
Understanding the difference between HTTP and HTTPS and their impact can make a big difference when it comes to deciding which one is best to use for your website. This blog will show you the main differences between the two, their features, how they work, and the ways you can implement HTTPS with your Web Hosting. We’ll also show you the impact each of them can have on your search engine visibility, data security, website performance, and potential visitor’s trust.
Table of Contents
What is HTTP?
HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and is used to transfer data over the Internet. It is an application layer protocol that allows browsers and servers to communicate with each other to load websites using port number 80.
HTTP works using a client-server protocol designed to transfer data, such as HTML files, images, videos, and other types of web content. Its primary purpose is to enable the retrieval of resources from web servers and the submission of data from clients to servers. HTTP uses a request-response model, where clients (web browsers) send requests to servers, and servers respond with the requested data.
- When you type a URL into your browser, it sends a request to a web server.
- The server processes the request and finds the requested resource, like a webpage.
- It then responds to the browser and sends back the requested webpage, along with information about it, such as the content type, length, and caching instructions.
- The browser receives the response, interprets it, and displays it on your screen.
The connection is typically closed after the response is sent, although it can sometimes be kept open for multiple requests.
If there is a problem with finding a website, you usually come across error codes. These include “404 Not Found” which means the requested resource could not be found and “500 Internal Server Error” indicating an error on the server side.

Pros:
- Simplicity: HTTP is easy to understand and implement, making it accessible to developers of all levels.
- Flexibility: It supports various data types and requests, allowing for a wide range of websites.
- Statelessness: Each request is treated individually, improving scalability and reducing resource usage.
- Support: HTTP is widely supported by web browsers, servers, and other web devices.
Cons:
- Security: HTTP transmits data in plain text, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and interception.
- No Encryption: Sensitive information can be intercepted and read by malicious actors.
- No Authentication: There’s no way to verify the identity of the server or browser, making data susceptible to spoofing and impersonation.
- Cache Poisoning: Intermediaries can cache and serve malicious or outdated content, potentially leading to security issues.
- Session Hijacking: User sessions can be stolen and exploited if not protected with the correct security.
These limitations, particularly the security-related ones, led to the development of HTTPS as a more secure alternative.
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and is an extension of HTTP that adds a layer of security to data being transferred over the Internet. It combines the HTTP protocol with additional encryption protocols and uses port 443. HTTPS is designed to provide three essential safety features:
- Encryption: All data, such as credit card details, transmitted between the client and server is encrypted, preventing unauthorized viewing, interception, and theft.
- Data Integrity: Ensures the sensitive data hasn’t been changed or corrupted while being transferred.
- Authentication: The identity of the website is verified, ensuring users are communicating with the intended site and server.
The “Secure” part of HTTPS websites is made possible by SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates and the more modern TLS (Transport Layer Security) version. These digital certificates are issued by organizations called Certificate Authorities (CAs) and are digital documents that verify the identity of the site and its domain along with containing its public and private keys.
A public key is used to encrypt data which can be shared with anyone. The corresponding private key, stored on the server is used to decrypt the data encrypted with the public key. It is kept secret and should never be shared.
Like HTTP, when a user visits your website, their browser sends a request to your hosting server.
The server responds to HTTP requests by sending its SSL or TLS certificate to the browser.
The browser authenticates the certificate to ensure it is valid and trustworthy and issued by a reputable CA, it then initiates an SSL handshake.
During the SSL handshake, the browser and server exchange the public and private keys.
Once this process is complete, the browser establishes a secure connection with the server.
This means that any data transmitted is now an encrypted HTTPS connection, making it difficult for user data to be intercepted or read.
Pros:
- Security: HTTPS works by encrypting data transmission using SSL/TLS, protecting it from eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Authentication: The identity of the server and website are verified, preventing impersonation.
- Data Integrity: HTTPS ensures that data is not tampered with during transmission.
- Trust: Having HTTPS builds trust with users and search engines as data is protected.
- SEO Benefits: Google and other search engines give preference to websites that use HTTPS to secure data.
Cons:
- Complexity: Implementing HTTPS can be more complex than HTTP due to the need for SSL certificates and configuration.
- Performance Overhead: HTTPS can cause a slight performance overhead, especially for the initial connection.
- Cost: Having HTTPS can have additional costs such as purchasing and renewing SSL certificates for your website.
HTTP vs. HTTPS Security Comparison
When comparing HTTP vs. HTTPS, there are several major differences, the biggest being security for website owners. When a site uses HTTPS encryption, browsers display a padlock icon in the address bar.
Without it, users will see an unsecure website or unsafe connection warnings, most browsers label HTTP sites as “Not Secure,” and warn visitors not to continue and engage with them.
Encryption
As mentioned earlier HTTP transmits data in plain text, which means if it is intercepted anyone can easily read and potentially modify it. This includes sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal details.
Conversely, with HTTPS all data is encrypted before transfer using symmetric encryption with a unique session key for each connection. Even if intercepted, the encrypted data is extremely difficult to read without the encryption key which protects user information, and privacy and prevents it from being read.

Authentication
There is no built-in way authentication with HTTP. This means there is no way to verify the identity of the server or the website, leaving data vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks and DNS spoofing.
HTTPS uses SSL certificates to authenticate and verify the identity of websites. You can tell a website is secure with security indicators like the padlock icon in a browser’s address bar. This means users can trust that they are communicating with a legitimate website, reducing the risk of phishing attacks and fraudulent websites.
Data Integrity
With HTTP there are no integrity checks performed, and data can be changed during transfer leaving it vulnerable to SQL injection and corruption without being detected.
