What is the difference between the Primary Domain and Addon Domain

What is the difference between primary domain and addon domain? The difference between a primary domain and an addon domain lies primarily in their roles and how they are used in the context of web hosting. Here’s a detailed comparison:

What is the Primary Domain?

1. Definition: The primary domain is the main domain associated with your web hosting account. It’s the first domain you register and set up when you create a new hosting account.
2. Purpose: It serves as the main entry point to your hosting account and is often considered the flagship domain. It’s the domain that’s primarily used to represent your main website or business.
3. Hosting Account: In most web hosting setups, the primary domain controls and manages all other domains (including addon domains) and subdomains within the hosting account.
4. Email and Hosting Settings: The primary domain typically sets the default settings for the hosting account, including email, file directories, databases, and other configurations.
5. Uniqueness: There is only one primary domain per hosting account, and it’s often used as the reference point for billing and hosting management purposes.

What is Addon Domain?

1. Definition: An addon domain is an additional domain that is hosted on your existing web hosting account, sharing the same resources (disk space, bandwidth) but functioning as a separate website.
2. Purpose: It allows you to host multiple distinct websites under one hosting account, each with its own domain name. This is useful for managing several projects or businesses through a single hosting plan.
3. Independence: Despite sharing the same hosting resources, an addon domain operates independently of the primary domain. It has its own website files, email accounts, and can even have its own subdomains and separate scripts.
4. Website Files: The website files for an addon domain are usually stored in a separate folder within the public_html directory. This separation helps in managing different websites under the same hosting account.
5. URL Structure: An addon domain has its own unique URL (e.g., www.addondomain.com) and does not need to include the primary domain in its address.

Addon Domain Vs Primary Domain (Key Differences)

• Role in Hosting Account: The primary domain is the first and main domain associated with your hosting account. An addon domain is an additional domain added to the same account for hosting separate websites.
• Number: You can have only one primary domain per hosting account, but multiple addon domains, depending on your hosting plan’s limitations.
• Independence: Each addon domain is treated as a separate website with its own directory and domain name, whereas the primary domain is the central domain under which the hosting account is registered and managed.
• Management: The primary domain typically has overarching control and administrative privileges within the hosting account, whereas addon domains are managed under the umbrella of the primary domain’s settings.

In essence, while the primary domain is the central and first domain of your hosting account, addon domains are additional domains that allow you to host multiple websites independently within the same account.