Actalis
Italian certificate authority with a free ACME plan, public euro prices and eIDAS QWAC issuance
Quick Overview
| Company | ACTALIS S.p.A. |
|---|---|
| Category | SSL Certificate Providers |
| Headquarters | Bergamo, Italy |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Italy (EU) |
| Data Location | Not stated on the pages reviewed |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | DV, OV and EV TLS certificates, free plan with ACME, subscription plans, QWAC and QSealC, S/MIME, code signing, CertiManager lifecycle platform, warranty up to EUR 2,000,000 |
| Pricing | Free plan EUR 0; Bronze EUR 8.50 + VAT/month (EUR 7.00 billed yearly); Silver EUR 20 + VAT/month; Gold EUR 40 + VAT/month, billed yearly |
| Best For | Small and mid-sized sites that want a euro-priced subscription instead of per-certificate pricing |
| Replaces | DigiCert Basic TLS, Sectigo, Let's Encrypt-style free DV |
Detailed Review
Actalis prices TLS as a subscription rather than per certificate. The free plan allows four 90-day DV certificates on request, or unlimited 90-day single-domain DV certificates when ACME automation is activated, which covers most small websites without any invoice.
The paid plans are listed in euro on the shop page: Bronze, Silver and Gold, with the Gold plan adding one OV certificate and five DV wildcards. The legal entity is ACTALIS S.p.A., registered in Bergamo, so the contract and the invoice are Italian.
Four Plans Instead of a Price per Certificate
The Free plan costs EUR 0. Bronze (EUR 8.50 + VAT per month, EUR 7.00 with annual payment) lifts the DV limit. Silver (EUR 20 + VAT per month, billed yearly) adds three DV wildcards and five single or multi-domain DV certificates. Gold (EUR 40 + VAT per month, billed yearly) adds one OV certificate valid for single, multi-domain or wildcard use.
For a company running a dozen domains, the flat plan is easier to budget than a price list per certificate type.
Warranty Tiers Are Written Down
The shop states the warranty limits: the standard warranty covers EUR 50,000 for DV and EUR 500,000 for OV and EV, while Warranty Plus raises them to EUR 500,000 for DV, EUR 1,750,000 for OV and EUR 2,000,000 for EV. The warranty covers losses from relying on a certificate when the Certification Practice Statement was not followed.
Beyond Website Certificates
Actalis also issues QWAC and QSealC certificates under eIDAS and PSD2, S/MIME and code signing certificates, and sells CertiManager for managing all certificates on one platform. The same account can therefore cover the website, the signing certificate and the PSD2 interface.
Limitations to Consider
On the Free plan, 90-day DV certificates without ACME mean a manual renewal every quarter. OV is only included from the Gold plan. The shop page does not state where certificate data is stored, and the vendor is smaller than DigiCert, so enterprise features such as large-scale lifecycle management sit in the separate CertiManager product.
Who Should Use Actalis
Small and mid-sized organisations, agencies and hosting resellers that want predictable euro pricing, free or low-cost DV with ACME, and a contracting party in Italy.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free plan with unlimited 90-day DV when ACME is activated
- Euro prices published on the shop page
- Warranty limits stated per validation level
- Also issues QWAC, QSealC, S/MIME and code signing
- Italian S.p.A. with a Bergamo company register entry
Cons
- OV certificates only from the Gold plan or on request
- Manual quarterly renewal on the Free plan without ACME
- Data location not stated on the pages reviewed
- Fewer enterprise management features than the US market leaders
Alternatives to Actalis
Other European ssl certificate providers worth comparing before you decide:
HARICA
Greece · Greek academic CA with DV to QWAC from EUR 36 a year
Certum
Poland · Polish CA selling DV, OV and EV certificates from EUR 25
Disig
Slovakia · Slovak CA with a public price list and private-PKI TLS
InfoCert
Italy · Tinexta InfoCert OV and EV TLS certificates with listed prices
See all European ssl certificate providers or compare them directly against DigiCert Basic TLS on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Free plan costs EUR 0 and can be requested once: four 90-day DV single-domain certificates, or unlimited 90-day DV certificates when ACME automation is activated.
Yes. The Gold plan at EUR 40 + VAT per month, billed yearly, includes one OV certificate, and OV and EV certificates are also listed as separate products.
Actalis sells QWAC and QSealC certificates and lists compliance with the European eIDAS and PSD2 rules on its site.