Cheap Code Signing Certificates

Finding a Cheap Code Signing Certificate Is as Easy as 1-2-3

Getting a code signing certificate shouldn’t cost you an arm, leg, or firstborn child. At CodeSigningStore.com, we negotiate with top certification authorities (CAs) to provide top-tier products and services at affordable prices. We take pride in streamlining our ordering processes to make purchasing and reissuing a certificate as easy as possible.

Buying from CodeSigningStore.com means you get to enjoy:

• Low-cost code signing certificates from top CA brands like DigiCert and Sectigo
• A price-match guarantee (if you manage to find a better deal elsewhere)
• Fast certificate and token issuance
• 24/7, best-in-class code signing support
• A wealth of tutorials and other technical resources

What You Can Sign Using a Low-Cost Code Signing Certificate

Just because getting a code signing from CodeSigningStore.com costs less than it does from most retailers, it doesn’t mean that it’s somehow inferior. All of our code signing certificates come from industry-leading CAs and are versatile, giving you the ability to sign many software executables and other types of code, including:

• Windows software apps and executables
• Windows drivers (an extended validation [EV] certificate is required for kernel-mode code signing)
• Java files
• Microsoft Office Macro files
• Scripts
• Software manifest files

Supported Operating Systems

Some examples of platforms that are compatible include:

• Adobe Air (Windows and MacOS)
• Apple (MacOS)**
• Windows applications and drivers
• Microsoft Authenticode and
• Microsoft Silverlight
• Microsoft Office and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)

** Requires you to also get an Apple digital signature as well.

Why You Should Sign All Codes Using a Publicly Trusted Certificate

As attractive as using a free self-signed certificate may seem, using one to sign your publicly distributed software will land you in hot water with customers faster than you can say, “Oops, my bad.”

Why? There are several key reasons…

1. Self-Signed Certificates Aren’t Intended for Use Outside of Testing

A self-signed certificate is just that: something you create yourself and attest to its validity.

• No third-party CA performs validation checks before issuing the certificate.
• Windows operating systems do not have a trusted root for it to chain back to in their root store.
• You’d have to manually install the certificate in the root store of any device where you want to install the self-signed software.

This is why software publishers and developers should never use self-signed certificates to digitally sign apps or codes they intend to distribute publicly or use on other network devices. Sure, free is cheaper in terms of upfront costs, but choosing the cheapest route by using a self-signed certificate isn’t practical for remote network deployment use cases or public distribution. And, quite frankly, doing so will end up causing more headaches than it will solve and cost you more in the long run.

2. Self-Signed (and Unsigned) Software Don’t Instill Confidence in Your Brand

When someone attempts to install your app, they’ll see an unflattering “Unknown Publisher” warning screen pop up. Needless to say, this isn’t a good look for your brand or software products. It can cause your software customers and other users feelings of uncertainty regarding the security of your products and can affect your relationships with them.

3. Self-Signed Certificates Don’t Foster Digital Trust

Ask yourself: Is saving money on buying a code signing certificate worth risking your customer relationships? For us, the answer is a hard no.

Digitally signing your software using a publicly trusted code signing certificate allows you to integrate your verified digital identity into your app. This is only possible because a third-party CA vetted your organization’s identity for authenticity before issuing the certificate.

Using a CA-certified code signing certificate also helps you provide assurance that your software is unaltered — that no unauthorized person came in after you signed it to insert malicious code.