JSON Compare
Compare two JSON documents online and identify added, removed, changed, and type-changed values. This browser-based JSON compare tool performs a structural comparison of objects and arrays, highlights differences by category, lets you ignore key order or specific fields, and helps you inspect changes by JSON path.
Key Features
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare the original and modified JSON next to each other, with added, removed, and changed values highlighted line by line in both editors.
Added, Removed, Changed & Type Changes
Separate differences into added, removed, and changed values, and detect type changes such as a number becoming a string or an object becoming an array.
Nested Path Context
Show where each difference occurs within the JSON structure, such as $.users[0].profile.name, and copy its JSONPath with one click.
Sort Object Keys
Normalize object key order before comparison so a different property order is not reported as a data change. Array element order is preserved.
Ignore Array Order
Treat array position as insignificant for unordered collections, so reordering items does not produce spurious changes.
Ignore Specific Fields
Exclude noisy fields such as updatedAt or requestId by name or path, so they are skipped during comparison.
Copy & Export
Copy every changed path, copy the full diff result, or export it as a text report for issues, code review, or documentation.
Swap Inputs
Swap JSON A and JSON B to reverse the comparison direction and view additions and removals from the opposite side.
Browser-Based Comparison
JSON parsing and comparison happen in your browser. No account is required and your documents are not uploaded to a server.
How to Use
Enter the original JSON
Paste the baseline or original document into JSON A. This version is used as the starting point for classifying added, removed, and changed values.
Enter the modified JSON
Paste the newer or comparison document into JSON B. The tool compares this document against JSON A.
Set comparison rules
Enable Sort object keys when key order should not matter, enable Ignore array order for unordered collections, and list fields to skip in the Ignore fields box.
Compare and inspect
Click Compare to parse both documents. Differences are highlighted in both editors and listed with their path, type, and old or new value.
Copy or export
Filter the result by type, copy changed paths, copy the full result, or export a report. Use Swap to reverse the comparison direction.
How to Compare JSON Files Online
What Is a JSON Compare Tool?
A JSON compare tool examines two JSON documents and reports how their structure and values differ. It is useful when you need to compare API responses, configuration files, test fixtures, exported data, or two versions of a payload.
A structural JSON comparison parses the documents before comparing them. This means formatting, indentation, and whitespace do not normally count as changes. The result can focus on meaningful data differences such as added properties, removed properties, changed values, and type changes.
Common Use Cases
- API debugging: Compare expected and actual responses to locate missing fields, changed values, or unexpected types.
- Configuration review: Compare environment-specific files or old and new configuration versions.
- Data migration: Check whether records changed during an export, import, or transformation.
- Regression testing: Compare snapshot outputs, test fixtures, or serialized results.
- Code review: Review JSON payload changes without manually scanning two large documents.
- Webhook and event debugging: Compare two event payloads to identify changes in nested properties or metadata.
How to Compare Two JSON Documents
- Enter JSON A: Paste the original or baseline document into the first editor.
- Enter JSON B: Paste the modified or newer document into the second editor.
- Choose normalization options: Sort object keys when property order should not matter. Use Ignore array order only when array position is semantically irrelevant. List fields to skip in Ignore fields.
- Run the comparison: Click Compare to parse and compare both inputs.
- Review the result: Inspect added, removed, changed, and type-changed values together with their JSON paths, then copy paths, copy the result, or export a report.
Understanding Difference Types
- Added (green): A key or value present in JSON B but missing from JSON A.
- Removed (red): A key or value present in JSON A but missing from JSON B.
- Changed (yellow): A key present in both documents whose value differs.
- Type changed (purple): A key present in both documents whose value changed JSON type, for example a number becoming a string.
Nested objects and arrays are compared recursively, so differences deep in the structure are also detected and shown with their full path.
Best Practices
- Normalize first: Enable Sort object keys when the two documents were generated by different serializers that order keys differently.
- Ignore noise: Use Ignore fields to skip volatile fields such as updatedAt, requestId, or timestamps that change on every run.
- Reverse when needed: Use Swap to view the comparison from the other direction when debugging which side introduced a change.
- Export for sharing: Copy changed paths or export the full result to attach to an issue or code review.
Browser-Based and Private
This JSON compare tool processes input in your browser and does not require uploading your documents to a server. For development data and configuration snippets this local processing is convenient. Still, avoid entering passwords, API keys, access tokens, or other highly sensitive information into any browser tool.
