json diff

runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded

IDLE

stdin

stdout

Made by Maiyarasu S

Compare two JSON documents by their structure, not their text. Paste one into tab a and the other into tab b to see what was added, removed or changed, path by path.

What counts as a difference

Objects are compared key by key, so a different key order is not a change. Numbers are compared by value, so 1 and 1.0 are equal, while very long integers are compared digit by digit. Every difference is listed with its path, such as $.env.LOG_LEVEL, and the values on each side.

Arrays are lined up before they are compared. When one item is inserted near the start of a list, you see one addition rather than a change to every item after it. Items that changed in place are compared inside, so you see which field changed.

Reading and saving the result

Additions, removals and changes are marked +, - and ~ and counted at the top. Click any row to open that spot in the tree of the document it belongs to. Copy puts the list on the clipboard, and save writes it as a text file.

Very long arrays that would take too long to line up are compared position by position, and the list shows the first 2,000 differences with the total.

Questions

Why does reordering keys show no difference?

In JSON, key order carries no meaning, so this diff ignores it. For a line-by-line comparison, format both documents and use a text diff.

What about duplicate keys?

When an object repeats a key, the last value is compared, which is how most programs read it. The formatter lists duplicate keys if you want to find them.

Can it ignore the order of an array?

Not at the moment. Arrays are compared in order, with insertions and removals detected.

Are the documents uploaded?

No. Both tabs are compared in this page.

Related tools

help

QUERY (the prompt line)

Type a path or a filter after guest@json:~$. JSONPath and a jq-style subset both work, and the output shows only the result. Convert, copy and save then apply to that result.

$.users[0].nameone value by path. .users[0].name is the same thing
$["odd key"] $.ports[-1] $.ports[1:3]quoted keys, counting from the end, slices
$.users[*].name or .users[].nameevery item
$..namethat key at any depth
$.users[?(@.id > 1001 && @.sudo)]filter. Operators: == != < <= > >= && || !
.users[] | select(.sudo) | .namethe same idea in jq style, with pipes
.users | map(.name) | sortbuild a new list
[.users[] | select(.sudo)] | lengthcollect matches into an array, then count

Functions: length, keys, keys_unsorted, values, type, first, last, sort, sort_by(f), unique, reverse, flatten, add, min, max, to_entries, not, select(f), map(f), has(k), test(regex), contains(x), startswith(s), endswith(s).

TABS A AND B

stdin has two tabs. diff compares a with b by structure: key order is ignored, and an item inserted into an array counts once. validate checks tab a against the JSON Schema in tab b. Click any row in either list to open that spot in the tree.

REPAIR

When input is not valid JSON, the error view lists what auto-fix would change, line by line, before you apply it: comments, trailing or missing commas, single or smart quotes, bare keys, NaN and Infinity, hex and other number spellings, markdown code fences, JSONP wrappers, and input that was cut off. undo brings your original back.

VALUE HINTS

Links are clickable. Numbers that look like Unix times show the date. A badge after a string means it holds something: {…} JSON, jwt a token (decoded, never verified), b64 base64 text. Click the badge, or press Enter on the row, to expand it in place. A token pasted on its own, with or without Bearer in front, is offered as decode jwt instead of a parse error. Decoding never checks the signature.

KEYS

Ctrl+F or /search the output: the tree, or the text of minify, yaml, csv and ts. Enter next match, Shift+Enter previous. Write /pattern/ for a regular expression. In text output the keys and values buttons are off, and diff and validate switch to the tree
Alt+Qgo to the query prompt. Esc clears it
↑ ↓ ← →move in the tree. Left and right fold and unfold, with Shift they do the whole branch
Enter / Ctrl+C in the treefold or expand the row / copy the selected value
Ctrl+Enterformat stdin in place
Ctrl+Ssave the output as a file
Alt+C Alt+M Alt+S Alt+Fcopy, pretty or minify, sort keys, fold
Alt+1 Alt+2 Alt+Ttab a, tab b, next theme
Tab / Shift+Tab in stdinindent and outdent. Press Esc first to tab out of the box instead
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z in stdinalso undo and redo format, auto-fix, load and clear

On a Mac, use Cmd for Ctrl and Option for Alt.

SAVED INPUT AND DISPLAY

Both tabs are kept in this browser between visits, however large. If the browser cannot keep an input, a note says so. The crt button turns scanlines and glow off. The page also drops them, and brightens dim text and borders, when your system asks for more contrast.

PRIVACY

Everything runs in this page, and the fonts are served with it. Nothing you paste is sent anywhere. A share link holds the compressed input inside the link itself, so anyone you send the link to can read it.

What you paste is also saved in this browser, so it is still here on your next visit. On a shared computer, or after pasting a secret, clear it. This removes both tabs and your settings from this browser.