Main Difference

Both HTML and XML are the Markup Languages extended from SGML. Main difference is their purpose of designing. HTML was designed for data display to focus the data look. XML was designed for storing and transporting data. HTML was invented in 1990 while XML was invented in 1996. HTML is static type while XML is dynamic type.

What is HTML?

HTML is the Markup language used for web page display and designed for data display to focus the data look. HTML is static type and extended form SGML. It was invented in 1990 with Presentation type language. Its tags are predefined and white spaces cannot be preserved in HTML. HTML don’t have strict rules of processing.

What is XML?

XML is the Markup language designed for storing and transporting data. It is the set of rules to make data readable for human and machine by encoding data. It is dynamic type invented in 1996. Author can create custom tags using XML and it preserves white spaces. XML is neither a presentation type language not programming type. XML has to follow strict rule otherwise processing file will be terminated.

Key Differences

1. HTML was designed for data display to focus the data look while XML was designed for storing and transporting data.
2. HTML is used for displaying web pages while XML does not used for displaying web pages.
3. HTML was invented in 1990 while XML was invented in 1996.
4. HTML is static type while MXL is dynamic type.
5. in XML author can create custom tags but in HTML custom tags are predefined.
6. XML can preserve white spaces while XML can’t preserve white spaces.
7. HTML is presentation type language while XML is neither a presentation type language not programming type.
8. HTML don’t have strict rules of processing while XML has to follow strict rule otherwise processing file will be terminated.