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DigiCert timestamp vs a file timestamp. A code-signing timestamp dates a signature. A TimeBind dates the exact bytes of a file.

TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes.

A TimeBind is a dated, checkable record that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. The fingerprint is made in the browser, and the file stays on your device. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free; after that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.

DigiCert timestamp vs a file timestamp: the short answer

If you searched for the DigiCert timestamp URL, you are probably signing software. DigiCert’s RFC 3161 timestamp server is at http://timestamp.digicert.com. In code signing it records when a signature was made, so DigiCert says signed files can stay trusted after the signing certificate expires. That is a feature of the signature, and it needs a code-signing certificate and a signing tool.

A TimeBind is a different tool for a different job: a dated fingerprint of any exact file, made in your browser and anchored to Bitcoin, with no certificate and no upload. Use DigiCert’s timestamp when you sign installers, libraries, macros or documents and want the signature to outlive the certificate. Use a TimeBind when you want to show an unsigned file, draft or version existed no later than a time. DigiCert is the better choice for code signing, and a TimeBind does not replace it. Neither shows who made the work. Prices and product facts below were checked on each provider’s official pages on 13 November 2026 and may change. This is general information, not legal advice.

DigiCert timestamp vs a TimeBind at a glance

	DigiCert timestamp server	TimeBind
What it is	An RFC 3161 time-stamp authority. DigiCert describes it as providing proof that data existed at a particular moment and has not changed since.	A dated, checkable fingerprint of an exact file, anchored to Bitcoin.
Typical use	Countersigning code and document signatures (SignTool, jarsigner, osslsigncode, Mage, NuGet and others).	Dating any exact file or version, signed or not.
What you need	A command-line or signing tool that speaks RFC 3161. DigiCert notes the URL is not meant to be opened in a browser.	A browser.
Source of trust	DigiCert’s timestamping certificates and chain. DigiCert states TSA certificates are renewed at least every 15 months, and it replaced three on 3 September 2026.	The Bitcoin block the fingerprint was recorded in.
Is the file uploaded?	A timestamp request carries a hash of the data, not the file itself, in the standard protocol.	No. The SHA-256 fingerprint is made in the browser.
Cost (13 Nov 2026)	DigiCert’s timestamp pages do not state a fee for the URL. Code-signing certificates are sold separately.	First Pooled TimeBind free; then from US$5, or US$15 for ASAP.
Proves who made the file?	No. A code-signing certificate identifies the signing organisation; the timestamp adds time.	No.

Sources: DigiCert Knowledge Base, RFC3161 compliant Time Stamp Authority (TSA) server (last modified 19 September 2026) and Troubleshooting Timestamping Problems. The protocol itself is RFC 3161. Terms: RFC 3161, digital signature, trusted timestamp, blockchain timestamp.

When to use which

Use DigiCert’s timestamp

You are signing software, installers or macros and want the signature to stay valid after the certificate expires
Your signing tool already has a timestamp option
You want a time from an established certificate authority’s chain

Use a dated file record

You want to date source, drafts or builds you have not signed
You want to record a file or version without any certificate or tooling
You want a record anyone can check against a public ledger

They can sit side by side: sign and timestamp the release with DigiCert, and make a TimeBind of the exact build or source archive. See also RFC 3161 vs a blockchain timestamp and Git commit dates as proof.

What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t

What it shows

That an exact file existed no later than the recorded time
That a later copy still matches, bit for bit, if the fingerprint is the same

What it doesn’t show

Who made the file, who owns it, or who holds the copyright
That the contents are true, original, or human-made
Whether AI was used, or how a court, platform or insurer will treat the record

The SHA-256 fingerprint is made in your browser. The file is never uploaded. The record is anchored to Bitcoin. This is general information, not legal advice.

Your file’s fingerprint, anchored to a global network secured by real electricity and cryptography.

Editing a file—including with AI—changes its fingerprint, not its existing network record.

How this works

Your file’s SHA-256 fingerprint, a short code worked out from its exact contents, is made in your browser, and the file itself stays on your device. A cryptographic commitment to that fingerprint, which may be combined with others, is then anchored in a block on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin is secured by proof of work: computers around the world spend real electricity to add each block, and changing an earlier block would mean redoing that work faster than the rest of the network. Until that block is confirmed, your proof is pending. Once the Bitcoin anchoring is confirmed, you can verify the proof against that recorded commitment. The confirmed record can then be checked; Pooled TimeBinds are checked through TimeBinder, while ASAP TimeBinds can also be checked independently. If you check the file later and its fingerprint still matches, that shows the file existed no later than the recorded time. The record doesn’t show who made the file, whether AI was used, or that its contents are true.

Your filestays on your device
FingerprintSHA-256
Network timestampon Bitcoin

Frequently asked questions

Is a DigiCert code-signing timestamp the same as timestamping a document?

Not quite. In code signing, the timestamp is attached to a digital signature, to show the signature was made while the certificate was valid. DigiCert says adding a timestamp helps signed files stay trusted after the code-signing certificate expires. It is a countersignature on a signature, not a stand-alone record of a file you never signed.

Can I use timestamp.digicert.com for ordinary files?

DigiCert’s documentation describes the service for signing code and documents with tools such as SignTool, jarsigner and osslsigncode. It also describes an RFC 3161 server that can show data existed at a moment in time. We did not find a published statement on using it for unrelated files, so check DigiCert’s terms before relying on it for that.

Which is stronger?

They answer different questions. An RFC 3161 token from a trusted authority ties a fingerprint to a time from that authority, and you rely on that authority and its certificate chain. A TimeBind ties a fingerprint to a Bitcoin block, and you rely on the public ledger. Neither shows who made the file, and how a court treats either depends on the facts and the law. This is general information, not legal advice.

Do I need a code-signing certificate to make a TimeBind?

No. A TimeBind needs no certificate, account with a certificate authority or signing tool. The fingerprint is made in your browser, and the file is not uploaded.

What does a TimeBind cost?

Your first Pooled TimeBind is free. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.

Related comparisons

Date the exact build or file

Make a TimeBind of the exact file. The fingerprint is made in your browser, and the file stays on your device.

Make your first TimeBind free → See plans and pricing

Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Your browser makes the fingerprint and the file stays on your device. A TimeBind shows a file existed no later than the recorded time. It doesn’t show who made it.

Open TimeBinder and timestamp a file

Fingerprint the file in your browser. The file stays on your device. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free; then from US$5, or US$15 for ASAP.

See plans and pricing

Related glossary entries: timestamp authority, certificate authority and non-repudiation.