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crt.sh Alternatives: Certificate Transparency Search

Key idea:

crt.sh (Sectigo) has been the standard public Certificate Transparency log search since 2013. Finds every certificate issued for a domain, surfaces subdomain enumeration vectors. Pain points: frequent overload, raw UI, undocumented API rate limits, RU clients hit TLS issues. Alternatives: Enterno.io Subdomain Enumeration, CertSpotter (SSLMate), crt-search.io, Google Transparency Report.

Below: competitor overview, feature-by-feature comparison, when Enterno.io wins, FAQ.

About the Competitor

crt.sh launched by Sectigo (ex-Comodo CA) in 2013. Free, no signup, SQL-like query syntax. Indexes CT logs from Google, Cloudflare, Let's Encrypt, Sectigo. In 2024-2026 often unreachable from Russia without VPN; response time 3-30 s.

Enterno.io vs Competitor — Feature Comparison

FeatureEnterno.ioCompetitor
Free CT-log search
Subdomain enumeration⚠️ Manual
No-key API⚠️ Pro
RU reachability⚠️
Response time1-2 s3-30 s
Active certs filter⚠️ manual
SSL chain validation
Integrated SSL checker

When to Pick Enterno.io

  • You need quick access from Russia without VPN
  • You care about active/expired + SSL-chain validity, not just a list
  • You want subdomain enumeration + SSL checker in one flow
  • If you need raw SQL queries against CT logs — crt.sh still wins
CertificateExpiry, issuer, domains (SAN)
ChainIntermediate and root CA validation
TLS ProtocolTLS version and cipher suite
VulnerabilitiesHeartbleed, POODLE, weak ciphers

Why teams trust us

TLS 1.3
supported
Full
CA chain check
<2s
result
30/14/7
days-to-expiry alerts

How it works

1

Enter domain

2

TLS chain verified

3

Expiry date & vulnerabilities

What Does the SSL Check Cover?

SSL/TLS is the encryption protocol that protects data between the browser and server. Our tool analyzes the certificate, chain of trust, TLS version, and knownvulnerabilities.

Certificate Details

Issuer, validity period, signature algorithm, covered domains (SAN), and validation type (DV/OV/EV).

Chain of Trust

Full chain verification: from leaf certificate through intermediates to root CA.

TLS Analysis

Protocol version (TLS 1.2/1.3), cipher suites, Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) support.

Expiry Alerts

Set up a monitor — get Telegram and email alerts 30/14/7 days before expiration.

DV vs OV vs EV Certificates

DV (Domain Validation)
  • Confirms domain ownership only
  • Issued in minutes automatically
  • Free via Let's Encrypt
  • Suitable for most websites
  • Most common certificate type
OV / EV
  • Organization (OV) or Extended Validation (EV)
  • Issued in 1-5 business days
  • Costs $50 to $500/year
  • For finance, e-commerce, government sites
  • Increases user trust

Who uses this

DevOps

SSL certificate monitoring

Security

TLS config audit

SEO

HTTPS as ranking factor

E-commerce

customer trust

Common Mistakes

Expired certificateBrowsers block sites with expired SSL. Set up auto-renewal or monitoring.
Incomplete certificate chainWithout intermediate CA, some browsers and bots cannot verify the certificate.
Mixed content on HTTPS siteHTTP resources on an HTTPS page — the browser lock icon disappears, reducing trust.
Using TLS 1.0/1.1Legacy TLS versions have known vulnerabilities. Use TLS 1.2+ or 1.3.
Domain mismatch in certificateThe certificate must cover all site domains, including www and subdomains.

Best Practices

Set up auto-renewalLet's Encrypt + certbot with cron — certificate renews automatically every 60-90 days.
Enable HSTSStrict-Transport-Security header forces browsers to always use HTTPS.
Use TLS 1.3TLS 1.3 is faster (1-RTT handshake) and safer — legacy ciphers removed.
Monitor expiration datesCreate a monitor on Enterno.io — get notified well before expiration.
Verify chain after renewalAfter certificate renewal, confirm that intermediate certificates are installed.

Get more with a free account

SSL certificate monitoring, check history and alerts 30 days before expiry.

Sign up free

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Certificate Transparency?

A public append-only log of every SSL certificate issued by public CAs. Chrome since 2018 requires each cert to be in a CT log for trust.

Can I find hidden subdomains?

Yes, CT logs surface every certificate including for *.internal.example.com. A well-known recon vector for security testing.

Does crt.sh have an API?

Technically yes (output=json) but undocumented and unknown rate limits. Enterno.io — public API with a declared limit.

How is it different from DNS?

DNS shows only active A/CNAME. CT logs cover every cert ever issued, even retired. Deeper.