diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1eb355e..31ce381 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Changes to attributes of structural elements are treated as modifications (`vdd-
 #### Options
 
 -   `addedClass: string = 'vdd-added'` The class used for annotating content additions.
+-   `ignoreAttributes: boolean = false` If `true`, then attribute names and values are ignored when comparing nodes.
 -   `modifiedClass: string = 'vdd-modified'` The class used for annotating content modifications.
 -   `removedClass: string = 'vdd-removed'` The class used for annotating content removals.
 -   `skipModified: boolean = false` If `true`, then formatting changes are NOT wrapped in `<ins class="vdd-modified">` and modified structural elements are NOT annotated with the `vdd-modified` class.
diff --git a/src/config.test.ts b/src/config.test.ts
index 6c0e2f1..237d83e 100644
--- a/src/config.test.ts
+++ b/src/config.test.ts
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ describe('simple options', () => {
         expect(config.modifiedClass).toBe('vdd-modified')
         expect(config.removedClass).toBe('vdd-removed')
         expect(config.skipModified).toBe(false)
+        expect(config.ignoreAttributes).toBe(false)
     })
     test('override', () => {
         const customDiffText = (
@@ -150,12 +151,14 @@ describe('simple options', () => {
         const config = optionsToConfig({
             addedClass: 'ADDED',
             diffText: customDiffText,
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
             modifiedClass: 'MODIFIED',
             removedClass: 'REMOVED',
             skipModified: true,
         })
         expect(config.addedClass).toBe('ADDED')
         expect(config.diffText).toBe(customDiffText)
+        expect(config.ignoreAttributes).toBe(true)
         expect(config.modifiedClass).toBe('MODIFIED')
         expect(config.removedClass).toBe('REMOVED')
         expect(config.skipModified).toBe(true)
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index 98db085..5e7a0d9 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ export interface Options {
      * Default is `'vdd-modified'`.
      */
     modifiedClass?: string
+    /**
+     * If `true`, differences in attribute names and values are ignored when comparing nodes:
+     * the first node's attributes are discarded in favor of the second node's attributes.
+     * Default is `false`.
+     */
+    ignoreAttributes?: boolean
     /**
      * The class name to use to mark up removed content.
      * Default is `'vdd-removed'`.
@@ -59,6 +65,7 @@ export interface Options {
 
