acme.sh
acme.sh automates SSL and TLS certificate management using a Unix shell script ACME client.
About acme.sh
acme.sh is an open source ACME client written in Unix shell for SSL/TLS certificate automation. It issues, renews and installs certificates, including ECDSA, SAN and wildcard certificates, and works with ZeroSSL, Let's Encrypt and other RFC8555-compliant certificate authorities.
It supports webroot, standalone, Apache, Nginx and DNS verification methods and creates a daily cron job to check and renew certificates. Installation copies files to ~/.acme.sh in the user's home directory and requires reopening the terminal for the alias to take effect.
Key features
- Issues, renews and installs certificates via shell script
- Supports ECDSA, SAN and wildcard certificates
- Works with ZeroSSL, Let's Encrypt, Google, SSL.com and Actalis CAs
- Verifies via webroot, standalone, Apache, Nginx, or DNS modes
- Creates daily cron job to check and renew certificates
- Runs without root access and without Python dependency
Best for: System administrators and developers managing SSL/TLS certificates on Unix-like systems using shell scripts.
Good for
- Written in shell with compatibility for Bash, dash and sh and no Python dependency
- Does not require root or sudo access
- Supports multiple certificate authorities and verification modes
Watch out for
- Release tags up to 3.1.5 are unsigned; signed tags start at 3.1.6
- Terminal must be closed and reopened after installation for the alias to work
acme.sh at a glance
- Category
- Privacy & Security › Security Tools
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Open source
- Yes · Source code
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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acme.sh FAQ
Does acme.sh require root access?
No, it does not require root or sudo access, although use as root is noted as recommended.
How are certificates renewed?
The installer creates a daily cron job to check certificates and renew them if needed.
Which certificate authorities are supported?
ZeroSSL as the default, plus Let's Encrypt, SSL.com, Google Public CA, Actalis, Pebble strict mode, and any RFC8555-compliant CA.
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