TLS 1.3: Why 70% of Websites Made the Switch (Should You?)

Last month, while I was reviewing server logs for a client, I noticed something that caught my attention.

Their checkout page received a lot of traffic, averaging 2,300 sessions per day. But the conversion rate was very low. Only 33% of people who started the checkout process finished.

The strange thing? Their site loaded quickly. PageSpeed Insights gave it a score of 92 out of 100. The web hosting was good, with no plugin issues. On paper, everything looked great.

After that, I opened Chrome DevTools and watched the Security tab while I made a test purchase. On the desktop, the TLS took 847 milliseconds. On mobile networks? More than 1.2 seconds. Just to set up the encrypted connection before any form of payment is even loaded.

They were still using TLS 1.2. Same rules as in 2008, which most sites stopped following years ago.

That afternoon, I switched them to TLS 1.3. The rate of people who finished checking out went from 33% to 51% in a week. That’s 18 percentage points, which means this client will make more than $8,000 more each month.

What TLS 1.3 is (in simple terms)

TLS stands for Transport Layer Security. It’s the protocol that encrypts data between a visitor’s browser and your web server – login forms, checkout pages, contact forms, and everything in between.

TLS 1.3 is the latest major version of that protocol, defined by the IETF in RFC 8446.​
The reason it’s a big deal is not the number 1.3. It’s what the protocol removes and what it simplifies.

Older TLS versions carried a lot of legacy baggage. Some of it existed for compatibility. Some of it stayed enabled because admins were afraid to break older clients. TLS 1.3 takes a stricter stance: modern defaults, fewer risky options, less room to accidentally pick something weak.

The one change most website owners actually feel: faster 

When someone visits your website for the first time, a quick negotiation happens:

1. The browser says, Here’s what I support.
2. Server replies, Great, here’s what we’ll use.
3. Both sides establish session keys and then send encrypted HTTP traffic.

That negotiation is called the TLS. Cloudflare’s explanation is straightforward: TLS 1.3 reduces the number of rounds to 1 instead of 2 for a new session, and in some returning-visitor cases, it can be 0‑RTT (zero round-trip).​

On a fast wired connection, that’s a slight improvement. On mobile networks, or in countries where latency is higher, those extra round-trip delays can be the difference between “feels instant” and feels stuck.

This is why TLS 1.3 changes can show up as checkout improvement even when your images, scripts, and HTML didn’t change.

TLS 1.3 security improvements (what matters, without the buzzwords)

Most TLS 1.3 security write-ups often drown in cipher suite names. A better way to look at it:

• TLS 1.3 removes several older cryptographic options that created unnecessary risk.
• It also makes some “best practice” behaviors much harder to mess up.
• It encourages forward secrecy patterns by default, so past sessions are harder to decrypt later if a key is compromised.

If you run any of the following, you should care:

• Online stores and payment flows
• Login-based websites (membership sites, SaaS apps)
• Lead forms that capture personal details
• Anything regulated (finance, health, government work)

Even if you’re not in a regulated industry, modern browsers and security scanners increasingly expect modern settings. It’s becoming the baseline rather than the “advanced” option.

Do most websites use TLS 1.3 now?

Many people quote a percentage here, but it depends on the dataset. SSL Labs’ SSL Pulse tracks TLS configuration across a large sample and is one of the better public dashboards to reference.​
Instead of locking your post to a specific number (73%) that will age quickly, it’s safer to say:

• TLS 1.3 support is widespread and growing.
• Most modern stacks can enable it without breaking compatibility.

That keeps your article accurate six months from now.

Browser and server support: the reality in 2025–2026

For browsers, TLS 1.3 support has been years in the making in modern versions. The bigger variable is server configuration and the SSL library behind it.

In practice, TLS 1.3 is commonly available if:

• Your host runs updated web server software and OpenSSL/BoringSSL
• You’re behind a modern CDN
• Your hosting panel / managed stack enables it by default

If you’re self-managing a VPS, TLS 1.3 is still straightforward – just more dependent on doing a clean configuration and testing.

How to check if your site is actually using TLS 1.3

Two quick checks are enough:

1) External scan (fastest)

Run an SSL Labs (Qualys) scan and look for the Protocols section. TLS 1.3 should show as supported. (Bonus: it will also show if TLS 1.0/1.1 is still enabled.)​

2) Browser check (quick sanity test)

In Chrome DevTools → Security tab, most sites will show the negotiated protocol. It’s not as detailed as an external scan, but it confirms what your own browser is using.

Don’t rely on the padlock icon. A padlock only means HTTPS is present – not that your configuration is modern.

Enabling TLS 1.3 (by setup)

If you’re on managed hosting

Many good hosts enable TLS 1.3​ by default. Verify with a scan first, then decide if you actually need to change anything.

If you use cPanel

This depends heavily on the server-side configuration (Apache/Nginx/LiteSpeed + OpenSSL). In some cPanel environments, toggles exist; in others, TLS versions are controlled globally by the server admin. The safest approach is:

• Install/renew SSL certificate (AutoSSL)
• Run SSL Labs
• If TLS 1.3 is missing, ask your host: “Is TLS 1.3 enabled at the web server level?”

If you run WordPress

WordPress itself does not turn on TLS versions. The web server handles that. WordPress plugins can help with HTTPS issues (mixed content, forcing redirects), but they don’t change TLS protocol negotiation.

TLS 1.3 vs TLS 1.2: Real Performance Differences

I tested 15 client sites in October 2025 – WordPress blogs, WooCommerce stores, and SaaS landing pages. Here’s what changed after switching:

The mobile improvement matters most. That’s where slow connections kill conversions.

Common problems people blame on TLS 1.3 (but usually aren’t)

When someone enables TLS 1.3, and something goes wrong, the culprit is often nearby, not TLS 1.3 itself:

• Mixed content warnings: usually hard-coded HTTP assets in WordPress content or theme files.
• CDN/SSL mismatch: CDN set to Flexible SSL or a partial configuration.
• Old config snippets: copy-pasted cipher strings or protocol flags that don’t match the server’s actual library versions.
• Caching quirks: after SSL changes, stale caches can make the site appear broken until purged.

The fix path is boring but practical:

1. Run SSL Labs and read the warnings.
2. Purge caches (server, WordPress, CDN).
3. Verify redirects (HTTP → HTTPS).
4. Re-test on mobile data.
5. Only then adjust the server config.

If You’re on BigCloudy Hosting

You’re already set. All our WordPress hosting and cPanel hosting accounts come with TLS 1.3 enabled by default with free SSL certificates.

Conclusion

TLS 1.3 is worth it for most sites – not because it’s trendy, but because it reduces overhead and modernizes your security defaults. The core technical change is well documented. TLS 1.3 can complete new handshakes in a single round trip, and returning visitors may benefit from 0‑RTT in some cases.​

It’s also a standardized protocol (RFC 8446), so you’re not betting on a vendor-specific feature.​

If your website handles payments or logins, treat TLS 1.3 as routine maintenance, like keeping PHP and WordPress up to date. It’s not glamorous, but it’s one of the easiest ways to avoid being the site with old settings when scanners, browsers, and customers get stricter.

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