Addon domain vs subdomain — what's the difference?
When to use yourdomain.com/blog vs blog.yourdomain.com vs yourotherdomain.com — the technical and SEO differences.
Your hosting account hosts the primary domain by default. To host more, you have three options.
1. Subdomain
blog.yourdomain.com on the same hosting.
Set up: cPanel → Subdomains → enter prefix → Create.
Files live in public_html/blog/ automatically. Visit blog.yourdomain.com → serves from that folder.
Use when:
- Same project, separate area (
docs.,app.,staging.) - The subdomain is logically part of the main site
SEO note: Google treats subdomains as separate from the root domain. SEO authority doesn't transfer fully. Use sparingly if SEO matters.
2. Addon domain
yourotherdomain.com (a different domain) on the same hosting.
Set up: cPanel → Domains → Create A New Domain → enter the new domain → Create. cPanel creates a folder like public_html/yourotherdomain.com/.
You also need to point the domain's nameservers (or A record) at this hosting — see Connecting a domain.
Use when:
- A separate business/project on its own domain
- Different SEO identity needed
- Multi-brand strategy
Plan limits:
| Plan | Addon domains |
|---|---|
| Stream | 1 |
| Current | 5 |
| Rapids | 15 |
| Delta | Unlimited |
3. Subfolder
yourdomain.com/blog — same domain, different URL path.
Set up: just create a folder public_html/blog/ and put a site in it.
Use when:
- You want SEO authority to consolidate at one domain
- Brand-wise it makes sense as part of the main site
Most common case: subfolder for blog/docs gives strongest SEO because all pages share the root domain's authority.
Comparison
| Subdomain | Addon domain | Subfolder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| URL | x.yourdomain.com | yourotherdomain.com | yourdomain.com/x |
| Same domain | Yes | No | Yes |
| Separate folder | Yes | Yes | Optional |
| SEO authority shared with root | Partially | No | Fully |
| Costs another domain | No | Yes | No |
| Plan limit | Subdomains: usually unlimited | Per plan above | Unlimited |
Common questions
"Should my blog be blog.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com/blog?"
For SEO, subfolder wins. Less authority dilution. Easier internal linking.
For technical separation (different stack, different team), subdomain wins. Easier to give a developer access to just the blog without main site files.
"I have a multi-brand setup. Use addon domains?"
Yes. Each brand gets its own domain, its own SEO identity, and lives in its own folder.
"Wildcard subdomains?"
cPanel → Subdomains → enter * as prefix. Now anything.yourdomain.com works. Useful for SaaS apps with per-tenant subdomains. Configure your app to handle the routing.
SSL on subdomains and addon domains
cPanel's AutoSSL covers all of them — issues separate Let's Encrypt certs automatically. Run SSL/TLS Status → Run AutoSSL after creating new subdomains/addons.