What is the difference between a subdomain and an addon domain?

A subdomain is a prefixed section of your existing domain, such as blog.yourdomain.com, and shares the same registered domain. An addon domain is a completely separate registered domain, like anothersite.com, hosted inside the same cPanel account with its own folder.

How many domains can I add?

It depends on your Internext plan. Higher plans allow more addon domains and subdomains, and some allow unlimited. Check your plan details or ask our team if you need to host several sites in one account.

cPanel & Websites

Managing subdomains & addon domains

Q: Where do the files for a subdomain or addon domain go?

Both live in a sub-folder of public_html. A subdomain typically uses public_html/blog and an addon domain uses public_html/newdomain.com. cPanel creates the folder for you when you add the domain.

One hosting account can run more than one site. Use a subdomain for a section of your existing domain, or an addon domain to host a whole separate domain — this guide explains both and how to set them up in cPanel.

cPanel lets you host several websites from a single account. The two tools you'll use most are Subdomains and Addon Domains. They sound similar but do different jobs, so it helps to understand the difference before you create one.

Subdomain vs addon domain

A subdomain is a prefixed part of a domain you already own — for example blog.yourdomain.com or shop.yourdomain.com. It shares the same registered domain and is great for a blog, store or staging area.
An addon domain is a completely separate registered domain — for example anothersite.com — hosted inside the same cPanel account. Visitors see it as its own independent website.

In short: a subdomain extends the domain you have; an addon domain adds a different domain. You must already own an addon domain (register it in Domains first), while a subdomain needs no extra registration.

How to create a subdomain

Log in to cPanel and open Subdomains under the Domains section.
Type the prefix — for example blog — and choose the parent domain.
cPanel sets the document root automatically to a folder like public_html/blog.
Click Create. The subdomain is live within moments.

How to create an addon domain

Open Addon Domains under the Domains section.
Enter the new domain name. cPanel auto-fills a username and a document root such as public_html/newdomain.com.
Click Add Domain.
Make sure the domain's nameservers point to Internext — see pointing a domain to your hosting.

Where the files live

Both subdomains and addon domains store their files in a sub-folder of public_html. A subdomain typically uses public_html/blog, and an addon domain uses public_html/newdomain.com. Upload each site's files to its own folder using the File Manager, keeping every site cleanly separated.

Plan limits: The number of subdomains and addon domains you can create depends on your Internext plan. Higher plans allow more — and some allow unlimited. Check your plan or ask us if you need to host several sites in one account.

Frequently asked

Do I need a separate hosting plan for a second website?

Not necessarily. If your plan allows addon domains, you can host multiple independent sites in one account, each in its own folder. Very busy sites may still benefit from separate plans for isolation and resources.

Can I add SSL to a subdomain or addon domain?

Yes. Internext issues free SSL for subdomains and addon domains too — see enabling free SSL so every site loads securely over https.

Related guides

Hosting more than one site?

Our Dubai-based team can set up your subdomains and addon domains, point the DNS and add SSL for each one. Message us to get sorted.

See our UAE web hosting plans → Contact Support Chat on WhatsApp