Free Online SSL Converter

Use this Free SSL converter to convert SSL certificates to and from different formats (e.g. PEM, DER, P7B and PFX). Different platforms and devices require SSL certificates to be converted to different formats. For example, Windows servers exports and imports .pfx files, while Apache & Nginx servers use PEM (.crt, .cer) files.

Please rest assured that we do not record and store any information such as your Private Key and SSL/TLS digital certificate.

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In addition to above SSL converter, you can also execute these OpenSSL commands on your computer and you will be able to convert your certificate to the format you need.

PEM Format

PEM format is the most common format used by Certificate Authorities. Its file extensions include .pem, .crt, .cer, and .key, which are Base64 encoded ASCII files and contain "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----" & "-----END CERTIFICATE-----" statements. They can store server certificates, intermediate certificates and private keys.

Apache, Nginx, and other similar servers use PEM format certificates. Multiple PEM certificates, including the private key, can be included in a single file, listed one after another. However, most platforms (such as Apache) require the certificates and private key to be stored in separate files.

PKCS#12/PFX Format

PKCS#12 or PFX format is a binary format that combines server certificate, intermediate certificates, and private key in a single encrypted file. PFX files commonly have extensions like .pfx and .p12. They are primarily used on Windows machines for certificate and private key import/export.

When converting a PFX file to PEM format using OpenSSL, all certificates and the private key are placed in a single file. To separate them, open the file in a text editor, copy each certificate and private key (including BEGIN/END statements) into individual text files, and save them as certificate.cer, CACert.cer, and privateKey.key.

DER Format
DER format is a binary form of certificates, unlike the ASCII PEM format. It can have file extensions like .der or .cer. To distinguish between DER .cer and PEM .cer files, you need to open them in a text editor and check for BEGIN/END statements. DER format supports all types of certificates and private keys, commonly used with Java platforms.
PKCS#7/P7B Format
The PKCS#7 or P7B format is typically stored in Base64 ASCII format with the file extension .p7b or .p7c. The P7B certificate contains the "-----BEGIN PKCS7-----" and "-----END PKCS7-----" statements. A P7B file only contains the certificate and intermediate certificate, but not includes the private key. P7B files are supported on multiple platforms, including Microsoft Windows and Java Tomcat.