# Compare JSON > Compare two JSON files structurally and list every added, removed and changed value by path. - Page: https://acepdfmd.com/tool/json-compare/ - Updated: 2026-09-18 - Runs at: https://acepdfmd.com (Uploaded files are deleted within 60 minutes. No signup for light use.) - Also in 29 languages: https://acepdfmd.com//tool/json-compare/ ## Compare two JSON files and list every difference by path A text diff of two JSON files is noisy: reordered keys, changed indentation and a reformatted number all show up as changes even when the data is the same. Compare JSON reads both files as data and reports what actually differs: which values were added, which were removed, which changed, and which changed type. Upload the two files. The report is a table with one row per difference and the path to it in a compact notation, such as the city inside the address of the fourth customer, followed by the value in each file. Changing 1 to 1.0 is not reported, because the values are equal; changing 1 to "1" is reported as a type change, because a program would treat them differently. Keys in a different order are never reported. If the files are lists whose order is not meaningful, you can ignore array order, in which case a reordered list with the same items counts as identical. Both files are validated first, and an invalid file is reported with the line and column of the problem. The comparison is exact and covers nested data of any depth. Typical uses are checking a configuration before deployment, verifying a data migration, or reviewing what a web service returned before and after a change. To normalise formatting before you compare, run each file through the JSON Formatter with sorted keys. ## How to use the Compare JSON tool 1. Add your JSON file: drag & drop or click to browse. 2. Make your changes in the editor, then download the result. ## Common questions ### Is Compare JSON free? Yes. Compare JSON is free for light use with no signup needed. Anonymous visitors get 10 free tasks per day, and creating a free account makes daily use unlimited. A paid Pro plan removes ads and raises file-size limits for heavier work. ### Is my file safe? Yes. Your file is sent over HTTPS, processed by self-hosted open-source software on our servers (no third-party AI or cloud APIs), and deleted within 60 minutes at the latest, usually right after your result is ready. ### What file formats does Compare JSON accept? Compare JSON accepts JSON files. Convert other formats to a supported one first; the related tools below can usually do it. ## Related tools - [JSON Formatter](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/json-formatter/): Validate, pretty-print, minify, sort or repair JSON, with the exact line and column of any error. - [Compare PDF](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/compare-pdf/): Highlight text differences between two PDFs. - [Compare Markdown](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/markdown-compare/): Highlight line-by-line differences between two Markdown files. - [JSON to YAML](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/json-to-yaml/): Convert JSON to readable YAML with keys in their original order. - [YAML to JSON](https://acepdfmd.com/tool/yaml-to-json/): Convert YAML to clean JSON, including multi-document files. Read the guide: [JSON Tools Guide: Convert Documents and Data to JSON and Back](https://acepdfmd.com/guides/json-guide/)