Convert XML to JSON Online
Free, private XML to JSON converter. Your files never leave your browser. All processing happens locally on your device.
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How to convert XML to JSON
Drop your XML file
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Automatic conversion
FormatShift converts your file right in your browser using WebAssembly. No server involved, so your data stays completely private.
Download your JSON file
Once the conversion finishes, click the download button and you are done. The converted file is ready to use.
Why convert XML to JSON?
XML and JSON serve different purposes. Converting between them lets you use whichever format works best for your situation.
What is a XML file?
Extensible Markup Language: XML is a structured data format that uses tags similar to HTML. It was the dominant data exchange format before JSON took over. You still encounter it in enterprise systems, RSS feeds, and configuration files.
Created by: W3C, standardized in 1998
Used for: Enterprise data exchange, RSS feeds, SOAP APIs, configuration files, document formats (DOCX internals are XML)
Technical details: Tag-based markup with attributes. Self-describing structure. Supports schemas for validation (XSD), transformation (XSLT), and querying (XPath).
Compatibility: Supported by every programming language. Still widely used in enterprise and legacy systems.
What is a JSON file?
JavaScript Object Notation: JSON is the standard format for exchanging data between web applications. APIs, config files, and data storage all use it. The format is simple enough to read by eye but structured enough for machines to parse.
Created by: Douglas Crockford, popularized in the early 2000s
Used for: APIs, configuration files, data exchange, web applications, NoSQL databases
Technical details: Text-based format supporting objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans, and null. No comments in standard JSON. Nested structures allowed.
Compatibility: Every programming language has a JSON parser. All modern web APIs use it.
XML vs JSON
| Feature | XML | JSON |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Extensible Markup Language | JavaScript Object Notation |
| Best for | Enterprise data exchange, RSS feeds, SOAP APIs, configuration files, document formats (DOCX internals are XML) | APIs, configuration files, data exchange, web applications, NoSQL databases |
| Compatibility | Supported by every programming language. Still widely used in enterprise and legacy systems. | Every programming language has a JSON parser. All modern web APIs use it. |
| Pros | Self-describing, schema validation, transformation support, mature tooling | Human-readable, universal in web development, supports nested data |
| Cons | Verbose compared to JSON and YAML, harder to read, heavier to parse | No comments, no date type, verbose for large datasets compared to binary formats |