Difference Between HTTP And HTTPS

Admin
17 Nov, 2023

When you open any website, you must have seen http:// or https:// written before the name of the website. But have you ever wondered what is the meaning of http:// or https:// written before the website name? Why are they used? What is their use? 

Writing http:// or https:// before the name of the website also has a meaning, about which we are going to talk in today's article. 

Today we will know in detail what is HTTP? What is HTTPS? How do they work? What is their use? And what is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

So without wasting any time, let us first know what is HTTP?

HTTPS vs HTTPS

What is HTTP?

The full form of HTTP is “Hypertext Transfer Protocol”, it is also called stateless protocol. It is a type of network protocol used to exchange data between a web server and a browser for a particular website. This is the foundation of WWW (World Wide Web). This means that it transfers data (i.e, text, images, audio, video, etc.) over the WWW.

When http:// is written in the URL address of a website, it means that some rules are being followed during the transfer of text, image, audio, video, etc. between the server and the browser. All these rules are determined by the Http protocol only. 

It is a default method of data communication. This protocol determines what will be the format of the data files to be transferred. 

There are mainly two types of HTTP messages: requests and responses. 

HTTP requests and responses are sent over the Internet in plain text. The problem is that anyone monitoring the connection can read these plain texts and know what information someone is requesting, sending, or receiving, and even That can also manipulate communication.

To overcome the above security problem, HTTPS protocol was invented. 

What is HTTPS protocol?

The full name of HTTPS is “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure”. Which is a secured version of http. In this, the files transfer between the browser and the server remains encrypted, which keeps the data completely secure.

When you see https:// at the beginning of the URL of a website, it means that SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) has been used in that website, which keeps the data secure. Along with this, a green color lock icon will appear at the beginning of the URL, which indicates that it is safe to use the website.

Often, the use of https:// connection is seen in online money transfer platforms like Paytm, Phonepe, bank websites, etc. This makes our transaction data encrypted and secure.

Note – When you enter your personal information on any website or make online payment with your credit card, you should pay attention that the URL of the website you are visiting starts with HTTPS in the address bar of your browser. Does it happen or not? It is very important to have HTTPS in the URL because this protocol ensures the security of your data. 

It is more secure than http. Many websites on the Internet use the https protocol. The website in which you are reading this article now (https://masterprogramming.in/) also uses the https protocol. 

To use https, an SSL certificate has to be installed in the website. Through an SSL certificate, a secure connection of encrypted data is created between the client and the server. Stealing data between the client and server in an https connection is a very difficult task.

Nowadays, there is no need to type https separately in the URL bar of the browser. This remains by default. When you enter the domain name of a website in the browser, https:// is automatically written in the URL.

What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP

HTTPS

The full name of HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol.

The full name of HTTPS is Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.

HTTP uses the TCP protocol.       

In HTTPS, along with TCP protocol, TLS/SSL connection is also used to make the network connection secure.

http:// is written at the beginning of its URL.

In https, https:// is written at the beginning of all URLs.

Its security level is not so strong and the data in it is also not encrypted, which can also be stolen by a hacker.         

The security level of Https is very high. In this, all files are transferred in encrypted form. This is the most secure connection, which is very difficult to hack.

There is no SSL certificate in it.  

SSL certificate has to be installed in HTTPS which makes the connection secure.

It is not right to rely too much on http because it is not secure.

Https is considered to be the most secure connection that you can trust.

Port 80 is used in HTTP.

Port 443 is used in HTTPS.

HTTP transfers data in plain text.             

HTTPS transfers data in cipher text (encrypted text).

HTTP works at the application layer.       

HTTPS works at the transport layer.

HTTP is faster in speed than HTTPS.         

HTTPS is slower than HTTP in speed.

The main difference between HTTP and HTTPS

The following are the main differences between HTTP and HTTPS –
  • HTTP lacks security mechanisms to encrypt data whereas HTTPS provides SSL or TLS digital certificates to secure communications between the server and the client.
  • HTTP transfers data in plain text while HTTPS transfers data in cipher text (encrypted text).
  • The full name of HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the full name of HTTPS is Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.
  • In HTTP, the URL starts with “http://” whereas in HTTPS the URL starts with “https://”.
  • HTTP uses port number 80 by default for communication and HTTPS uses port number 443 by default for communication. 
  • HTTP is considered insecure and HTTPS is considered secure
  • HTTP works at the application layer and HTTPS works at the transport layer.
  • In HTTP, encryption is absent and encryption is present in HTTPS as discussed above
  • HTTP does not require any certificate and HTTPS requires an SSL certificate. 
  • HTTP is faster than HTTPS in speed and HTTPS is slower than HTTP in speed because HTTPS consumes more computing power and resources to encrypt the communication channel.

Which is better, HTTP or HTTPS?

If we talk about which is better between HTTP and HTTPS, then HTTPS is much better among the two because HTTPS has many advantages, which makes it better than HTTP in every way. 

HTTPS is also important from an SEO point of view because it increases people's trust in the website, which improves the ranking of the website. 

HTTPS is very important when it comes to accepting sensitive information from users. 

How to switch from HTTP to HTTPS?

To switch from HTTP to HTTPS you need to follow the following steps –
  • Moving from HTTP to HTTPS is a big step. Therefore, you should do it when your website does not have much traffic.
  • Purchase and Install an SSL Certificate - You can purchase an SSL certificate from your website host. 
  • Enable HTTPS - Migrating to HTTPS will depend on the size of your website. If your website is very large, you may have to do this in stages.
  • 301 Redirects From HTTP to HTTPS - 301 redirects tell search engines that the site has changed. If you use WordPress, you can 301 redirect traffic from the server to your new HTTPS protocol.

Learn More...

Conclusion

In today's article, we talked about the difference between HTTP and HTTPS and learned what is HTTP? What is HTTPS? How do they work? What is their use? And what is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

I hope you liked this article and if you liked this article then do not forget to share this article with your friends so that they can also get information about HTTP and HTTPS Difference.

If you still have any questions or doubts related to HTTP vs HTTPS, then you can ask us through comments. I will answer all your questions and for more information, you can contact us.

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