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XML Diff

Paste two XML documents and see line-by-line what changed. Both inputs are normalised — one tag per line, consistent indentation — before diffing, so formatting differences are stripped and only real content changes are highlighted.

Last updated: May 28, 2026

Client-Side Processing
Input Data Stays on Device
Instant Local Execution
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What is XML Diff?

XML Diff compares two XML documents and highlights additions, removals, and unchanged lines. Before comparing, it normalises both inputs by placing each tag on its own line and removing leading/trailing whitespace, so the diff focuses on structural and value differences rather than formatting noise.

Useful when comparing API response versions, reviewing config file changes, auditing XML data migrations, and verifying that an XML transformation preserved all expected elements and attributes.

How to Use XML Diff

1

Paste the original XML into the left panel

2

Paste the modified XML into the right panel

3

Click "Compare XML" — green lines are additions, red are removals

4

Use the +/- counter in the header to gauge the scope of changes

Common Use Cases

  • Backend developers comparing XML API response payloads before and after a service change.
  • DevOps engineers diffing Maven POM files, Spring configuration, or WSDL definitions between versions.
  • QA testers verifying that an XML transformation or XSLT stylesheet produces the expected output.
  • Data engineers comparing XML export snapshots to detect unexpected changes during a migration.
  • Support teams comparing SOAP request/response logs to identify where a payload diverges from the expected format.

Example Input and Output

Comparing two versions of a product XML record to spot a changed price and a new availability field.

Original XML
<product><id>1</id><price>9.99</price></product>
Diff highlights
Changed: <price>9.99</price> → <price>12.99</price>
Added: <available>true</available>

Attribute order

XML attributes have no defined order. If two documents have the same attributes in different order, the diff may show false differences on attribute-bearing lines.

Browser-side only

All diffing runs locally in your browser. Your XML is never transmitted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the diff ignore whitespace formatting?

Yes. Both inputs are normalised to one tag per line with consistent spacing before comparison, so differences caused by indentation or line-break style are removed.

Does this validate XML before diffing?

No — XML is normalised and compared as text. Invalid XML (unclosed tags, malformed attributes) will still be compared but may produce confusing diff output. Use the XML Validator to check validity first.

Can I compare large XML files?

Yes, within browser memory limits. For very large files (several MB), a CLI tool like xmldiff or diff with pre-formatted files may be faster.

Does this handle XML namespaces?

Yes — namespaced tags like <ns:element> are treated as plain text tokens and compared correctly.

Is my XML sent to a server?

No. All comparison runs in your browser.

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