How to use
- Paste the original JSON on the left and the changed JSON on the right.
- Choose whether array order matters.
- Read the list of added (+), removed (−) and changed (~) values, or copy it as a report.
Options explained
- Compare by position
- Items in arrays are compared one by one. Inserting an item at the start therefore changes every following position.
- Ignore order
- Arrays are treated as unordered collections; only items that exist on one side and not the other are reported. Useful for lists of IDs, tags or records.
- Paths
- Paths use JSONPath notation: $ is the root, .key a property, [0] an array item and ["a b"] a key that is not a plain name.
Example
Take these two documents, where the keys are in a different order and some values differ:
{"name": "Ada", "age": 36, "tags": ["x", "y"], "address": {"city": "Rome"}, "first name": "A"}{"age": 37, "name": "Ada", "tags": ["y", "x"], "address": {"city": "Rome", "zip": "00100"}, "first name": "B", "role": "admin"}Compared by position, the result is:
| Change | Path | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~ | $.age |
36 | 37 |
| ~ | $.tags[0] |
“x” | “y” |
| ~ | $.tags[1] |
“y” | “x” |
| + | $.address.zip |
“00100” | |
| ~ | $["first name"] |
“A” | “B” |
| + | $.role |
“admin” |
With Ignore order switched on, the two tags changes disappear, because both arrays hold the same two values. The key order has no effect in either mode. A value that changes type, such as a number that becomes a string or an object that becomes an array, is reported as one change at its own path.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from a text diff?
A text diff compares lines, so formatting and key order show up as changes. JSON Compare parses both sides and compares the data itself.
Are 1 and "1" treated as equal?
No. A number and a string are different JSON values, so the change is reported with both values.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Both documents are compared in your browser.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files and text are processed on your device and are never uploaded to our servers.