There has been a lot of debate lately about which protocol is better for websites http or https. If you’re running a website, you’ve probably seen the terms “HTTP” and “HTTPS” before. You may be wondering what the difference is or which one you should use for your site. Let’s take a closer look at HTTP vs HTTPS to see which one is better for your website.
What Is HTTP?
HTTP is an abbreviation for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, which is the protocol used to transfer data over the internet. When you enter a URL into your browser, it makes an HTTP request to the server that hosts the website. The server subsequently returns the requested data, which is normally in the form of HTML files.
HTTP is a simple protocol that doesn’t require any extra security measures. That means it’s easy to implement but it also means that data transferred over HTTP is not encrypted. That means anyone on the same network can intercept and read the data being transferred, which could include sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers.
What Is HTTPS?
HTTPS is an abbreviation for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, and it refers to HTTP’s secure version. To safeguard data in transit, HTTPS employs SSL/TLS encryption. That is, even if someone were to intercept the data being transmitted, they would be unable to read it.
HTTPS is more secure than HTTP but it’s also a more complex protocol. That means it can be more difficult and expensive to implement HTTPS on your website.
Differences Between HTTP and HTTPS
The primary distinction between HTTP and HTTPS is that HTTPS is more protected than HTTP since it employs the SSL/TLS protocol for encryption. HTTPS also supports authentication, which ensures that the website you’re accessing is the one you intended to visit. Another distinction is that HTTPS employs a different port than HTTP, 443.
So, Which One Should You Use?
That depends on your website and your goals. If security is a major concern for you, then you should use HTTPS. That’s especially true if you’re handling sensitive information like credit card numbers or passwords.
However, if security is not a major concern for you, then HTTP may be fine. For example, if you’re just running a blog or a personal website, there’s no need to use HTTPS since there’s no sensitive data being transferred.
Additionally, keep in mind that HTTPS can also impact your website’s performance. Because it’s a more complex protocol, HTTPS can add some overhead which can slow down your website. So, if speed is a major concern for you, then HTTP may be the better option.
If you’re still not sure which protocol to use for your website, http or https, then we recommend https. It’s more secure and it will give you a slight SEO advantage. However, it’s important to weigh the benefits against the potential performance impact before making a decision!