How is this different from a text diff?

A text diff shows line-level changes — order matters, formatting matters, and re-ordered keys look like deletions and additions. A structural JSON diff parses both sides and compares by key path, ignoring formatting and key order. Two JSON files with identical content but different key order produce zero structural diffs.

How are arrays compared?

By index. Arrays at the same path are aligned position-by-position — `arr[0]` vs `arr[0]`, `arr[1]` vs `arr[1]`, etc. Length differences show as additions/removals at the trailing indices. For semantic array diffing (matched by content), normalize first or sort by a key field.

What does 'type change' mean?

The same key path has a different JSON type on each side — for example `"age": 30` (number) vs `"age": "30"` (string), or `"tags": []` (array) vs `"tags": null`. Type changes are reported separately from value changes because they often indicate schema drift, not just data updates.

Does it handle very large JSON?

It runs entirely in the browser, so the practical limit is your machine's memory. For multi-megabyte JSON, consider splitting by top-level key or using a streaming diff tool. The UI shows a clean error if either side fails to parse.

Is my JSON sent to a server?

No. Both inputs are parsed and diffed in JavaScript on your device. Nothing is uploaded — safe for API responses, configs, and other potentially sensitive payloads.

JSON Diff

Developer Tools· 30 tools

Free JSON diff tool. Paste two JSON documents and get a structural diff: added keys, removed keys, type changes, and value changes — each shown with the full dot-path. Handles nested objects and arrays. All processing happens in your browser, so secrets in your JSON never leave the page.

Left (original)

Right (modified)

Added

−0

Removed

Changed

⚠1

Type

⚠ $.version type: number → string
~ $.tags[1]: "rc" → "stable"
~ $.config.debug: false → true
+ $.config.timeout = 5000

Frequently Asked Questions

References

RFC 6902 — JSON Patch — IETF

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Frequently Asked Questions

References and sources

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