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Last updated: April 12, 2026

TLS 1.2 vs TLS 1.3 — Which TLS Version in 2026?

Quick Answer

TLS 1.3 (2018) reduces handshake to 1-RTT (vs 2-RTT in TLS 1.2), removes weak cipher suites, and supports 0-RTT resumption. TLS 1.3 is faster and more secure. All modern browsers support it. You should require TLS 1.2 minimum and prefer TLS 1.3.

TLS 1.2 vs TLS 1.3 — Side by Side

FeatureTLS 1.2TLS 1.3
Handshake2 round-trips (2-RTT)1 round-trip (1-RTT), 0-RTT resumption
Cipher SuitesMany (some weak — CBC, RC4)Only strong ciphers (AEAD only)
Forward SecrecyOptional (depends on cipher)Mandatory (all ciphers use ECDHE)
Key ExchangeRSA, DHE, ECDHEECDHE only (static RSA removed)
PerformanceSlower handshake (2-RTT)Faster — 100ms+ improvement per connection
Browser SupportUniversal~95% of browsers (2026)

Verdict

Require TLS 1.2 as your minimum version and prefer TLS 1.3. There is no reason to use TLS 1.0 or 1.1 — they are deprecated. TLS 1.3 is faster and more secure with no compatibility cost for modern clients.

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