What OpenSSL does

OpenSSL is an open-source cryptographic library and SSL/TLS toolkit project that provides the foundational protocols and primitives used to secure internet communications worldwide. The project is operated under a dual-entity governance model consisting of the OpenSSL Software Foundation Inc, a Delaware-incorporated non-profit, and OpenSSL Software Services Inc, a corporate entity providing supporting services — both domiciled in the United States. OpenSSL's product surface comprises two core offerings: the OpenSSL Library, a comprehensive cryptography and TLS/SSL toolkit delivering general-purpose cryptographic functions including encryption, decryption, hashing, digital signatures, and certificate management; and the OpenSSL Command-Line Tool, a utility for managing certificates, keys, and cryptographic operations including advanced Certificate Revocation List (CRL) verification across TLS certificate trust chains.

The project operates under the Apache License 2.0 and distributes its software free of charge via direct download from openssl.org, with no commercial pricing tiers, paid plans, or resellers. Its user base is horizontal: software developers embed the library into applications, server administrators deploy it to manage TLS-enabled services, and organizations of any size rely on it to satisfy security, privacy, and compliance requirements for data in transit. Distribution is global with no geographic restrictions.

OpenSSL positions itself as a mission-driven project rather than a commercial product, holding that security and privacy tools should be available to everyone as a fundamental human right. The Foundation and Corporation support an expanding ecosystem of related projects — including OpenSSL Library, Bouncy Castle, and Cryptlib — that have adopted the OpenSSL Mission and share access to communication channels, test systems, staff, and FIPS 140 testing laboratory resources on an opt-in basis. Go-to-market is community-driven rather than commercial, with outreach occurring primarily through the official website, documentation, and community channels. No traditional sales motion, marketing spend, or revenue model is disclosed; the project is sustained through its non-profit structure and contributor ecosystem.

Name

OpenSSL

Legal name

OpenSSL Software Foundation Inc

Website

https://openssl.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

OpenSSL is a non-profit open-source project maintaining a widely deployed cryptographic library and SSL/TLS toolkit, distributed free under the Apache License 2.0 to software developers, server administrators, and organizations worldwide that need to secure network communications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cryptographic Libraries

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

API Security & Service-to-Service Security (mTLS, Service Mesh Security) (HDABAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Secure/Encrypted Messaging (BPAMACAG)

Keywords

• Cryptographic library
• TLS toolkit
• SSL protocols
• Open-source security
• Certificate management

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

OpenSSL develops and distributes an open-source cryptographic library and SSL/TLS toolkit that provides SSL/TLS protocol implementations and general-purpose cryptographic functions (encryption, decryption, hashing, digital signatures, keys, and certificate management). It is offered as a free, downloadable software product under the Apache License 2.0, intended for developers and system administrators who embed secure communications into applications and servers.

Product overview

OpenSSL is a single unified open-source software project consisting of two core offerings: the OpenSSL Library (a comprehensive cryptography and TLS/SSL toolkit providing general-purpose cryptographic functions) and the OpenSSL Command-Line Tool (a CLI utility for certificate management, key operations, and cryptographic tasks). Together they provide comprehensive SSL/TLS protocol support and certificate chain verification capabilities for developers and system administrators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OpenSSL Library: OpenSSL Library project providing cryptographic libraries
• OpenSSL Mission
• OpenSSL Corporation
• OpenSSL Foundation

Products and services

• OpenSSL Library Open-source cryptography library and toolkit providing SSL/TLS protocols and general-purpose cryptographic functions for securing network communications. Targeted at software developers and system administrators who embed cryptographic functionality into applications, servers, and network services.
• OpenSSL Command-Line Tool Command-line utility for managing SSL/TLS certificates, keys, and cryptographic operations. Supports TLS certificate chain verification against Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) using flags such as -crl_check_all and -crl_download, enabling revocation checks across trust chains during handshake processes.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• OpenSSL LibraryminorOthersOpenSSL Library is a related project that has adopted the OpenSSL Mission. It benefits from shared communication channels, access to shared resources such as test systems, staff, and collaborative opportunities with FIPS140 testing laboratories.
• Bouncy CastleminorOthersBouncy Castle is a related open-source cryptographic library project that has adopted the OpenSSL Mission. It benefits from shared communication channels and collaborative opportunities within the OpenSSL community ecosystem.
• CryptlibminorOthersCryptlib is a related open-source security library project that has adopted the OpenSSL Mission. It shares communication channels and collaborative resources with other projects under the OpenSSL Mission.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Venafi: Machine identity and certificate management platform for enterprise security teams. Comparable incumbent serving the same certificate and cryptographic-key management workflows that OpenSSL tools support.
• Keyfactor: Enterprise certificate lifecycle management and PKI platform. Comparable incumbent operating in the same TLS/certificate ecosystem, addressing certificate management tasks that OpenSSL enables programmatically.
• DigiCert: Major commercial certificate authority and TLS/PKI provider. Comparable as a broader player in the same secure-communications stack, addressing enterprise certificate lifecycle needs that overlap with OpenSSL deployments.

Direct peers

• BoringSSL: Google's internal fork of OpenSSL used across Chrome, Android, and Google Cloud. Direct peer in the same core library category, with massive engineering investment that competes for developer mind-share.
• Bouncy Castle: Open-source cryptographic library for Java and C# that provides TLS and general-purpose cryptography. Already an OpenSSL Mission adopter; directly comparable as a competing general-purpose crypto toolkit with overlapping developer audience.
• wolfSSL: Embedded-focused TLS/cryptography library targeting IoT, automotive, and resource-constrained environments. Comparable as an alternative SSL/TLS library competing for the same developer and embedded use cases as OpenSSL.
• LibreSSL: OpenBSD's fork of OpenSSL, maintained as a cleaned-up, security-hardened alternative. Direct peer in SSL/TLS toolkit category with overlapping deployment scenarios in BSD-based systems.
• GnuTLS: GNU Project's TLS library, widely used on Linux distributions. Direct peer offering SSL/TLS and cryptographic primitives to overlapping system-administrator and developer audiences.
• Cryptlib: Open-source security library providing encryption, certificate handling, and TLS. Already an OpenSSL Mission adopter; comparable as a cross-platform security toolkit serving similar developer segments.

Emerging players

• Let's Encrypt: Free, automated certificate authority that issues TLS certificates at scale. Comparable ecosystem participant driving mass TLS adoption that depends on and complements OpenSSL-based server deployments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/openssl_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OpenSSL