JSON & XML Compare

How to compare two JSON files

1. Paste the older version on the left and the newer one on the right, drop a file on each side, or use Upload.
2. The comparison runs as you type. The format is detected automatically, or pick JSON, XML or Text yourself.
3. Read the Changes tab for a list of differences, or switch to Side by side to see them in context.

Structure, not text

A plain text diff flags every line that moved or was re-indented. That's noisy for JSON, where these two are the same data:

{"name": "Ada", "role": "admin"}

{
  "role": "admin",
  "name": "Ada"
}

This tool parses both sides and compares the values, so it reports "no differences" here. What it does report is listed by path, for example $.items[1].qty changed from 2 to 3, which you can paste straight into a test or a bug report.

Reading the results

• Added: the key or array item exists only in the changed version.
• Removed: it exists only in the original.
• Changed: it exists in both, with a different value or type. A number that became a string, like 42 → "42", counts as changed.
• Key order: only shown when "Ignore key order" is off, if the same keys appear in a different order.

Numbers are compared by value, so 1.0 and 1 are equal, while large IDs like 12345678901234567890 are compared digit by digit so they are never rounded.

Comparing XML

XML is compared the same way after it is converted to a tree: elements become keys, repeated elements become arrays and attributes become fields that start with @, so an attribute change shows up as a path like $.order['@id']. Whitespace between tags and different indentation don't count as changes.

Where it helps

• Checking what changed in an API response between two releases.
• Reviewing a config change before deploying it.
• Finding why a snapshot test failed without scrolling through a thousand-line text diff.

Frequently asked questions