Cloudflare vs Let's Encrypt:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Cloudflare had more branded searches than Let's Encrypt among SSL certificate providers worldwide. Cloudflare had about 4.1 million branded searches, while Let's Encrypt had 62,700. Cloudflare made up 88.7% of all SSL certificate provider searches we track, and Let's Encrypt accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about SSL certificate providers, Let's Encrypt appeared in all five answers and Cloudflare in three. Let's Encrypt was mentioned before Cloudflare in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Cloudflare, about 65 searches for every 1 for Let's Encrypt
Who does AI mention more?
Let's Encrypt, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Let's Encrypt, named ahead of Cloudflare in every answer
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Top SSL certificate providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Let's Encrypt appeared in all five answers. Cloudflare was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Let's Encrypt was listed before Cloudflare in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Let's Encrypt1st
DigiCert2nd- Sectigo3rd
- Cloudflare4th
GlobalSign5th
Comodo–
Namecheap–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Let's Encrypt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cloudflare3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- DigiCert3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sectigo3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- GlobalSign1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Comodo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Namecheap0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about SSL certificate providers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which SSL certificate provider should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best SSL certificate providers?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best SSL certificate provider for website security?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“website ssl certificate”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“domain validation certificate”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Cloudflare or Let's Encrypt more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cloudflare and Let's Encrypt by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven SSL certificate providers we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Cloudflare, Let's Encrypt. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Cloudflare | Comodo | Let's Encrypt | DigiCert | Sectigo | GlobalSign | Namecheap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 78% | 15.8% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 0.94% | 0.52% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 93.5% | 4.6% | 0.91% | 0.51% | 0.28% | 0.12% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 88.4% | 8% | 1.9% | 0.88% | 0.48% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 80.9% | 13.4% | 3.1% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.36% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 83.2% | 11.3% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.82% | 0.37% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 85.9% | 9.5% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 0.69% | 0.38% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 86% | 9.5% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.31% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 86% | 9.5% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.31% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 85.7% | 9.5% | 2.6% | 1% | 0.69% | 0.46% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 86.5% | 9.6% | 1.9% | 1% | 0.7% | 0.31% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 89% | 8% | 1.4% | 0.88% | 0.48% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 88.7% | 8% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.59% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
How has the Cloudflare and Let's Encrypt comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Cloudflare was ahead of Let's Encrypt in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cloudflare’s share of searches among SSL certificate providers worldwide moved from 78% to 88.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 4.1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Let's Encrypt’s share of searches among SSL certificate providers worldwide moved from 3.1% to 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 88.8K to 62.7K.
How did search popularity change for SSL certificate providers worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Let's Encrypt’s share of searches among SSL certificate providers worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.6% to 1.4% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Cloudflare worldwide rose 82.6% over 12 measured months, from 2.2M to 4.1M in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cloudflare’s and Let's Encrypt’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Cloudflare
1 branded search term
- cloudflare
Let's Encrypt
2 branded search terms
- lets encrypt
- letsencrypt
Other head-to-heads among SSL certificate providers
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