In this contribution we present the first diffractive optical elements for soft x-ray differential interference contrast microscopy.Due to an improved calculation method the nanofabrication accuracy of these optics is the same as for comparable normal zoneplate optics with the same outermost zone width. Different diffractive optical elements were fabricated with outermost zone widthof 100 nm, different spot separation directions and different phase relations between the two spots. The optics were successfullyused in experiments both at the synchrotron radiation based TWINMIC microscope and at the Stockholm compact liquid-nitrogenlaser-plasma source based microscope.