Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects

Difference between SSH and SSL


The internet has opened a lot of doors, and windows as well. You can essentially do anything with internet nowadays. People can buy and do transactions online. You can reboot any computer system or program in your office from your personal computer. People do not even have to leave their homes anymore.

Since there are lot of open doors and windows, hackers and eavesdroppers can illegally get personal information and have access to your personal program and files. Therefore, people now demand web security. Enter SSH and SSL.

Both are public key cryptography tunneling protocols and aims to create a secure, confidential exchange of data and connection across the network particularly, the internet. The encryption technologies used by both protocols are very reliable, and it is extremely difficult or impossible for hackers to break into them.


SSH means “Secure Shell”. It has a built-in username/password authentication system to establish a connection. It uses Port 22 to perform the negotiation or authentication process for connection. Authentication of the remote system is done by the use of public-key cryptography and if necessary, it allows the remote computer to authenticate users.

More often than not, SSH uses SSL under the hood, so they are both as secure as each other. One advantage of SSH is that using key-pair authentication is actually quite easy to do, and built right into the protocol.


SSL means “Secure Sockets Layer”. Many protocols — like HTTP, SMTP, FTP, and SSH ‘“ were adjusted to include the support of SSL. The port that it typically uses to make a connection to a secure server is 443.

Basically, it works as a tier in a certain protocol to provide cryptographic and security functions.

Unlike SSH, it does not require any authentication. It is most often implemented for transmitting information such as banking, credit card, and other vital personal information to a particular server somewhere on the internet.

Businesses operating online will most likely need an SSL certificate to provide a safer web environment for their clients. It will do just that; it will secure all the transactions and exchanges between the remote computer and the business server. It just makes business sense to have an SSL certificate.


1. Normally, SSH uses port 22 while SSL uses port 443.

2. SSL is used predominantly for securely transmitting critical information like in credit cards and banking. On the other hand, SSH is for securely executing commands across the internet.

3. SSH uses a username/password authentication system to establish a secure connection while SSL does not really bother with it.

4. SSH is more about network tunneling while SSL is more about certificates.

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  1. Very nice explanation of the difference – thanks for saving my time 🙂

  2. Well explained…..!!!

  3. nice liao laaa…

  4. SSL has been replaced by TLS. The term SSL is still used but the actual certificates are TLS and TLS is the protocol used by bank sites, etc. SSL was never standardized and stopped being developed in 1996. TLS is standardized and continues to be developed.

  5. Very nice explanation.. Thank you..

  6. The way of presenting the idea is very beautiful. And the comparison enables us to have an idea of what it is and how it works. Also, enables us to find nuance. Well done and keep updating.

  7. The summary is quite clear, thanks!

  8. Thanks for the nice explanation.Really helpful

  9. not good at all. Implementing certificate authentication in SSL (TLS) is common in these days. Authentication and authorization are different.

  10. Summarily explained. Thanks. I was wondering why my Linux server keeps prompting me for password although I have SSH key installed from client and put in the server.

  11. “More often than not, SSH uses SSL under the hood”

    This is untrue. SSH uses it’s own transport layer, which is neither SSL nor TLS.

  12. Nice explanation of SSH and SSL

    free to send me an email.

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