How is this different from a plain text diff?

A text diff compares characters. This tool compares JSON structurally — key order and whitespace are ignored, so a reordered object is reported as identical, not as a huge churn.

What counts as a change?

Added keys, removed keys, changed values, and type changes (e.g. string to number). Array changes are reported element-by-element; object changes are reported key-by-key.

Can I diff deeply nested JSON?

Yes — the diff recurses through every nested object and array and reports the full path to each change (e.g. `response.data.items[3].name`).

Does it generate a JSON Patch?

This tool shows human-readable diffs. For a machine-applicable patch (RFC 6902 format), use the JSON Patch tool.

JSON Diff | DevTools Surf

DevTools Surf

Example: JSON Diff

A worked example, rendered from real sample data. Sign in to run the tool on your own input.

Input

{"name":"Alice","age":30,"role":"admin"}
---
{"name":"Alice","age":31,"role":"user","email":"alice@test.com"}

Output

~ $.age: 30 → 31
~ $.role: "admin" → "user"
+ $.email: "alice@test.com"

About JSON Diff

Compare two JSON documents and show structural differences. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the JSON collection.

Use Cases

Compare API responses between staging and production
Detect unexpected changes in configuration files
Validate data migration output against expected results
Review schema changes between API versions

Tips

Compare two JSON payloads to find structural differences
Distinguish between added, removed, and modified fields
Use the diff output to create migration scripts between versions

Fun Facts

JSON comparison must handle type coercion carefully: the number 1 and the string '1' are different in JSON but equal in JavaScript's == operator.
Comparing two 1MB JSON files element-by-element can involve millions of comparisons, making efficient tree-diff algorithms essential.
RFC 7396 (JSON Merge Patch) provides a simpler alternative to JSON Patch but cannot represent explicit null deletions or array modifications.

FAQ

How is this different from a plain text diff?: A text diff compares characters. This tool compares JSON structurally — key order and whitespace are ignored, so a reordered object is reported as identical, not as a huge churn.
What counts as a change?: Added keys, removed keys, changed values, and type changes (e.g. string to number). Array changes are reported element-by-element; object changes are reported key-by-key.
Can I diff deeply nested JSON?: Yes — the diff recurses through every nested object and array and reports the full path to each change (e.g. `response.data.items[3].name`).
Does it generate a JSON Patch?: This tool shows human-readable diffs. For a machine-applicable patch (RFC 6902 format), use the JSON Patch tool.

Related JSON Tools

JSON Formatter JSON Validator JSON Viewer JSON Stringify JSON Patch JSONPath Tester JSON Sort Keys JSON Flatten / Unflatten