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Two valid JSON documents.
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JSON diff
Spot added, removed, and changed lines in a private comparison.
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What does json diff do?
Compare two valid JSON values structurally and report added, removed, or changed values at paths such as $.settings.theme or $.items[2]. Object key order and source formatting do not create differences.
- Input
- Two valid JSON documents.
- Result
- A line-oriented comparison of their normalized forms.
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not required
How to use json diff
Choose your settings
Spot added, removed, and changed lines in a private comparison.
Save or copy
A line-oriented comparison of their normalized forms.
A practical tip
Formatting both inputs first removes meaningless whitespace differences.
When to use json diff
Review a small API response before and after an API change.
Find altered fields between two configuration snapshots.
Copy a compact path-based change summary into a bug report or code review.
Worked example
A concrete json diff example
- Input
- Original {"plan":"free","tools":3}; updated {"plan":"free","tools":4,"live":true}
- Result
- The diff contains + $.live: true and ~ $.tools: 3 -> 4. The unchanged $.plan field is omitted.
What to expect
How it works
Both sides are parsed with JSON.parse(). Objects are traversed recursively over a sorted union of keys; arrays are compared by numeric position; and primitive or type changes use Object.is(). The copied summary serializes the before and after values at each discovered path.
Know before using
Limits and edge cases
- Arrays are positional: inserting an item near the start can make every later index appear changed, and moved values are not detected as moves.
- The comparison inherits JSON.parse() numeric precision and duplicate-key behavior and offers no ignore paths, unordered-set mode, patch output, or tolerance for numeric differences.
Standards and sources
Common questions
JSON diff FAQ
Is json diff free to use?
Yes. JSON diff is free to use.
Does json diff keep my work private?
Yes. Your work stays private while you use the tool — nothing you enter is uploaded.
Does whitespace or object key order affect the JSON diff?
No. Both inputs are parsed before comparison, so indentation and object member order are ignored. Array order remains significant.
Why does an array insertion produce several changed paths?
The algorithm compares array index 0 with index 0, index 1 with index 1, and so on. It does not calculate a sequence alignment or infer moves.