How do I compare two JSON files online?

Paste both JSON documents into the boxes above and run the tool. It shows a structural diff — every added, removed, and changed key with its JSON path — free, no signup, processed entirely in your browser.

What is a JSON diff checker?

A JSON diff checker parses two JSON documents and reports their structural differences instead of raw text differences. This tool compares objects key-by-key and arrays index-by-index, so you see that server.port changed from 80 to 443 rather than just "line 4 differs".

Does key order matter in the comparison?

No. JSON objects are unordered by specification, so {"a":1,"b":2} and {"b":2,"a":1} compare as identical. Array order does matter — [1,2] vs [2,1] shows as changed items, because array position is meaningful.

How are nested differences shown?

Each difference carries a JSON path: dots for object keys (server.tls.enabled) and [n] for array indices (hosts[0]). Follow the path to find the exact location in your document.

What does "type changed" mean in the diff?

It means a value kept its key but changed type — e.g. "port": "8080" (string) became "port": 8080 (number), or a null became an object. The diff names both types so the change is unambiguous.

JSON Diff — Compare Two JSON Documents Online

What is Json diff?

JSON Diff — Free JSON diff tool — compare two JSON documents and see added, removed, and changed keys with paths. Recursive structural diff, runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.

Zero dependencies — an original recursive diff written for this tool walks both parsed values in parallel: objects are compared key-by-key (key order ignored, since JSON objects are unordered), arrays are compared index-by-index, and primitives or type mismatches are recorded with both values and types. Each difference carries a JSON path (dots for objects, [n] for arrays) and a human-readable line like [CHANGED] server.port: 80 → 443. Everything runs client-side; nothing is uploaded. HONEST LIMITATIONS: there is no move/reorder detection — a reordered array appears as changed items; very large documents are truncated per-line for readability.

Why use this json diff?

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Built for json diff

Free JSON diff tool — compare two JSON documents and see added, removed, and changed keys with paths. Recursive structural diff, runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.

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Transparent & honest

Array comparison is index-by-index; moved or reordered elements appear as changed, not as moves.

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Private by design

Everything runs in your browser. Your inputs never leave your device.

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Works everywhere

Fully responsive — perfect on desktop, tablet, and mobile. No app needed.

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Regularly updated

Regularly maintained and reviewed to ensure accuracy.

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Free forever

No accounts, no limits, no watermarks. Use JSON Diff as much as you need.

How to use JSON Diff

1Paste the original JSON into the "First JSON" box.
2Paste the modified JSON into the "Second JSON" box.
3Run the tool to compute a recursive structural diff of both documents.
4Read the summary for added / removed / changed counts, then the line-by-line differences with JSON paths.
5Use the paths (e.g. server.tls.enabled) to locate each change in your own files.

What can you do with JSON Diff?

Json diff online — Free JSON diff tool — compare two JSON documents and see added, removed, and changed keys with paths.
Compare json files — Free JSON diff tool — compare two JSON documents and see added, removed, and changed keys with paths.
Json diff checker — Free JSON diff tool — compare two JSON documents and see added, removed, and changed keys with paths.
Json difference finder — Free JSON diff tool — compare two JSON documents and see added, removed, and changed keys with paths.

Good to know

Array comparison is index-by-index; moved or reordered elements appear as changed, not as moves.
Only valid JSON is accepted — comments, trailing commas, and single quotes are rejected by the parser.
Both documents are held in memory; extremely large files (hundreds of MB) may be slow in the browser.

How it works

Zero dependencies — an original recursive diff written for this tool walks both parsed values in parallel: objects are compared key-by-key (key order ignored, since JSON objects are unordered), arrays are compared index-by-index, and primitives or type mismatches are recorded with both values and types. Each difference carries a JSON path (dots for objects, [n] for arrays) and a human-readable line like [CHANGED] server.port: 80 → 443. Everything runs client-side; nothing is uploaded. HONEST LIMITATIONS: there is no move/reorder detection — a reordered array appears as changed items; very large documents are truncated per-line for readability.

Examples

Version bump with additions

Status: ok — 1 added (timeout), 1 removed (debug), 1 changed (version 1 → 2).

Identical documents

Status: ok — no differences; key order is ignored as JSON objects are unordered.

Invalid JSON rejected

Status: error — the first document is not valid JSON (trailing comma).

People also search for these — this tool handles them all:

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JSON Diff