CAcert is free and Open Source, so it has a top team of volunteer developers spread across the world. I use it myself and recommend it to my clients, especially the start ups who have not got two halfpennies to rub together, but also for wider use.
brownie does have a point in that Hawte's and Verisign's price tags are "justified" by them being built in to, e.g. IE's recognition system rather than having to click on the allow button. But that is so minor as to be worthy of ignoring in my view. Only the most paranoid and technophobic surfer would take any notice whatever of that.