Domain vs subdomain: Key differences
A domain is the main web address for a site, bought and registered independently. A subdomain, which is free to create by the domain owner, adds sections to this main address without needing a new registration.
If you’re creating a website for the first time or even have an existing one, you’ll likely come across many new tech terms, such as “domains” and “subdomains.”
Understanding these concepts is crucial to establishing a solid structure for your website.
Think of your website as your virtual storefront; just as the location and layout of a physical store are crucial for attracting customers, so is your choice of domain and use of subdomains for your online business.
So, what is the difference between a domain and a subdomain? What should you go for? When is one better than the other?
In this post, I will clarify all questions about domain vs subdomain to help you make the right decision.
What is a domain?
A domain is a unique name or virtual address that you enter in a browser to visit a website. A domain name is unique and helps identify different websites on the internet.
A domain name tells browsers what content to show on a specific page when someone enters it.
Every website has an IP address, a series of numbers like 192.168.1.1, which computers use to identify it on the internet.
However, remembering all those numbers can be difficult. That’s where domain names come in.
DNS (Domain Name System) is the technology that links the domain name to the IP address.
When you type a domain name into your browser, DNS servers take that domain name and translate it into the corresponding IP address. The browser then uses this IP address to connect to the server where the website is hosted.
Domain names, like “xyz.com,” simplify this by replacing the numeric address with a memorable name which you can type in your browser to access a website.
For instance, my domain name is “weignitegrowth.com.”
Some other examples include:
- Google.com
- Yahoo.com
- nih.gov
- wordpress.org
A domain name can be one word or multiple words. If your domain name has multiple words, it’s up to you to use the words in a long string or divide them using hyphens.
For example, I opt for the first option and use a long string as the domain name. If I used hyphens, my domain name would look like “we-ignite-growth.com.”
However, it’s best to use domain names without hyphens, as they are easier to remember.
All domain names are registered under the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It assigns IP addresses, authorizes domain registrars, and records registered domain names with their IP addresses.
Parts of a domain name
A domain name has two primary parts:
Top-level Domain (TLD)
TLDs, or top-level domains, are the extensions at the end of a web address, like “.com” or “.org.”
They are also known as domain extensions and represent the type of website, indicating if it’s commercial, organizational, or another category.
- .org: Used for organizations
- .com: Suitable for commercial businesses and individuals
- .edu: Ideal for educational institutions
- .gov: Best for governmental agencies and institutions
- .net: Recommended for network-oriented websites
- .co: Ideal globally for businesses, entrepreneurs, and online communities
Second-level domain (SLD)
Second-level domains (SLDs) are website names that appear before TLDs or extensions. You can include anything, as your SLD associated with your website reflects your brand and is easily memorable.
A SLD is typically the name you registered with a registrar. It can include alphabets, numbers, and hyphens, but no symbols. The bold part in the below domain names are SLDs:
- .wikipedia.org
- weignitegrowth.com
- .medicine.net
What is a subdomain?
A subdomain is a prefix added to your domain name to organize different sections of your site like products, blogs, or offers. It works under the same main domain but acts as a separate space.
Think of a domain as a main address for your website and subdomains as individual departments or areas within that space.
For example, if your main domain is “example.com,” a subdomain could be “blog.example.com,” where you host your blog, or “shop.example.com” for your online store.
Subdomains direct users to a specific part of your website that’s different from your main site.
They are like a small part of its parent website, allowing you to manage sections that need unique content without creating new domains for each.
Companies with extensive databases and web pages usually add subdomains in their domain names.
Suppose your website’s domain is “salesenabler.com,” and you want to add a blog section to it. In that case, your subdomain can be “blog.salesenabler.com.”
Blog sections usually have different layouts than the main website. So, subdomains simplify things for users and allow them to navigate your website easily.
The bold parts in these examples are subdomains:
- blog.hubspot.com
- store.playstation.com
- support.google.com
Subdomains require extensive resources for effective content, SEO, and site infrastructure management.
They play a big role in user experience and website structure. They can even help with your site’s search engine ranking if managed well.
Domain vs Subdomain: Detailed differences
Understanding the distinctions between a domain and a subdomain is crucial for managing your website effectively. Here, we delve into their primary differences to clarify their roles and uses in web architecture.
1. Hierarchy and Control
A domain is your website’s main address that you register, giving you exclusive rights to its use and establishing your presence online.
Subdomains are extensions of your main domain, created easily to organize content, and don’t require separate registrations, simplifying site management.
