You may have seen http:// or
https:// before a domain name in a
browser's URL bar while surfing the Internet. And, you might be wondering -
what is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS in general?
In this article, we have discussed the major differences that will give you a
better understanding of HTTP vs. HTTPS. Before discussing the differences,
let's understand exactly what HTTP and HTTPS are:
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
HTTP is a networking protocol used for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia
information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the
World Wide Web (WWW); it means that it transfers the data (i.e., text, images, audio, video,
etc.) on WWW.
Advantages of HTTP
The following are the advantages of HTTP:
• We can implement HTTP along with other protocols on the Internet, or
even with other networks.
• HTTP based webpages are saved on computer and Internet caches, making
it quickly accessible.
• HTTP is platform-independent and so it supports cross-platform
porting.
• HTTP does not require runtime-support.
• HTTP can be used over firewalls, which makes its applications
globally accessible.
• Because HTTP is not connection-oriented, thereby no network overhead
while creating and maintaining session state and information.
HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure)
HTTPS is an encrypted version of HTTP. It is not actually the opposite of
HTTP. Instead, it is an improved version of HTTP. HTTPS uses a combination of
Transport Layer Security (TLS) and
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). This establishes a secure encrypted connection between the host server and
the browser.
Advantages of HTTPS
The following are the disadvantages of HTTPS:
• Most sites with HTTPS work with redirect mechanisms. This means that
even if we try to access any page over HTTP, it will be redirected to HTTPS
over a secure connection. The redirection process for HTTPS enhances website
security.
• When entering details into an online transaction gateway, HTTPS
protects users' sensitive information (e.g., card details and other personal
information). This helps perform online transactions without risks.
• HTTPS uses SSL technology and implements additional security on the
website, which helps build users' trust.
• An independent authority validates the identity of the owner of the
certificate. This means that each SSL certificate contains the unique,
authentic information of the certificate owner.
• HTTPS is good for SEO (search engine optimization). Google generally
prioritizes HTTPS-based webpages in SERP (search engine result page) rankings.
Note: Previously, HTTPS was only used by sites that have an online
payment option. This helped secure the credit/debit card details. However, in
2014, Google recommended sites to use HTTPS to achieve better search engine
rankings. And after that, most sites switched to HTTPS. Nowadays, many
websites prefer HTTPS.
HTTP vs HTTPS: Key Differences
Let’s discuss some major differences between HTTP and HTTPS:
• HTTP does not include any security certificate to encrypt the data.
In contrast, HTTPS includes TLS and SSL digital certificates that help secure
communication between client and server.
• HTTP transmits the data in plain text, whereas HTTPS encrypts the
data and transmits it in encrypted form.
• HTTP does not need any kind of domain validation. However, HTTPS
requires domain validation and even check legal documents of authentication or
ownership.
• HTTP operates at the application layer. HTTPS, on the other side,
operates at the transport layer.
• HTTP, by default, uses port 80, whereas HTTPS uses port 443.
• HTTP is comparatively faster than HTTPS because HTTPS consumes more
computing power and resources to encrypt the communication channel.
Difference between HTTP and HTTPS
In general, HTTP and HTTPS are protocols. Using these protocols, a particular
web site's information is exchanged between the host server and the web
browser. The main difference between HTTP and HTTPS is that HTTPS is a lot
more secure than HTTP.
Now, let's learn more about the difference between HTTP and HTTPS in tabular
form:
| HTTP | HTTPS |
|---|---|
| It stands for ‘HyperText Transfer Protocol’. | It stands for ‘HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure’. An additional 'S' has been added to the abbreviation to specify 'security'. |
| HTTP is defined as the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. | HTTPS is nothing but HTTP working with additional security certificates, which makes the transfer of data somehow secure on the Internet. |
| Data over HTTP is not secure. Data is vulnerable to hackers and cyber attackers. | Data over HTTPS is secure. It is designed to prevent hackers from accessing your critical information. |
| The default port number is 80, for communication. | Here, the default port number is 443. |
| In URLs, http:// is used before the domain name. | In URLs, https:// is used before the domain name. |
| HTTP works at the application layer. | HTTPS works at the transport layer. |
| It operates at TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)/ IP (Internet Protocol) level. | It does not have a separate protocol. It runs over HTTP but uses TLS/SSL encrypted connection. |
| HTTP websites do not require any kind of certificate to verify websites’ identity. | HTTPS websites require SSL certificates to verify websites’ identity. |
| No encryption is present in HTTP websites. | Both encryption and decryption exist on HTTPS websites. |
| HTTP has the risk of attacks like man-in-middle and eavesdropping, etc. | There is no such risk of attacks in HTTPS. |
| In HTTP, website speed is fast. | In HTTPS, website speed is slower due to redirects and data encryption. However, you can create accelerated mobile pages (AMP) with HTTPS that will boost website speed for smartphones and tablet users. |
| HTTP does not help in search engine optimization. | HTTPS helps in search engine optimization. |
| It is more suitable for websites designed for information consumption, such as a personal blog. | It is a good fit for websites that collect critical data such as credit /debit card details, personal information, etc. |
What is the main difference between HTTP and HTTPS?
