How to Compare Two JSON Documents and Spot Every Change
Diffing JSON by eye is slow and error-prone. This guide explains added, removed and changed keys and how nested paths are shown.
What is the JSON Diff Checker?
When a configuration or API response changes, the difference is often buried in a long document. This tool compares two JSON documents recursively, key by key and index by index, and lists what was added, what was removed and what changed, with the path to each item. Either document being invalid JSON is reported with a clear error instead of a partial comparison.
How to use it
- Paste the first JSON document.
- Paste the second JSON document.
- Click Compare JSON and read the added, removed and changed lists.
Worked example
Comparing the samples reports age changed from 30 to 31, city removed, and country added.
What does a path like address.city mean?
It is the route through nested objects to the changed value: the city key inside the address object.
Frequently asked questions
Does key order matter in the comparison?
No. Objects are compared by key name, so reordering keys alone produces no differences.
How are arrays compared?
By position: items at the same index are compared, and extra items at the end are listed as added or removed.