2. Usage and Purpose
The domain’s primary purpose is identification. It acts as a digital address that users can type into their browsers to access your website directly.
Subdomains help you manage various parts of a website, enhancing the overall user experience.
3. Importance and Necessity
The domain is indispensable because it links your website’s name to an IP address, allowing computers and users to find and identify your site among the billions of others online.
Subdomains are only valuable when a site has vast content to manage or wants to provide a varied user experience across different sections.
4. Branding
A unique domain name is essential for establishing a strong brand, making it easier for customers to remember and revisit.
Subdomains provide a better user experience, but is not so crucial for branding.
5. SEO
Domains are directly related to SEO, as search engines find websites through the domain.
Subdomains are seen as separate websites by search engines and need their own SEO effort.
So in this aspect, they are the same.
Aspect | Domain | Subdomain |
What is it | Main part of a website address | A prefix added to the domain |
Structure | Includes your chosen name and an extension like .com or .net. | Added before your domain name, like "shop.yourbusiness.com". |
Example | yourbusiness.com | blog.yourbusiness.com |
Purpose | Serves as the primary gateway to your online presence. | Organizes your site and can target different user needs or services. |
Ideal Use | Establishing your business’s online identity. | Expanding your website’s offerings, like adding a store or a blog. |
Ownership | Must be purchased and is owned exclusively by you. | Created and managed by you under your main domain, at no extra cost. |
Importance | Crucial for a website. It is the primary identifer. | Optional. Mostly needed by bigger websites. |
Branding | Crucial for your brand identity | Subdomains don't impact branding. |
SEO | Needs its own SEO efforts | Needs its own SEO efforts |
Difference between a subdomain and a subfolder
A subdomain acts as a separate, secondary domain that is part of the main domain but considered a distinct entity by search engines.
A subfolder, also known as a directory, is part of the main domain and does not have a separate domain name but is a path within the main URL.
For example, “xyzdomain.com/blog/” would be a subfolder for the blog section of the main site.
Search engines might treat subdomains as separate entities, meaning they must build their own authority from scratch.
Subfolders are considered part of the main site and benefit directly from its domain authority. This is beneficial for SEO when the content in the subfolders is closely related to the main content theme of the website.
When you need a clear separation for different functions or themes from the main website, pick a subdomain. This can help it build and maintain its own SEO presence.
Choose subfolders when you want to group topics under the main domain. This helps strengthen the overall SEO performance of the site.
Domain vs subdomain: When should you use each
Domain and subdomain are both important for improving a website’s structure and making it easily accessible. However, using both isn’t necessary.
You’ll usually be good with only the domain name, especially if you’re a small business owner.
It depends largely on the specific needs of your website, including organizational structure, SEO goals, and user experience considerations.
When to use a domain
Your domain name is what a visitor remembers when finding a brand.
Use a domain to establish a strong, independent brand identity. This is particularly important for a main business site or a primary online service.
So, the best time to use a domain is when creating a new website. But what if you own two different types of brands in different industries?
Suppose you run an online jewelry store and want to start a new travel blog. In that case, you should opt for two different domain names to distinguish the two brands and allow your visitors to easily differentiate between them.
However, if you want to start a jewelry blog, the best option would be to add a subdomain to your main jewelry store, as both are in the same niche.
When to use a subdomain
You should use subdomains only when your website has many sections and you want to organize them under one domain so they are easily navigable for users.
They make your website appear decluttered and only include relevant information on the web pages.
For instance, subdomains are ideal when:
- You start an online store – (store.xyzdomain.com)
- You want to provide resources to the users related to your business through blogs – (blog.xyzdomain.com)
- You want to create a support section – (support.xyzdomain.com)
- You add policies to your website (policies.xyzdomain.com)
- You offer FAQs on your website related to your products and services – (faq.xyzdomain.com)
- You want to keep your regular clients or users separate from those who have your product’s subscription or membership – (login.xyzdomain.com), (members.xyzdomain.com) or (subscribers.xyzdomain.com)
- Launch a temporary campaign, promotional site, or a special project that deviates from your main content (project.xyzdomain.com)
Subdomains are also helpful when experimenting with new website elements or features. You can easily conduct your testing in a subdomain without causing any changes to your parent website.
Should I use a subdomain?
A subdomain is just an additional layer to your primary domain. Creating one isn’t necessary unless your website has lots of data, and you fear it can make it look cluttered.
Just remember that search engines treat your subdomains as separate entities, so you will have to manage each of them separately for SEO. Most search engines, including Google, index and rank subdomains by crawling and discovering their content.
