View all XML Development & Structured Authoring Alternatives
Best Free Alternatives to Oxygen XML Editor 28.0
Stop paying ~$630/yr (Professional) / $1,465+ (Enterprise). Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: XML Development & Structured AuthoringVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
VS Code (XML by Red Hat)
FREETop Modern Free Alternative
Why we like it
Powered by the LemMinX language server; professional-grade XSD/DTD validation; XML catalog support; massive ecosystem of extensions like 'DITA-OT' for publishing.
Keep in mind
Lacks the WYSIWYG visual authoring (Author Mode) found in Oxygen; setup for complex DITA/S1000D workflows requires manual configuration.
XML Copy Editor
FREEBest for Pure Validation
Why we like it
Fast, lightweight, and clutter-free; excellent support for DTD/XSD/RelaxNG validation; built-in XPath and XSLT support; ideal for purely technical XML work.
Keep in mind
Dated user interface; lacks modern collaboration tools and AI-assisted authoring.
Altova XMLSpy
Top Enterprise Rival
Why we like it
Industry-leading graphical XML Schema (XSD) designer; superior JSON/XML conversion; robust database integration; powerful 'SmartFix' validation.
Keep in mind
Windows only; nearly as expensive as Oxygen; no native support for the specialized DITA authoring workflow.
Liquid Studio
FREEBest for Schema Visualizers
Why we like it
Excellent visual schema mapping; features an 'XML Data Binding' wizard for developers; free community edition available for basic editing.
Keep in mind
Windows only; the most powerful transformation tools are locked behind high-tier licenses.
Notepad++ (XML Tools)
FREEBest for Quick Edits
Why we like it
Instantly opens massive XML files; 'Pretty Print' is the fastest in the industry; great for quick XPath checks and manual tag manipulation.
Keep in mind
Strictly a text editor; no context-aware DITA support; no schema-driven autocompletion without heavy plugin tuning.
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