cPanel Basics
Addon Domains in cPanel: Running Several Separate Websites on One Account
cPanel gives you three different ways to add a domain to an account, and only one of them — the addon domain — behaves like a fully separate website.
3
cPanel domain types: addon, subdomain, parked
1 folder
Each addon domain gets its own separate document root
cPanel
Style panel where all three domain types are managed
24/7
Human support for DNS and addon domain setup
In short
An addon domain is a second, fully independent domain name added to an existing cPanel hosting account, given its own folder (document root) so it behaves like a completely separate website with its own files, email addresses, and databases. This is different from a subdomain, which is a folder under your main domain's own name, and a parked domain, which has no folder of its own and just displays another domain's content.
In short: addon domains let one hosting account run several unrelated websites side by side, each reachable at its own domain name.
cPanel's Domains section groups together three features that look similar at a glance but behave quite differently once you dig in: addon domains, subdomains, and parked (aliased) domains. All three let you attach an additional domain name to a hosting account, but only an addon domain creates a genuinely separate website with its own folder, its own file structure, and the ability to run entirely different content, plugins, or even a different CMS than whatever's running on the main domain.
The confusion usually shows up the first time someone needs to host a second, unrelated site — a client's business alongside a personal blog, or a second brand alongside the main company site — on hosting they already have, without paying for an entirely separate account. Addon domains are the cPanel feature built for exactly that.
What Is an Addon Domain, Exactly?
An addon domain is a second domain name — one that's registered and pointed at your hosting — added to a cPanel account that already has a primary domain. When you create one, cPanel automatically sets up a new folder inside public_html specifically for it, and that folder becomes the addon domain's own document root, completely separate from the main domain's files. Visitors to the addon domain see whatever's in that folder; visitors to the main domain never see it at all.
Because it has its own folder, an addon domain can run a totally different website — a different WordPress install, a different CMS, or a static site — with its own email accounts and its own database, all technically hosted under the same account and the same hosting plan, but functionally independent from everything else on it.
Addon Domain vs Subdomain: What's the Difference
A subdomain is a prefix added in front of your existing domain — blog.yourdomain.com or shop.yourdomain.com — and it's still fundamentally part of the same domain registration. An addon domain, by contrast, is a completely separate domain name in its own right — yourotherdomain.com — that just happens to be hosted on the same account as your main site.
The practical difference shows up the moment you try to move one elsewhere: a subdomain can't be transferred away independently since it's tied to the parent domain's registration, while an addon domain, being its own registration, can be pointed anywhere or transferred to a different registrar entirely without touching the main domain at all.
Addon Domain vs Parked Domain: What's the Difference
A parked domain (sometimes called an aliased domain) points a second domain name at the exact same content as an existing domain or addon domain — visiting either domain shows the identical website, because a parked domain has no folder of its own. It's typically used to catch alternate spellings, old domain names, or a .net version of a business's main .com, so visitors land on the same site no matter which one they type.
An addon domain is the opposite: it gets its own dedicated folder and can show entirely different content from anything else on the account. If two domains should show the same website, park one against the other; if they should be two genuinely different websites, an addon domain is the right tool.
Setting Up an Addon Domain in cPanel
In cPanel's Domains section, choose the option to create a new domain, enter the domain name you want to add, and cPanel will suggest a document root folder name, which can be left as default or changed. Before this works, the domain's nameservers or DNS records need to point at the same hosting account, otherwise the domain won't resolve to the new folder at all.
Once created, upload the new site's files into that domain's folder, set up any email addresses or databases it needs separately from the main domain, and the addon domain functions as its own independent website from that point on — sharing only the underlying hosting resources with whatever else is on the account.
One Account, Room for More Than One Site
Addon domains are one of the more useful cPanel features for anyone running more than a single website — a second brand, a client's site, or a project separate from the main one — without buying a second hosting plan.
Hosting Cheap's cPanel-style panel includes addon domains, subdomains and parked domains as standard, running on NVMe SSD storage so extra sites don't drag down the ones already there.
- Addon domains, subdomains and parked domains all available in the same panel
- NVMe SSD storage shared efficiently across sites on one account
- Free auto-renewing SSL applied per domain, including addon domains
- 24/7 human support for DNS pointing and addon domain setup
Why Hosting Cheap
What you get
cPanel-style panel
Create addon domains, subdomains and parked domains from the same familiar Domains section.
Free auto-renewing SSL
Each addon domain gets its own SSL certificate that renews automatically, not just the primary domain.
Pure NVMe SSD storage
Multiple sites on one account stay responsive since storage speed doesn't degrade as folders are added.
Free managed migration
Bring an existing second site over to run as an addon domain alongside your main one.
Daily backups
Every addon domain's files, email and databases are covered, not only the primary site.
24/7 human support
Get help if a newly added domain isn't resolving to its addon folder yet.
How It Works
Get set up in a few steps
Point the domain's DNS at your hosting
Update nameservers or DNS records for the new domain before creating it as an addon in cPanel.
Create the addon domain in cPanel
Enter the domain name and confirm (or customize) the document root folder cPanel suggests.
Upload its files and set up email or a database
Treat the new folder as a fully separate site with its own content and, if needed, its own mailboxes.
Included
Everything you need, on every plan
- Domain's nameservers or DNS records pointed at your hosting account
- Addon domain created in cPanel's Domains section with a clear folder name
- Website files uploaded into the addon domain's own document root
- Separate email accounts created for the addon domain if it needs its own
- Separate database created if the addon domain runs its own CMS or app
- SSL certificate confirmed active for the addon domain specifically
- Difference between addon, subdomain and parked domain understood before choosing
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is an addon domain used for?
It lets you host a second, fully independent website — with its own folder, email addresses, and database — on the same hosting account as your main domain. It's the standard way to run more than one unrelated site without a second hosting plan.
Is an addon domain the same as a subdomain?
No — a subdomain is a prefix on your existing domain (like blog.yourdomain.com) and stays tied to that domain's registration, while an addon domain is a completely separate domain name with its own folder and independent registration.
What's the difference between an addon domain and a parked domain?
A parked domain shows the exact same content as another domain, with no folder of its own — useful for alternate spellings or extensions. An addon domain has its own dedicated folder and can show entirely different content.
Do addon domains need their own SSL certificate?
Yes, each addon domain is its own domain name and needs its own certificate to serve over HTTPS. Free auto-renewing SSL applied per domain covers addon domains the same way it covers the main one.
Can I have separate email addresses for an addon domain?
Yes, since an addon domain is treated as its own independent domain within cPanel, it can have its own email accounts entirely separate from the main domain's mailboxes.
How many addon domains can I add to one hosting account?
This depends on the specific hosting plan, since each addon domain shares the account's overall storage and resources. Check your plan's domain allowance, or contact support to confirm what a given plan supports.
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