/ Plugin Category

/ Security & Privacy

/ SSL & HTTPS Management

/ SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects

SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects

By SSL Zen - Free SSL/HTTPS

Security & Privacy / SSL & HTTPS Management

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects Review - In-Depth Analysis

SSL Zen helps you install a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. It redirects HTTP to HTTPS and forces SSL on all pages.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.71/10

User Rating

4.9/5 (based on 665+ reviews)

Active Installations

9,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Secure your website with a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. SSL Zen is a free SSL certificate plugin that helps you to secure your website, protect your customer's data, and show your visitors you're trustworthy and authentic.

Manually installing a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate involves editing SSL configuration files on your web server and troubleshooting issues. With this plugin, you can follow a few steps to get your free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. No coding required, no more mixed content, or insecure content warnings.

The free version allows you to generate a free SSL certificate by verifying your domain ownership, install it on your server, and renew it every 90 days. You will need to manually verify your domain name and upload the SSL certificate on your server. If you want the plugin to automatically install and renew the SSL certificate, please check the premium version of the plugin.

Comparing to Alternatives

SSL Zen is a popular SSL certificate installer with several direct alternatives available for users seeking similar functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

High user rating with 96.1% five-star reviews
Supports automatic SSL certificate installation and HTTPS redirects
Offers video tutorials and premium support options
Free version available with essential features
Works well with WooCommerce and cPanel integration

Weaknesses

Recent updates require more manual configuration than before
Known medium-level security vulnerabilities in past versions
Subscription cost may be considered high by some users
Some users report the plugin is no longer fully automatic

User Sentiment Analysis

With a 4.9 out of 5 rating from 664 users, the plugin is highly regarded overall, though a small minority express dissatisfaction mainly related to recent changes.

Positive highlights

'I was impressed with the support I received from the SSL ZEN team.' – rdtallman37
'Works exactly the same, and is free, you just need to configure some things.' – irvingmariscal
'Very Good Plugin, helped me solve everything easily with WooCommerce.' – jannatcosmetics23
'Awsome Plugin, it works smoothly and properly.' – tarikino
'Easy and great communication/support available.' – larkwest

Common complaints

Plugin shifted from automatic to manual process, increasing user effort

Weaknesses

Security vulnerabilities reported in past versions
Manual configuration required after updates
Subscription pricing concerns

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a reliable SSL certificate installer with strong support and are comfortable with some manual configuration.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a fully automatic SSL solution without manual steps or those concerned about past security vulnerabilities.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes essential SSL certificate installation and HTTPS redirect features with community support.

Pro version

Premium features such as video tutorials, advanced support, and possibly additional automation tools are offered in the paid version.

Final Verdict

SSL Zen is a highly rated plugin that offers effective SSL certificate installation and HTTPS redirection with strong user support. It stands out for its comprehensive features and helpful tutorials, making it a solid choice for users willing to engage with some manual setup.

However, recent changes have introduced more manual steps, and past security vulnerabilities should be considered. Users seeking a fully automatic or security-focused solution may want to explore alternatives. Overall, SSL Zen provides good value, especially with its pro version enhancements.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects plugin.

Free Ssl

Free Ssl Certificate

Https

Screenshots

FAQ

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts information sent to the server using SSL technology.

There might be a situation when installing an SSL certificate using the SSL Zen Free/Premium version of the plugin, you end up getting an error message that says ” Not all authorizations are valid”. There are different reasons for the cause of this error. Follow the solution that is suitable for you based on the version of the plugin you are using :

Free version /Premium version:

Check if your WordPress is installed in the root folder ex: /home/bcyh6ur88/public_html/ .Here is how you can check it:

Log in to the WordPress Administrator Dashboard as an administrator.
In the menu at the left, click on the Tools option.
Find “Site Health” and click on it.
By default, the Site Health tool immediately shows the Site Status. Click on “Info” to its immediate left at the top of the screen.
Go to the WordPress Constants section. Locate ABSPATH. This is your WordPress installation path.
Most of the time users end up installing their site in a sub-folder ex: cpanelfree.xyz/site . Their WordPress installation path in such cases would be: /home/bcyh6ur88/public_html/site

Due to this reason, the domain validation might fail and you’d see the “Not all authorization are valid” error message during SSL Zen Plugin setup.

To fix this, you can install your WordPress in the root folder, so that all your subfolders are covered by SSL. For ex: if you install your WordPress under this path : /home/bcyh6ur88/public_html/, it would cover all your websites sub-folders like cpanelfree.xyz/site , cpanelfree.xyz/blog , cpanelfree.xyz/contact etc.

You can get the help of your hosting provider to install your WordPress in the root folder instead of the sub-folder. Make sure you take a backup of your site before doing this change.

Setup the plugin once again. In the case of the premium plugin, make sure you have uploaded the premium version of the plugin and then follow the setup process.
Deactivate any other SSL plugins if you have installed and activated them. Similar SSL plugins may conflict with the SSL Zen plugin and the above error would be thrown.

Free version /Premium version:

Check if your WordPress is installed in the root folder ex: /home/bcyh6ur88/public_html/ .Here is how you can check it:

Due to this reason, the domain validation might fail and you’d see the “Not all authorization are valid” error message during SSL Zen Plugin setup.

You can get the help of your hosting provider to install your WordPress in the root folder instead of the sub-folder. Make sure you take a backup of your site before doing this change.

Setup the plugin once again. In the case of the premium plugin, make sure you have uploaded the premium version of the plugin and then follow the setup process.
Deactivate any other SSL plugins if you have installed and activated them. Similar SSL plugins may conflict with the SSL Zen plugin and the above error would be thrown.