SSL certificates add encryption overhead, but modern SSL implementations minimize performance impact. Understanding SSL speed impact helps you choose certificates that don't slow down your site.
Does SSL slow down websites?
Modern SSL/TLS has minimal performance impact due to:
- HTTP/2 support – Multiplexing reduces overhead
- Session resumption – Reuses encryption keys
- Hardware acceleration – Modern CPUs handle encryption efficiently
- Optimized ciphers – Faster encryption algorithms
SSL performance factors
1. Handshake overhead
Initial SSL handshake adds 100-200ms, but session resumption reduces subsequent requests to near-zero overhead.
2. Certificate validation
OCSP stapling reduces validation time by including validation in the handshake, eliminating separate OCSP requests.
3. Cipher suite selection
Modern ciphers like AES-GCM are faster than older algorithms, minimizing encryption overhead.
Performance comparison
Real-world testing shows:
- HTTP – Baseline performance
- HTTPS (modern SSL) – 1-3% slower, often imperceptible
- HTTPS with HTTP/2 – Can be faster than HTTP due to multiplexing
Optimizing SSL performance
- Enable HTTP/2 – Reduces SSL overhead through multiplexing
- Use OCSP stapling – Eliminates separate validation requests
- Choose modern ciphers – Prefer AES-GCM over older algorithms
- Enable session resumption – Reuses encryption keys
- Use CDN – Edge SSL termination reduces origin load
Testing SSL performance
Tools for measuring SSL impact:
- PageSpeed Insights – Measures SSL impact on load times
- WebPageTest – Detailed SSL handshake timing
- SSL Labs – SSL configuration and performance grading
- Chrome DevTools – Network tab shows SSL timing
iServerGo SSL performance
iServerGo's SSL implementation on hong kong hosting, us web hosting, and eu web hosting is optimized for performance:
- HTTP/2 enabled – Reduces SSL overhead
- OCSP stapling – Faster certificate validation
- Modern ciphers – Fast encryption algorithms
- CDN integration – Edge SSL termination available
Our cpanel hosting includes SSL performance optimizations, ensuring HTTPS doesn't slow down your site.
Want to test your SSL performance? Contact our team for SSL optimization assistance.
Looking for fast, reliable hosting? Explore our cPanel Hosting, DirectAdmin Hosting, and US East hosting plans to match your project's needs.