Does key order affect the result?

No. JSON objects are unordered key-value pairs, so { "a": 1, "b": 2 } equals { "b": 2, "a": 1 }. Arrays are ordered by definition — reordering array elements is reported as a change.

Why do two values that look identical show as different?

Usually the type changed: 1 (number) and "1" (string), or true and "true", render similarly but are different JSON values. A textual diff hides that; a structural diff points at the type mismatch.

Can I compare large documents?

Everything runs in your browser, so the practical limit is tab memory — documents of a few megabytes are fine.

JSON diff — Guide

Compare two JSON objects and get the differences between them.

What it is and when to use it

Comparing two JSON documents by eye does not scale: a changed port or a missing comma hides easily among hundreds of lines. A JSON diff parses both sides and reports the differences structurally — values that were added, removed, or changed — instead of diffing raw text lines. That means JSON that was merely reformatted compares as equal, while a real value change stands out.

Compares two JSON documents and highlights the differences — makes config changes or API response drift obvious.

How to use it

Paste the original JSON on the left
Paste the new JSON on the right
Review the highlighted additions, removals and changes

A worked example

Fill in sample JSON

{ "name": "DigDevBox", "version": 1, "tags": ["a", "b"] }

Copy this into the tool, or open JSON diff

Things that trip people up

Key order does not affect the comparison, but array order does

Questions people ask

Does key order affect the result?: No. JSON objects are unordered key-value pairs, so { "a": 1, "b": 2 } equals { "b": 2, "a": 1 }. Arrays are ordered by definition — reordering array elements is reported as a change.
Why do two values that look identical show as different?: Usually the type changed: 1 (number) and "1" (string), or true and "true", render similarly but are different JSON values. A textual diff hides that; a structural diff points at the type mismatch.
Can I compare large documents?: Everything runs in your browser, so the practical limit is tab memory — documents of a few megabytes are fine.

Next steps

Open the JSON diff tool

Spotted something wrong on this page? Tell us via Contact Us