lego
lego: A capable open-source ACME toolkit for developers who prefer CLI and Go library control. Ranked #27 of 31 in Certificate Management Software by our editors (6.6/10); pricing: Open source; best for developers needing a lightweight ACME client.
At a glance
- Editor score6.6 / 10
- PricingOpen source
- Best forDevelopers needing a lightweight ACME client
- Paid fromNone
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Issues, renews, and revokes ACME certificates
- Supports wildcard, SAN, HTTP, DNS, and TLS-ALPN workflows
- Connects to more than 200 DNS providers and offers Go APIs
Where it doesn't
- Platform coverage is listed as macOS
- Automatic renewal requires cron or a systemd timer
- Provides CLI and library interfaces rather than a hosted management console
Our verdict on lego
lego is an independent, free, open-source ACME client and Go library for developers and infrastructure operators managing TLS certificates on their own systems. It covers ACME v2 issuance, renewal, revocation, certificate listing, archiving, and bundling. The project supports wildcard and SAN certificates, making it suitable for teams that need programmable certificate workflows without adopting a hosted certificate-management platform.
Its ecosystem fit is a major strength. lego works with Let’s Encrypt, ZeroSSL, and multiple ACME-compatible certificate authorities, while its DNS integrations cover more than 200 providers. Challenge support includes HTTP-01, DNS-01, TLS-ALPN-01, and DNS-PERSIST-01. Deploy, pre-renewal, and post-renewal hooks add useful control for certificate deployment, and the Go library interface gives developers an option beyond the command line. These capabilities make lego a practical match for infrastructure that already has its own automation and operational tooling.
The trade-off is that lego expects the operator to manage the surrounding process. Automatic renewal requires scheduling lego with cron or a systemd timer, so certificate lifecycle automation depends on the host’s configuration. Platform coverage is listed as macOS, and the product is a CLI/library rather than a hosted management console. Choose lego if you want open-source ACME issuance with configurable challenges, DNS integrations, hooks, and Go access. Choose another category tool if you need a managed interface, broader listed platform coverage, or built-in scheduling without maintaining it yourself.
lego pricing
lego fact sheet
| Free plan | Not verified |
|---|---|
| Paid from | None |
| Certificate discovery | Not verified |
| Automatic renewal | Yes |
| Deployment automation | Yes |
| Revocation workflows | Yes |
| Certificate types | Tls |
| CA integrations | Yes |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | macOS |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 200+ integrations: Let’s Encrypt, ZeroSSL, multiple ACME-compatible certificate authorities, more than 200 DNS providers See all → |
| Pricing | Open source |
| Website | go-acme.github.io |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
lego integrations
lego lists 200+ integrations on its own site — the 4 named here are the ones its pages call out.
- Let’s Encrypt
- ZeroSSL
- multiple ACME-compatible certificate authorities
- more than 200 DNS providers
Alternatives to lego
- DigiCert Trust Lifecycle ManagerA broad certificate governance platform for hybrid infrastructure and enterprise PKI.9.4
- DigiCert ONEFull certificate lifecycle control for large organizations managing diverse trust environments.9.3
- Keyfactor PlatformA broad certificate lifecycle platform for hybrid enterprise environments.9.1
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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