Home » Software Security Blog » Comodo Code Signing vs. GoDaddy Code Signing Certificates
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image/svg+xml Starting June 1, 2021, GoDaddy will no longer issue or renew Code Signing or Driver Signing Certificates. Switch to COMODOCode Signing at $69/Yr GoDaddy

Are you a software developer or a publisher who’s looking for a code signing certificate to sign their software, applications, executables, scripts, or device drivers? If yes and you’re not able to figure out whose code signing certificate you should choose, then no worries, you’re at the right place.

Here in this article, we will explore whom you should get a code signing certificate from. Different CA’s offer code signing certificates with diverse price ranges. Some are low, and some are high, making it quite challenging to choose the right one for your budget and need.

Note: If you’re questioning whether to buy an SSL/TLS certificate or a code signing certificate, then we recommend going through this comparison article, which shows how a code signing certificate and SSL/TLS certificate differ from each other.

What’s the Differences: Comodo Code Signing vs. GoDaddy Code Signing

Here in this article, we’ll discuss three important differences between a Comodo code signing certificate vs GoDaddy Code Signing Certificates.

  • Price
  • Compatibility
  • Availability of the Extended Validation

Difference Between the Price

Pricing is a vital factor in deciding whether to purchase something or not. And, when it comes to code signing certificates, it’s no different. If you look at the price of each of them, you’ll notice that the Comodo code signing certificate is nearly half the price compared to the GoDaddy code signing certificate. Comodo offers its code signing certificate at $69.00 for a year, whereas GoDaddy offers a code signing certificate at $199 per year.

In addition, you’ll find with the Comodo is that the price drops even more if you purchase a comodo code signing certificate with validity of more than a year, which is missing with GoDaddy.

Pricing Comparison: Comodo vs. GoDaddy Code Signing Certificate

Yeargodaddy-logo
GoDaddy Code Signing
comodo-logo
Comodo Code Signing
comodo-logo
Comodo EV Code Signing
1 Year Price$199.00/Year$302.10/Year$395.91/Year
2 Year Price$199.00/Year$255.99/Year$337.07/Year
3 Year Price$199.00/Year$211.46/Year$277.71/Year
No Longer AvailableAdd to CartAdd to Cart

Note: Comodo may be offering a lower price, but Comodo is a well-known CA that offers a code signing certificate and SSL/TLS certificate around the globe. It’s one of the near-universally trusted CAs across nearly all browsers and platforms.

Compatibility

Comodo, as well as GoDaddy code signing certificates, will be compatible with nearly all of the platforms listed below. However, GoDaddy offers a separate driver signing certificate, which is specifically for securing code for operating systems and Windows hardware drivers. Driver signing certificates are expected to sign drivers on all versions of Windows starting with Vista.

On the other hand, Comodo doesn’t provide a different product specifically for Microsoft products, but the EV code signing certificate provided by Comodo offers compatibility for all Windows products (not to mention the many other advantages of EV code signing certificates).

Files & Platformscomodo-logogodaddy-logo
32-bit and 64-bit Executable filesyes-iconyes-icon
Microsoft Authenticode filesyes-iconyes-icon
Files of Windows 7 and Windows 8yes-iconyes-icon
Files of Windows 10yes-iconyes-icon
Java Filesyes-iconyes-icon
Mozilla Filesyes-iconyes-icon
Adobe AIR filesyes-iconyes-icon
Microsoft IIS 6 & 7, Apache, Tomcat, Weblogic, IBM HTTP, Cobaltyes-iconyes-icon
Mac OS X, Snow Leopard, Linux Client OSyes-iconyes-icon
Windows Server 2000 – 2008, UNIX, Linux, Solaris, Novellyes-iconyes-icon
Microsoft Office 365yes-iconyes-icon
Microsoft Entourage (OS/X)yes-iconyes-icon
Microsoft Outlook 99 and aboveyes-iconyes-icon
Qualcomm Eudora 6.2 and aboveyes-iconyes-icon
Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 and aboveyes-iconyes-icon
Lotus Notes ver. 6 and aboveyes-iconyes-icon
Netscape Communicator 4.51 and aboveyes-iconyes-icon
Sign Mulberryyes-iconyes-icon
Buy NowBuy Now

If you look through the above table, you’ll quickly see that there’s no difference when it comes to compatibility, but Comodo does offer one extra benefit of a lower price structure, making it a great value.

Lastly, GoDaddy has faced criticisms due to incidences of mass revocation, faulty validation and accidental renewal of their certificates.

EV Code Signing Certificates

Like other popular Certificate Authorities, Comodo also offers EV code signing certificates for companies and organizations. GoDaddy doesn’t provide an EV code signing certificate, though.

By providing an EV code signing certificate, Comodo offers extra benefits by providing features which only come with EV code signing certificate, like:

EV Code Signing Certificates Are Trusted Instantly by Microsoft SmartScreen

If you’re a new publisher or small company who is not as popular as the big tech giants, then regular (OV) code signing certificate may not be enough for your users to avoid security warnings. In this case, the Comodo EV code signing certificate will be helpful, as Microsoft SmartScreen instantly recognizes the files and software. Without SmartScreen warning messages, users can be confident to trust your organization and software.

Enhanced Security For Your Private Key

The best part of an EV code signing certificate is that its private key is provided physically via a hardware token that will be separate from your computer, making it quite difficult to compromise your private key even if your network gets infiltrated by any malicious hacker.

Closing Thoughts: Comodo vs. GoDaddy Code Signing Certificate

If you go through pricing, you’ll see that CodeSigningStore offers the cheapest Comodo code signing certificates (EV and Regular both) compared to GoDaddy. But, don’t let this small price tag make you doubtful, as here you’ll get the same code signing certificate, which you find on the website of CAs.

Moreover, EV Code Signing certificates are not provided by GoDaddy. So, if you’re looking for instant recognition from Microsoft SmartScreen to avoid any warning message, then the only option is to buy an EV code signing certificate provided by CAs like Comodo.