Comparison1 min readUpdated June 29, 2026

URL vs URI vs URN: what's the difference?

Short answer

URI is the general term for an identifier. A URL is a URI that says where a resource is and how to reach it, like https://utilumo.com. A URN is a URI that names a resource without saying where it lives, like an ISBN.

URI is the umbrella

A URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is any string that identifies a resource. URLs and URNs are both kinds of URI; they differ in whether they tell you how to locate the resource.

URL:  https://utilumo.com/learn   (where + how to access)
URN:  urn:isbn:9780131103627       (a name, no location)

Two kinds of URI

URL: location

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) includes a scheme like https that tells you how to access the resource and where it lives. Almost every web address you use is a URL. See The anatomy of a URL.

URN: name

A URN (Uniform Resource Name) identifies a resource by name in a persistent way, without saying where to get it. An ISBN for a book is a classic example: it names the book but does not point to a server.

The short versionEvery URL is a URI, but not every URI is a URL. If it tells you where and how to fetch something, it is a URL.

Try it: URL ParserBreak a URL into its scheme, host, path, and query parts locally.Open tool

References

Questions

Is a URL the same as a URI?

A URL is a type of URI. URI is the broader category; a URL is specifically a URI that locates a resource and describes how to access it.

When would I actually use a URN?

URNs appear where a stable name matters more than a location, such as ISBNs for books or formal identifiers in standards and catalogs, rather than everyday web links.

Does the URL parser upload my link?

No. Parsing happens locally in your browser and the link is never uploaded.