Compare formats and convert between them for APIs and data exchange
JSON and XML are both text-based formats for structuring data. Developers often need to work with both—perhaps an API returns JSON but a legacy system expects XML, or vice versa. Understanding the differences and having a converter handy saves time.
JSON is lightweight, human-readable, and maps naturally to JavaScript objects. It uses key-value pairs, arrays, and nesting. Most modern APIs use JSON. It's concise and easy to parse in JavaScript and many other languages.
XML uses tags, attributes, and hierarchies. It's more verbose than JSON but supports namespaces, schemas, and strict validation. Many enterprise and government systems still use XML. SOAP APIs and document formats (e.g., Office Open XML) rely on it.
Conversion isn't always one-to-one—XML attributes, namespaces, and ordering can complicate the mapping. Simple structures convert cleanly. For complex data, review the result and adjust manually if needed. Free online converters handle the bulk of the work.
Before converting, validate your source. Invalid JSON or malformed XML will cause errors. Use a formatter or validator to check syntax first. Our JSON formatter highlights errors and pretty-prints valid JSON.