HARICA
Greek academic certificate authority run by the Greek Universities Network, with DV to QWAC from EUR 36 a year
Quick Overview
| Company | Greek Universities Network (GUnet), operator of HARICA |
|---|---|
| Category | SSL Certificate Providers |
| Headquarters | Athens, Greece |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Greece (EU) |
| Data Location | Not stated on the pages reviewed |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | DV, IV, OV and EV server certificates, wildcard and onion DV, QWAC and PSD2 QWAC, internationalised domains, S/MIME, code signing, eSignatures and eSeals, CertManager portal |
| Pricing | Server certificates from EUR 36 per year |
| Best For | Universities, research bodies and organisations that want a non-commercial-backed European root program member |
| Replaces | DigiCert, Sectigo, GlobalSign |
Detailed Review
HARICA is the Hellenic Academic and Research Institutions Certification Authority. Its site says it is funded by the Greek Universities Network, and the footer gives GUnet, at the University of Athens Network Operation Center in Athens, as the body behind it.
It is a member of the Mozilla root program since 2012 and of the Microsoft program since June 2013, and the home page cites more than one million certificates issued and over 4,000 onboarded organisations.
The Widest Validation Menu in This List
The server certificate page lists SSL DV, DV wildcard, DV onion, IV (individual validated), IV wildcard, OV, OV wildcard, OV QWAC and OV QWAC wildcard, EV, EV QWAC and a PSD2 QWAC. Domain names written in Greek script are given as examples, which shows that internationalised domains are expected.
Price Starts at EUR 36 a Year
The server certificate page advertises certificates starting from EUR 36 a year. The public pages reviewed show no price for the OV, EV and QWAC types.
Beyond the Web Server
HARICA also issues email certificates, code signing certificates, eSignatures for natural persons in Greece and the rest of the EU, and eSeals for organisations. A developer portal is linked from the home page.
Limitations to Consider
The public pages show no price beyond the EUR 36 entry point, and the pages reviewed do not say where certificate data is stored. The operator is a university network, not a commercial vendor, so enterprise features such as large-scale lifecycle management, service level commitments and a sales organisation are less visible than at InfoCert or DigiCert.
Who Should Use HARICA
Universities, research institutions, small businesses and developers who want a European root program member with a wide range of validation types and an entry price in euro.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Member of Mozilla and Microsoft root programs
- DV, IV, OV, EV and QWAC all available
- Starting price of EUR 36 per year
- Wildcard and onion DV supported
- Operated by a Greek academic network
Cons
- No public price for OV, EV and QWAC types
- No data location stated on the pages reviewed
- Fewer commercial enterprise features visible
Alternatives to HARICA
Other European ssl certificate providers worth comparing before you decide:
Actalis
Italy · Italian CA with a free ACME plan and euro subscriptions
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 on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
HARICA is operated by the Greek Universities Network (GUnet) in Athens, according to the footer of its site.
The server certificate page says from EUR 36 per year. The public pages reviewed show no price for other types.
Yes. The page lists OV QWAC, EV QWAC and PSD2 QWAC variants issued by a qualified trust service provider under eIDAS.