HTTPS implements integrity checks so any tampering with the data during transmission will be detected. This ensures that the content received by a user’s browser is exactly what the server sent.
By implementing encryption, authentication, and integrity checks, it enables more secure web communication. This is particularly important if your website handles sensitive information as well as HTTPS has become the standard for most browsers.
HTTP vs HTTPS: Performance and SEO
As you can see HTTPS offers much more data transfer security compared to HTTP. It’s also important to understand how both affect your website’s performance, which can influence your user experience and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rankings.
HTTP is generally faster due to not using encryption and decryption processes, and less processing is needed to establish a connection.
Using HTTPS can make connections slightly slower due to the extra steps in the SSL handshake which requires more time for data encryption and decryption. However, with optimizations like TLS 1.3 and HTTP/2, this is negligible on modern hardware and with proper implementation.
Content can be easily cached by browsers with HTTP and can be served quickly without contacting the origin server. However, this can lead to potential security issues. HTTPS has more restrictive caching policies to maintain security. For example, browsers usually don’t cache HTTPS content across different domains.
Additionally, caching in Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) needs specific configuration for HTTPS content. Again, this is often negligible thanks to preloading techniques like HSTS which improve caching efficiency.
In terms of search engine visibility, HTTP has no SEO benefits. This is because Google considers HTTPS as a ranking signal, which can give your site a boost in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
It also improves user trust, which can indirectly benefit SEO through increased engagement and lower bounce rates. The positive impact on SEO and user trust, combined with the security enhancements, makes HTTPS the preferred choice for most modern browsers.
While HTTPS may introduce a slight performance overhead, the security benefits greatly outweigh this very minor drawback and the performance gap between HTTP and HTTPS is almost unnoticeable with modern advancements.
Implementing HTTPS for Your Website
The first step to implementing HTTPS is obtaining an SSL certificate. To secure a single site, the three main options to choose from depend on your site and business needs.
- Domain Validated (DV): The quickest and easiest to obtain, suitable for most websites.
- Organization Validated (OV): Requires verification of the organization, offering more credibility.
- Extended Validation (EV): The highest level of validation, usually used by large businesses and ecommerce sites.
When you sign up for Web Hosting with Hosted.com, you get a free SSL certificate as part of your plan. We also generate the CSR and install and configure it on the server for you so your visitors know they can trust and browse your site safely, saving you time and money.
The next step is to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) on your server. Once generated, submit the CSR to your chosen CA and complete any validation steps and personal information. You will then be able to install and configure the issued certificate on your web server.
Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS
To migrate from HTTP to an HTTPS site, install the certificate on your server according to the CA’s instructions. From there here are the steps to complete the migration:
- Update Internal Links: Change all internal links on your website to use HTTPS URLs.
- Implement Redirects: Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS versions of your pages.
- Update Settings: Configure external services and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to support HTTPS.
- Security Policies: Adjust your content security policies to not allow HTTP responses.
- Update Sitemaps: Update your sitemaps and robots.txt files to include HTTPS URLs.
- Inform Search Engines: Notify search engines of the change through Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and other relevant platforms.
- Test: Test your website to ensure it functions correctly with HTTPS and that there are no compatibility issues.
Keep an eye on your website’s performance after the migration for any potential issues like mixed content warnings and certificate errors.
Most browsers block active mixed content, which is content loaded over HTTP on HTTPS pages. Certificate errors can be caused by invalid, expired, or mismatched certificates which trigger security warnings telling users not to proceed to your site.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- HTTP is the foundation of data communication on the web, but it has security vulnerabilities that can leave information open to interception.
- HTTPS adds a layer of encryption and authentication to HTTP, making data more secure during transfer between browsers and web servers.
- While HTTPS may have a slight performance overhead, its benefits in security and SEO often outweigh this minor drawback.
- Implementing HTTPS is becoming increasingly necessary and is relatively straightforward with modern tools and hosting services.
FAQs
What is the main difference between HTTP and HTTPS?
The main difference them is HTTPS provides encryption, authentication, and integrity checks that HTTP doesn’t.
Should I use HTTP or HTTPS?
Yes, it’s highly recommended to have HTTPS even for a small website for improved security and user trust.
How much does an SSL certificate cost?
Costs range from free with Hosted.com to hundreds of dollars annually for EV certificates.
Will switching to HTTPS hurt my search rankings?
No, switching to HTTPS should actually provide a slight boost to your SEO.
How often do I need to renew my SSL certificate?
You usually need to renew your SSL certificate every year, depending on the certificate type and issuer.
Can HTTPS prevent all types of attacks?
No, while HTTPS provides protection for data during transmission and helps prevent SQL injection, it doesn’t prevent all types of attacks.
Other Blogs of Interest:
– A Simple Explanation of SSL Certificate Errors & How to Fix Them
– How Do You Know If a Website Has a SSL Certificate?
– How to Get a Free Domain Name and a Free SSL Certificate
– How To Renew SSL Certificates For A Website
– SSL Certificate – What it is, Why it is Needed, and How to Set It Up
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Rhett isn’t just a writer at Hosted.com – he’s our resident WordPress content guru. With over 6 years of experience as a content writer, with a background in copywriting, journalism, research, and SEO, and a passion for websites.
Rhett authors informative blogs, articles, and Knowledgebase guides that simplify the complexities of WordPress, website builders, domains, and cPanel hosting. Rhett’s clear explanations and practical tips provide valuable resources for anyone wanting to own and build a website. Just don’t ask him about coding before he’s had coffee.