Cost-Benefit Analysis

Wildcard certificates typically cost 2-3 times more than single-domain certificates but become economical when securing more than a few subdomains. Calculate current costs for individual certificates, including both purchase price and management overhead. Factor in the time cost of managing multiple certificates, including renewals, installations, and troubleshooting. Many organizations find wildcards cost-effective with as few as 3-4 active subdomains when considering total cost of ownership.

SAN certificates pricing varies significantly based on the number of included domains. Base prices often include 3-5 domains, with additional domains costing $10-50 each. For organizations managing 20-30 domains, SAN certificates usually provide better value than individual certificates. However, the economics shift for larger deployments where multiple SAN certificates might be needed due to hostname limitations.

Hidden costs impact both wildcard and SAN certificates. The increased security risk from broader key exposure may necessitate enhanced security measures. Training staff on proper management procedures requires investment. Compliance auditing becomes more complex with multi-purpose certificates. Recovery procedures for compromised certificates affect more services, potentially increasing incident response costs. Balance these considerations against the operational efficiency gains.