JSON to XML Converter — Bidirectional Guide

JSON vs XML — choosing the right format

Both JSON and XML are text-based formats for storing and transmitting structured data. They can represent the same information but have different syntax and trade-offs.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

{
  "person": {
    "name": "Alice",
    "age": 30,
    "hobbies": ["reading", "coding"]
  }
}

XML (eXtensible Markup Language)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<person>
  <name>Alice</name>
  <age>30</age>
  <hobbies>
    <item>reading</item>
    <item>coding</item>
  </hobbies>
</person>

When to use JSON

REST API responses and requests
Configuration files in modern applications
Web browser data exchange (JSON is native to JavaScript)
Simple key-value or list data
When file size matters (JSON is more compact)

When to use XML

SOAP web services (require XML)
Document-centric data (content + metadata together)
Systems with complex schemas needing validation (XML Schema)
Legacy enterprise systems that expect XML
Microsoft Office formats (DOCX, XLSX are XML inside ZIP)
RSS and Atom feeds

Key structural differences

Attributes vs child elements

XML supports both attributes and child elements. This has no equivalent in JSON.

<product id="P123" category="electronics">
  <name>Laptop</name>
</product>

When converting to JSON, attributes are typically prefixed with @:

{
  "product": {
    "@id": "P123",
    "@category": "electronics",
    "name": "Laptop"
  }
}

Arrays

JSON arrays have explicit syntax ([]). XML has no native array concept — repeated elements with the same tag name imply an array.

{"colors": ["red", "green", "blue"]}

<colors>
  <item>red</item>
  <item>green</item>
  <item>blue</item>
</colors>

Mixed content

XML can mix text and elements in the same node. JSON cannot represent this directly.

<paragraph>This is <bold>important</bold> text.</paragraph>

Namespaces

XML supports namespaces (xmlns) to avoid naming conflicts in large schemas. JSON has no equivalent.

Common conversion scenarios

API integration

Many older enterprise APIs (particularly SOAP services) only accept XML. Modern APIs often support both. When you have JSON data from a modern API and need to send it to a legacy XML service, conversion is necessary.

Configuration files

Some systems use XML configuration (Spring, Maven, Android, .NET app.config) while others use JSON (Node.js, webpack). Migrating between frameworks may require converting config files.

Data import/export

CRM systems, ERPs, and databases often use XML for data exchange. Importing data from JSON sources requires conversion.

XML namespaces and conversion

XML namespaces appear frequently in real-world XML but complicate conversion:

<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <soap:Body>
    <GetOrderResponse xmlns="http://example.com/orders">
      <OrderId>12345</OrderId>
    </GetOrderResponse>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Namespace handling varies between converters — most either strip namespaces or include them as attributes. For SOAP XML specifically, manual handling is often necessary.

How to convert JSON to XML free

Go to JSON to XML Converter
Select conversion direction: JSON → XML or XML → JSON
Paste your data or upload a file
Configure root element name and formatting options
Copy or download the converted result

JSON to XML Converter Online Free — Convert Between JSON and XML