If you’ve ever used a hosting control panel like cPanel, you’ve likely come across terms like Addon Domain, Subdomain, and Parked Domain. All three let you manage multiple domain addresses using a single hosting account—but they work very differently in practice. In this guide, we’ll break down each option in clear, real-world terms so you can choose the right one for your projects—without getting lost in technical jargon.
1. Addon Domain
An Addon Domain acts like a completely separate website hosted on your existing account. You must already own the domain, and its DNS must point to your hosting server.
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When you create an Addon Domain (e.g., myservice.com), your hosting system creates a dedicated folder—like /public_html/myservice.com—where all files for that site live.
Key features:
- Visitors see it as a standalone site (
www.myservice.com). - It has its own email accounts (
hello@myservice.com), FTP access, and analytics. - Shares the same disk space and bandwidth as your main hosting plan.
- Technically accessible via
maindomain.com/myservice.comormyservice.maindomain.com, but the browser address always shows the Addon Domain.
Use Addon Domains when you want to run multiple independent websites (e.g., different businesses or projects) under one hosting plan.
2. Subdomain
A subdomain is a section of your primary domain—no extra registration needed. For example, if your main domain is radib.com, you can create shop.radib.com, blog.radib.com, or mail.radib.com.
Each subdomain points to a specific folder in your hosting account (e.g., /public_html/shop), and its content is independent of your homepage.
Advantages:
- Free and instant to set up
- Perfect for distinct sections: online store, blog, client portal, etc.
- Can have its own email and FTP accounts
Unlike an Addon Domain, a subdomain is treated as part of your main domain—not a separate brand. This matters for SEO and branding.
3. Parked Domain (Domain Alias)
A Parked Domain is an alias for your main website. Suppose you own both radib.com and radib.net. If you park radib.net on radib.com, anyone visiting radib.net will see the exact same content as radib.com—and the browser address **won’t change**; it will still show radib.net.
Important notes:
- Commonly used for brand protection (e.g., securing .net, .ir versions of your domain).
- Email addresses work on both domains:
support@radib.net=support@radib.com. - Warning: If you host the same content on two *separate* servers using parked domains, search engines may penalize you for duplicate content.
4. Domain Forwarding (Redirect)
Domain forwarding redirects one domain to another—and unlike parking, it **changes the URL in the browser**. For example, visiting radib.net automatically takes you to radib.com, and the address bar updates accordingly.
This method doesn’t require both domains to use the same hosting provider. Each domain keeps its own email and FTP accounts, and the redirect can point to any URL—even a specific page or subdomain.
Quick Summary: When to Use What?
- Addon Domain: Run multiple independent websites from one hosting account.
- Subdomain: Organize sections of a single website (e.g., shop, blog, support).
- Parked Domain: Show the same site under multiple domain names (URL stays the same).
- Domain Forwarding: Permanently redirect one domain to another (URL changes).
Understanding these differences helps you avoid common mistakes—like duplicate content penalties—and use your hosting resources more efficiently.
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