HTTP vs HTTPS
Differences, use cases, and when to use each
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) transmits data in plaintext. HTTPS adds TLS encryption to HTTP, protecting data in transit. HTTPS is mandatory for all modern websites — browsers mark HTTP sites as 'Not Secure' and penalize them in SEO.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | HTTP | HTTPS |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption | None (plaintext) | TLS encryption |
| Port | 80 | 443 |
| Security | Vulnerable to interception | Data encrypted in transit |
| SEO Impact | Ranking penalty | Ranking signal (positive) |
| Browser Warning | 'Not Secure' label | Padlock icon |
When to Use Each
When to Use HTTP
HTTP has no valid use case for public websites in 2024. The only remaining HTTP use is for internal tooling during development (localhost) or HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect responses.
When to Use HTTPS
Use HTTPS for every public-facing website and API. HTTPS is free (Let's Encrypt), improves SEO, enables HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, and is required for service workers and modern web APIs.
Pros & Cons
HTTP
HTTPS
Verdict
Always use HTTPS for public websites. It's free, fast (HTTP/2 over HTTPS is faster than HTTP/1.1), and required. Set up automatic certificate renewal with Let's Encrypt and Certbot.