Is there a difference between the iPhone X and xs?

Yes, I've looked at the online specs and they appear identical but for those X owners of either model, Is it worth the extra expense compared to the previous 8 plus? Does the new improvements make it worth the value compared to the 8?

I'm not an iPhone owner. But I do know alot about cell phones. The iPhone X and iPhone XS are nearly identical phones. The XS is in fact just a revised iPhone X. The XS saw a slight bump from 3GB of ram, to 4GB of ram. It also saw a 30% performance boost from the A11 to the A12 SoC.

The display on the iPhone XS is almost identical to the iPhone X from last year. However it does have a slightly brighter image, with better HDR capability. (High Dynamic Range Support for videos that do support it.)

And finally the other minor tweak to performance, was the main camera sensor. The iPhone X supports 12MP just like the iPhone XS. However the pixels on the XS are ever so slightly larger. (1.22µm for the iPhone X vs 1.4µm for the iPhone XS.)

This means in low light situations, the iPhone XS will take slightly less noisy images, since the pixels are a bit larger allowing them to capture more light information.

Software wise they are identical. They both run the latest version of IOS. So you have to ask yourself if these very minor improvements will make any difference to you in day to day use. I can tell you that most folks can't see any difference between both devices in how they perform in their everyday lives. Unless you are holding and comparing both devices side by side, you would be hard pressed to notice any difference between them.

The iPhone XS is just a refreshed version of the same device like I said earlier.

"Yes, I've looked at the online specs and they appear identical"

I think you need to look again.

The XS
-has is capable of faster data/Wi-Fi speeds
-supports eSIMs (dual SIM phone where applicable)
-has a higher IP rating for dust/water resistance
-would get iOS updates longer in the future
-has a better/faster processor
-has a better graphics processor
-has higher storage options
-has more RAM
-camera improvements (including stereo sound recording)
-can record 1080p video @ 60fps (from front camera)
-has improved speakers

Yes, either the X or XS would be better than the 8/8 Plus.