 export interface Config extends Options, DomIteratorOptions {
     readonly addedClass: string
+    readonly ignoreAttributes: boolean
     readonly modifiedClass: string
     readonly removedClass: string
     readonly skipModified: boolean
@@ -104,6 +111,7 @@ export function optionsToConfig({
     addedClass = 'vdd-added',
     modifiedClass = 'vdd-modified',
     removedClass = 'vdd-removed',
+    ignoreAttributes = false,
     skipModified = false,
     skipChildren,
     skipSelf,
@@ -112,6 +120,7 @@ export function optionsToConfig({
     return {
         addedClass,
         diffText,
+        ignoreAttributes,
         modifiedClass,
         removedClass,
         skipModified,
diff --git a/src/diff.test.ts b/src/diff.test.ts
index 1610cbf..887df44 100644
--- a/src/diff.test.ts
+++ b/src/diff.test.ts
@@ -155,6 +155,23 @@ test.each<[string, Node, Node, string, Options | undefined]>([
         '<img src="image.png" class="vdd-removed"><img src="image.jpg" class="vdd-added">',
         undefined,
     ],
+    [
+        'different images with ignored attributes',
+        (() => {
+            const img = document.createElement('IMG')
+            img.setAttribute('src', 'image.png')
+            return img
+        })(),
+        (() => {
+            const img = document.createElement('IMG')
+            img.setAttribute('src', 'image.jpg')
+            return img
+        })(),
+        '<img src="image.jpg">',
+        {
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
+        },
+    ],
     [
         'complex identical content',
         htmlToFragment(
@@ -359,6 +376,15 @@ test.each<[string, Node, Node, string, Options | undefined]>([
         '<div><img src="image.png" class="vdd-removed"><img src="image.jpg" class="vdd-added"></div>',
         undefined,
     ],
+    [
+        'differing image src being ignored',
+        htmlToFragment('<div><img src="image.png"></div>'),
+        htmlToFragment('<div><img src="image.jpg"></div>'),
+        '<div><img src="image.jpg"></div>',
+        {
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
+        },
+    ],
     [
         'differing paragraph attribute - the same text diff',
         htmlToFragment('<p data-value="old">test</p>'),
@@ -366,6 +392,15 @@ test.each<[string, Node, Node, string, Options | undefined]>([
         '<p data-value="new" class="vdd-modified">test</p>',
         undefined,
     ],
+    [
+        'differing paragraph attribute being ignored - the same text diff',
+        htmlToFragment('<p data-value="old">test</p>'),
+        htmlToFragment('<p data-value="new">test</p>'),
+        '<p data-value="new">test</p>',
+        {
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
+        },
+    ],
     [
         'differing paragraph attribute - different text diff',
         htmlToFragment('<p data-value="old">test</p>'),
@@ -373,6 +408,15 @@ test.each<[string, Node, Node, string, Options | undefined]>([
         '<p data-value="new" class="vdd-modified"><del class="vdd-removed">test</del><ins class="vdd-added">hello</ins></p>',
         undefined,
     ],
+    [
+        'differing paragraph attribute being ignored - different text diff',
+        htmlToFragment('<p data-value="old">test</p>'),
+        htmlToFragment('<p data-value="new">hello</p>'),
+        '<p data-value="new"><del class="vdd-removed">test</del><ins class="vdd-added">hello</ins></p>',
+        {
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
+        },
+    ],
     [
         'multiple spaces between words',
         htmlToFragment('prefix  suffix'),
@@ -918,6 +962,33 @@ test.each<[string, Node, Node, string, Options | undefined]>([
         '<table><thead class="vdd-removed"><tr><th>1111</th><th>2222</th><th>3333</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>first column</th><th class="vdd-removed">second column</th><th>last column</th></tr></tbody></table>',
         undefined,
     ],
+    [
+        'ignore different attribute names',
+        htmlToFragment('<span data-a="a">foo</span>'),
+        htmlToFragment('<span data-b="b">foo</span>'),
+        '<span data-b="b">foo</span>',
+        {
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
+        },
+    ],
+    [
+        'ignore different attribute values',
+        htmlToFragment('<span data-a="a">foo</span>'),
+        htmlToFragment('<span data-a="b">foo</span>'),
+        '<span data-a="b">foo</span>',
+        {
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
+        },
+    ],
+    [
+        'real-life case for ignoring attributes in markdown-generated headings',
+        htmlToFragment('<h1 id="heading">heading</h1>'),
+        htmlToFragment('<h1 id="heading-2">heading 2</h1>'),
+        '<h1 id="heading-2">heading<ins class="vdd-added"> 2</ins></h1>',
+        {
+            ignoreAttributes: true,
+        },
+    ],
 ])(
     '%s',
     (
diff --git a/src/diff.ts b/src/diff.ts
index 7b4a0bb..fe25e28 100644
--- a/src/diff.ts
+++ b/src/diff.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export function visualDomDiff(
     const {
         addedClass,
         diffText,
+        ignoreAttributes,
         modifiedClass,
         removedClass,
         skipSelf,
@@ -174,14 +175,21 @@ export function visualDomDiff(
                 modifiedNodes.add(node)
             } else {
                 for (let i = 0; i < length; ++i) {
-                    if (!areNodesEqual(oldFormatting[i], newFormatting[i])) {
+                    if (
+                        !areNodesEqual(
+                            oldFormatting[i],
+                            newFormatting[i],
+                            false,
+                            ignoreAttributes,
+                        )
+                    ) {
                         modifiedNodes.add(node)
                         break
                     }
                 }
             }
         } else {
-            if (!areNodesEqual(oldNode, newNode)) {
+            if (!areNodesEqual(oldNode, newNode, false, ignoreAttributes)) {
                 modifiedNodes.add(node)
             }
 
@@ -352,7 +360,7 @@ export function visualDomDiff(
                         nodeNameOverride(newNode.nodeName) &&
                         !skipChildren(oldNode) &&
                         !skipChildren(newNode)) ||
-                    areNodesEqual(oldNode, newNode))
+                    areNodesEqual(oldNode, newNode, false, ignoreAttributes))
             ) {
                 appendCommonChild(
                     isText(newNode)
diff --git a/src/util.test.ts b/src/util.test.ts
index a626497..348a410 100644
--- a/src/util.test.ts
+++ b/src/util.test.ts
@@ -243,6 +243,26 @@ describe.each<[string, (() => string[]) | undefined]>([
                     false,
                 )
             })
+            test('elements with different attribute names being ignored', () => {
+                expect(
+                    areNodesEqual(
+                        span,
+                        differentAttributeNamesSpan,
+                        true,
+                        true,
+                    ),
+                ).toBe(true)
+            })
+            test('elements with different attribute values being ignored', () => {
+                expect(
+                    areNodesEqual(
+                        span,
+                        differentAttributeValuesSpan,
+                        true,
+                        true,
+                    ),
+                ).toBe(true)
+            })
             test('elements with different childNodes', () => {
                 expect(areNodesEqual(span, differentChildNodesSpan)).toBe(true)
             })
diff --git a/src/util.ts b/src/util.ts
index 9100500..5862c2f 100644
--- a/src/util.ts
+++ b/src/util.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ export function areNodesEqual(
     node1: Node,
     node2: Node,
     deep: boolean = false,
+    ignoreAttributes = false,
 ): boolean {
     if (node1 === node2) {
         return true
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ export function areNodesEqual(
         if (node1.data !== (node2 as typeof node1).data) {
             return false
         }
-    } else if (isElement(node1)) {
+    } else if (isElement(node1) && !ignoreAttributes) {
         const attributeNames1 = getAttributeNames(node1).sort()
         const attributeNames2 = getAttributeNames(node2 as typeof node1).sort()