So, if you have an SEO team available, it’s easier if you want to use subdomains with the domain name.
Doing so will distribute your website’s content in easily navigable sections, allowing search engine bots to read and understand each section’s content better. Meanwhile, it also enhances overall user experiences with your website.
Pro tip:
If you have a small website, I recommend using subfolders to organize your content instead of subdomains. Subfolders can ride on the SEO value of your domain and need less effort to show up in rankings.
Subdomains are almost like new sites, and require much more heavy lifting.
Cost of domains and subdomains
As I discussed, you must register a domain name first to set up a subdomain.
A domain name generally costs around $2 to $20 per year. You may get further discounts on special occasions or if you buy at an introductory price.
Namecheap offers domain names for 99 cents a year.
With web hosting like Siteground and Hostinger, a domain name is included for free in the first year.
Moreover, the cost of a domain also varies depending on your chosen extension. Popular or widely used extensions, such as .com and .org, are more expensive than unpopular ones, like .biz, .info, and .site.
You can buy domain names from any reputable domain hosting service, including:
- GoDaddy: Introductory prices start from $0.99.
- Bluehost: The Basic plan starts at $2.95 per month.
- Namecheap: Costs start from $0.99 per month
- HostGator: Introductory costs start from $0.95 per month
- DreamHost: .com domains starting from $7.99 per year.
Remember, your domain name registration cost may increase if you add more features to the plan, like email hosting, SSL certifications, DNS management, or VPS hosting.
Your cost may also increase when you renew your domain ownership at the end of the first year.
Meanwhile, subdomains are free from your web hosting provider. Most renowned and authentic platforms, like Hostinger, Bluehost, GoDaddy, and Siteground, allow users to create subdomains at no additional cost.
So, choose a good hosting provider when buying your domain.
Domain vs subdomain: Takeaway
Domain and subdomain are two crucial components of a website. They improve your website’s structure, enhance visibility on the SERPs, and boost user experiences.
You should start with just the domain if you have just established your business website and have not planned the sections yet. If you own different brands, creating multiple domains instead of subdomains is best to let your users distinguish between them.
As your business grows and you have more content to include in your website, you can move on to subdomains and divide the content into different sections. This could be blogs, support, resources, and FAQ sections.
Subdomains will help your users easily navigate your website, enhancing user experience. At the same time, they will also facilitate search engine bots to understand your website’s content and rank it higher on the SERPs.
That’s my opinion about domain vs subdomain. What do you think? Is it wise to add subdomains after registering a domain name, or should you do it later? Tell me in the comments section below!
But before you go, check out the FAQs below!
Domain vs subdomain: FAQs
What is the difference between a domain and a subdomain?
A domain is a part of the URL that you enter in the browser to visit a website. It is a unique virtual address of a website that helps users identify and recognize a website and associate it with a brand (xyzdomain.com). On the other hand, a subdomain is a part of the domain that’s used as a prefix (support.xyzdomain.com).
What are subdomains used for?
A subdomain is an additional layer used as a domain prefix to separate different sections of a website. It helps website owners divide their content into various sections and manage them easily. Subdomains work separately from the main website.
What are examples of domain and subdomain names?
Some examples of domain names are (example.net), (Google.com), (Facebook.com), (wikipedia.org), (usa.gov), (american.edu), and (weignitegrowth.com). Subdomain name examples include (blog.hubspot.com), (support.google.com), (help.yahoo.com), and (faq.whatsapp.com).
Do hyphens in domain names affect SEO?
No, hyphens in a domain don’t affect SEO, but they can make the domain name challenging to remember. For instance, remembering iloveclothes.com is easier to remember and to type than i-love-clothes.com.
Do I own a subdomain if I own a domain?
No, subdomains don’t come along with a domain; you have to create and add them to your primary domain. They function separately from the main website but under the same domain name. With subdomains, you don’t have to purchase new domains for different types of content. You can create unlimited subdomains with a single domain.
What’s the difference between a subdomain and a subdirectory?
A subdomain works separately from its domain, while a subdirectory or a subfolder is present inside the domain. A subdirectory is a website organizational folder containing content with a common keyword intent but with elements (menu) similar to those of the main website. Search engines see subdomains as separate entities and subdirectories as a part of the primary domain.
Do subdomains need SEO?
Google’s bots track and crawl subdomains as separate entities from the primary domain. This means you need to do separate SEO for each of your subdomains, so search engines can easily understand them for better SERP rankings.
