Although analogous platinum(II) and palladium(II) compounds usually show similar chemical behaviour, different reaction products have been obtained on reaction of ethane-1,2-diamine bissulfitometallates(II) with the diaqua ethane-1,2-diamine metal(II) complexes of Pt and Pd. − The crystal structures of bis(µ-sulfito-1κS:2κO)bis[(ethane-1,2-diamine)-platinum(II)] trihydrate [(en)Pt(SO 2 O) 2 Pt(en)]·3 H 2 O (1) with parallel µ-(S:O) sulfite bridges, and of bis[(ethane-1,2-diamine)-µ-(S:O)-sulfitopalladium(II)] trihydrate [(en)Pd(SO 2 O)-(OO 2 S)Pd(en)]·3 H 2 O (2) with antiparallel bridges, have been determined by single-crystal X-ray structure analyses. In both compounds the complex units are held together mainly by a complicated network of hydrogen bonds including the hydrate water molecules. − In contrast to the complex molecules in 1 with parallel bridges, the complex units of 2 possess