The main difference between HTTP and HTTPS is the presence of SSL certificates
in HTTPS, whereas HTTP does not. In general, HTTPS is an HTTP protocol by
itself, but with an additional security certificate. These security
certificates are essential for some websites, specifically those asking users
to input sensitive data. For example websites with login credentials, payment
gateways, etc.
The SSL certificate usually encrypts the information entered by the users and
converts it into some kind of secure code. This prevents hackers or whoever is
tracking the transmission from stealing the actual information that users have
entered. In addition to SSL, HTTPS also has a TLS protocol that helps to
incorporate data integrity. This ultimately prevents non-authorized people
from modifying or corrupting the actual data, allowing users to communicate
only with the intended website.
Types of SSL/TLS certificates used with HTTPS
There are five main types of certificates used with HTTPS:
Domain Validation: Domain validation usually validates the person's authentication. This
ensures whether the person applying for the certificate owns the domain. This
validation can take from a few minutes to several hours.
Organization Validation: The organization validation, or certification authority, not only validates
the ownership of the domain but also identifies the owners. This means that an
owner may be asked to provide personal ID proof documents to prove his or her
identity.
Extended Validation: Extended validation is known as the top-most level of validation. This
includes domain ownership, owner identification, and verification of business
registration documents.
Wildcard: Wildcard certificate is best suited to protect all of the first-level
subdomains, such as blog.domain.com or offer.domain.com. Along with the above
validations, wildcard protects several subdomains for a website.
Multi-Domain: Multi-domain SSL certificate is beneficial for protecting multiple domains.
For example, if we have multiple domains to protect, we can purchase this type
of certificate, which will ultimately save some of the cost of certificate
purchase for any individual domain.
Which is better, HTTP or HTTPS?
When figuring out which of the HTTP and HTTPS is better, HTTPS clearly has
many advantages, which makes it better somehow. In fact- Who doesn't want
their site to be as safe as possible? Who doesn't want to build users'
trust?
The thing is, HTTPS is a necessity when it comes to accepting sensitive
information from users. The following are some other ways that make HTTPS
better over HTTP:
• Increased website rankings as HTTPS matters to SEO
• Eligibility for creating AMP pages for the website
• Eligibility to implement web push notifications service
• Eligibility for creating progressive web apps (PWA), which help
convert website as play store mobile app on Android
• Eligibility to implement GetUserMedia, which allows users to use a
camera and microphone on the site
Although HTTPS is better in many segments, it also has some limitations. Let's
understand the limitations of HTTP and HTTPS:
Limitations of HTTP
The following are the limitations of HTTP:
• HTTP does not have any privacy and anyone tracking the transmission
can see the information sent over it.
• Data integrity is a serious concern because hackers can modify the
information transmitted over HTTP. That is the reason HTTP protocol is
considered an insecure method having no encryption methods.
• Users cannot be sure about who they are communicating with. Anyone
intercepting the request method can steal the username and password.
Limitations of HTTPS
The following are limitations of HTTPS:
• The HTTPS protocol is not strong enough to prevent hackers from
stealing information from cached pages on the browser.
• SSL data is encrypted only when it is being transmitted over the
network; however, the text stored in the browser's memory cannot be erased.
• HTTPS can sometimes cause increased computational overhead and
network overhead for any organization.
Things to know before switching from HTTP to HTTPS
Although there are several advantages of using HTTPS over HTTP, there are
certain issues if we don’t follow the proper procedure for switching from HTTP
to HTTPS. Typically there are following four steps in the process:
• Obtaining an SSL certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority
• Installing on website’s hosting account
• Configuring 301 redirects by altering the .htaccess file present in
the root folder
• Update robots.txt file and notify search engines
Although the above process seems straightforward, it is a bit tricky. Many
hosting companies nowadays provide configuration of SSL certificates as part
of their services, which may be a better option. However, there are additional
costs. The following are some things to implement when switching to HTTPS:
• Inform Google about switching from HTTP to HTTPS
• Use relative URLs for any resources
• Ensure that the HTTPS site accessible through robots.txt so that
Google can crawl HTTPS based website
• Keep tracking changes before migration and after migration from HTTP
to HTTPS
Conclusion
We have covered almost everything to explain the difference between HTTP and
HTTPS and we hope that you can now easily find out if a website is running
over HTTP or HTTPS.
If you are planning to launch a new website, it is better to use HTTPS. If you
already have a site with HTTP, you can easily switch to HTTPS. Make sure that
you follow the proper guidelines to avoid the mistakes of migration that most
people make. This will provide you with a base level of website security and
will also boost your search engine ranking.
Please share this...