Awnings and canopies are both used for the same purpose, they provide cover for adjacent areas of a building. In fact, they are so similar in their design and function that they are often mistaken for one another, even by fabricators, awning retail outlets and designers.
There’s no precise rule when it comes to distinguishing the characteristics between awnings and canopies. Often times, what one designer sees as an awning, another would describe it as a canopy. Despite this there are certain features that help define awnings and canopies from one another.
Awnings are typically structures that provide cover for a window. Canopies on the other hand tend to provide cover for doors. Other distinguishing features are that awnings are defined by their support points, which often rely on a single section of a building. In comparison to canopies, which require external support structs and poles to stay upright.