Domain Validation Certificate (DV Certificate)
Why DV Certificate Matters
DV certificates are the workhorse of web encryption. They are what Let's Encrypt issues, and they are sufficient for the vast majority of websites. The encryption provided by a DV certificate is identical to that of an EV certificate - the mathematical security of the TLS connection does not depend on the validation level.
The speed of issuance is a major advantage. Automated DV validation through the ACME protocol means certificates can be obtained and renewed in seconds, without human intervention. This eliminates a common source of outages - forgotten certificate renewals.
The limitation of DV certificates is that they only prove domain control, not organizational identity. A phishing site at paypa1-login.com could obtain a DV certificate just as easily as the legitimate paypal.com. However, since browsers no longer visually distinguish certificate types, this limitation is less impactful than it once was. For indie hackers, DV certificates from Let's Encrypt are the clear choice.
How to Verify
Use an SSL checker to see your certificate's validation level. DV certificates will show a simple domain name in the subject without organization information. The issuer field will identify the CA - Let's Encrypt certificates are always DV.