XML Compare
Compare two XML documents side-by-side and highlight the differences.
What is XML Comparison?
XML comparison (or XML diffing) is the process of checking two XML documents against each other to find exactly what differs between them — which elements or attributes were added or removed, and which values changed. Because XML is often deeply nested, spotting a single changed value by reading two documents side by side is slow and error-prone. An XML compare tool automates that by walking both document trees and highlighting every difference.
A good XML diff checker compares more than just the root elements — it recurses into nested elements and attributes, so a changed value several levels deep is caught just as reliably as one at the root. It should also validate both inputs first, so you're never comparing a syntax error against valid XML by mistake.
This is especially useful when working with SOAP or REST APIs, where a response can contain dozens of elements and only one needs to change for a test to fail, or when tracking configuration across environments, where an untracked difference in a build or deployment file can cause a production incident.
This page lets you compare two XML files online for free, directly in your browser. Paste the original and modified XML into the two editors, click Compare, and see a side-by-side diff with additions and removals color-coded — nothing is uploaded or sent to a server.
Why Compare XML?
API Testing
Compare an expected SOAP or REST XML response against the actual response to confirm your endpoint returns exactly what it should.
Config Management
Diff XML configuration files — like pom.xml or web.xml — across environments to catch unintended drift before it causes an incident.
Debugging
When behavior changes after a data update, comparing the before and after XML pinpoints exactly which element or attribute changed.
Version Tracking
See what changed between two versions of an XML file — useful for reviewing data exports, feeds, or generated documents.
Example
Here are two versions of the same XML document — comparing them flags the changed age and city values, plus the added email element.
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<user>
<name>Alice</name>
<age>30</age>
<city>New York</city>
</user><?xml version="1.0"?>
<user>
<name>Alice</name>
<age>31</age>
<city>San Francisco</city>
<email>alice@example.com</email>
</user>Features
Compare
Diff two XML documents and highlight added, removed, and changed content.
Deep Comparison
Nested elements and attributes are compared at every level, not just the root.
Paste from Clipboard
Paste XML directly into either editor with a single click.
Sample Data
Load two sample XML documents to see how the diff view works.