JSON Compare
JSON Compare checks whether two JSON documents are semantically equal — ignoring key order and formatting — and lists every difference by path when they are not. Each difference is labelled as added, removed or changed.
Unlike a plain text diff, it understands structure, so reordered keys or different indentation never produce false differences. It runs entirely in your browser.
How to use JSON Compare
- 1
Paste both documents
Put the original in A and the version to compare in B.
- 2
Review the verdict
You either get an 'identical' confirmation or a list of differences.
- 3
Inspect each difference
Every entry shows the path and what changed, removed or was added.
Semantic vs textual comparison
A textual comparison flags any character that differs, so two documents with the same data but different key order or spacing look different. JSON Compare instead parses both sides and compares the resulting structures, so only real data differences are reported.
This makes it ideal for comparing API responses, configuration across environments, or before-and-after snapshots where formatting is not meaningful.
Reading the differences
Each difference is shown with a path such as user.roles[2], a label, and the relevant values. 'Added' means the key or index exists only in B, 'removed' means it exists only in A, and 'changed' means both have it but the values differ.
If you also want a line-by-line view of the formatted documents, use the JSON Diff tool instead.
Frequently asked questions
- Does key order matter?
- No. Comparison is semantic, so objects with the same keys and values are equal regardless of order.
- How is this different from JSON Diff?
- JSON Compare reports structural differences by path. JSON Diff shows a line-by-line diff of the two pretty-printed documents.
- Is my data uploaded?
- No. Both documents are parsed and compared in your browser.
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