This document explains the differences between reseller accounts and cPanel accounts with multiple domains. It also describes considerations that can help decide when a reseller account or a cPanel account with multiple domains might be more appropriate.
Defining account types and domain types
A reseller is a cPanel account owner that also sells cPanel accounts to other users. One major difference between reseller accounts and cPanel accounts is that reseller accounts have access to WHM. cPanel accounts do not have this access. For more information about reseller accounts, read our Guide to Reseller Accounts documentation.
For more information about working with multiple domains, read cPanel’s Domains interface (cPanel » Home » Domains » Domains) documentation.
Reseller account and multiple domain account comparison
The table below summarizes some of the differences between reseller accounts and accounts with multiple domains.
Each user that buys cPanel accounts from a reseller will have their own login information and resources. This might be suitable if you have website hosting clients or a number of websites in different fields.
An account with multiple domains links each new domain to one primary cPanel account. This might be suitable if you have different initiatives related to one project or different products sold by one company.
Title
Reseller account
Multiple domain account
Basic role
Create and sell multiple cPanel accounts.
Add domains to one cPanel account.
Resources
Allocated to each cPanel account.
Shared between all domains on one cPanel account.
UI
One main dashboard for multiple cPanel accounts.
One cPanel interface.
Login
Each cPanel account has its own login information.
One cPanel account login.
Considerations
Security
One of the most important considerations for web hosting is security. You must assess your specific security needs when deciding between a reseller account and an account with multiple domains. Risks from attackers may vary if you have websites divided between multiple cPanel accounts versus one cPanel account. Read our documentation on Security Best Practices for more information on ways to protect your users and websites.
Resource limitations
Planning for future growth is another consideration. Site performance can be affected if resources such as bandwidth or disk space are inadequate. You should consider your preferences for handling potential growth if you need more resources for a domain in the future.
With a cPanel account with multiple domains, all of the domains, subdomains, and directories share the resources allocated to a single cPanel account. With a reseller account, these resources are allocated for each cPanel account, so that if one domain needs more resources, other domains will not be affected.
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) might be another consideration for your web hosting needs. Depending on your situation, individual separate domains might be preferable to subdomains connected to one primary domain. Your SEO might have different requirements for website.example.com or example.com/website. Your branding might be better suited for several distinct domains like example1.com, example2.com, and so on.