

  • Cost
    Although some SSL certificates are free, higher-level certificates require purchase, which can be expensive for small businesses.
  • Complexity
    Setting up and maintaining SSL certificates can be technically challenging, requiring proper configuration and renewal management.
  • Performance Overhead
    SSL encryption can introduce a slight performance overhead, potentially slowing down website response times.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Older browsers and devices may not fully support modern SSL protocols, possibly causing access issues for some users.
  • False Sense of Security
    Having an SSL certificate does not imply that a website is trustworthy or safe from all threats like phishing or malware.

Smallstep SSH features and specs

  • Enhanced Security
    Smallstep SSH enables strong authentication practices by integrating with identity providers, reducing the chances of compromised passwords and ensuring secure connections.
  • Centralized Access Management
    The platform centralizes user access management, allowing admins to easily manage and revoke user access across multiple servers and services from a single point of control.
  • Ease of Integration
    Smallstep SSH integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure and identity providers like Okta and Google Workspace, simplifying the onboarding process for enterprises.
  • Improved Compliance
    With detailed logging and custom policies, Smallstep SSH helps organizations meet various compliance requirements by offering traceability and accountability for user actions.
  • Scalability
    Designed with scalability in mind, Smallstep SSH can efficiently handle growing organizational needs without sacrificing performance or security.

Possible disadvantages of Smallstep SSH

  • Complexity of Setup
    For organizations unfamiliar with identity provider integrations or certificate-based authentication, the initial setup can be complex and may require specialized knowledge.
  • Dependence on External Identity Providers
    Reliance on external identity providers for authentication means that downtime or disruptions with these services can impact Smallstep SSH functionality.
  • Limited Offline Access
    Because the solution is designed to work with identity providers, offline mode functionality is limited, which might be a concern for systems that require constant availability.
  • Cost Considerations
    For small organizations or startups, the cost of implementing and maintaining an enterprise-level authentication system like Smallstep SSH might be prohibitive.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a learning curve associated with transitioning from traditional SSH management to Smallstep SSH's certificate-based approach, which might necessitate training for IT staff.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SSLs and Smallstep SSH)
Network & Admin
100 100%
0% 0
Identity And Access Management
Domain Name Registrar
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SSLs seems to be a lot more popular than Smallstep SSH. While we know about 19 links to SSLs, we've tracked only 1 mention of Smallstep SSH. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SSLs mentions (19)

  • Help with certificates
    Hey all. let me start by saying I'm horrible with certs. With that said, I have a cert from ssls.com on my sonicwall and citrix netscaler that are due for renewal, they're expiring in 28 days, I purchased a 5 yr plan. here's my question. do I have to issue a new csr to get an updated cert? it seems from their interface, they will create a csr or they will use my csr. I could really care less which one is... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Help With Installing VPN SSL Certificate On Fortigate 60E v7.0.1
    Now verified, I downloaded what was available from ssls.com which were 3 files total:. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Hello,
    If you're buying an ssl, I'd highly recommend buying it from ssls.com and if you're not comfortable isntalling it, then tech support for your hosting company should be able to do it. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Website is showing as "Not Secure" when Companies
    If you want a cheaper ssl, have a look at ssls.com but yeah, maybe an EV or OV ssl is what the particular agencies you're dealing with would classify as "secure". Source: over 2 years ago
  • Need help getting an SSL cert for my own domain
    Go to https://ssls.com and purchase a certificate for $5 per year. Give it the first half of the cert request from above. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Smallstep SSH mentions (1)

  • SSH With SSO
    Through a combination of the properties that are in an SSH certificate and configuration on the hosts, you'll be able to realize RBAC. If you're using the open source step-ca, this will require you to configure things yourself on the hosts. We also have an offering where this capability and management/auditing of the rules is hosted for you, which makes that specific part easier: https://smallstep.com/sso-ssh/. Source: almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SSLs and Smallstep SSH, you can also consider the following products

AWS Certificate Manager - AWS Certificate Manager from Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Keystash.io - Centralized Linux user and SSH key management software

OpenSSL - OpenSSL is a free and open source software cryptography library that implements both the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols, which are primarily used to provide secure communications between web browsers and …

OneLogin - On-demand SSO, directory integration, user provisioning and more

GeoTrust SSL - The SSL Store™ offers 70% Off On GeoTrust SSL Certificates, including Free Site Seal. Buy GeoTrust CA SSL and get 256 bit encryption web security now.

BastionXP - BastionXP Identity Based Infrastructure Access Platform is a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) / Certificate Authority (CA) that creates, signs and distributes SSH, SSL X.509 certificates to servers and users upon successful SSO login via OAuth or SAML