JSON vs XML
Comparing JavaScript Object Notation and Extensible Markup Language — which format should you use?
| JSON | XML | |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | JavaScript Object Notation | Extensible Markup Language |
| Extension | .json | .xml |
| MIME Type | application/json | application/xml |
| Category | data | data |
JSON Pros
- +Human-readable and writable
- +Native support in every programming language
- +Lightweight and fast to parse
- +The standard for web APIs
JSON Cons
- -No comments allowed in standard JSON
- -No date type (dates stored as strings)
- -No support for binary data
- -Large files with deeply nested structures
XML Pros
- +Human-readable and self-descriptive
- +Platform and language independent
- +Supports complex hierarchical data
- +Extensive tooling and validation (XSD, DTD)
XML Cons
- -Verbose — much larger than JSON or CSV
- -Slower to parse than JSON
- -Complex syntax rules
- -Being replaced by JSON in many modern use cases
Use JSON when...
- -REST API request/response data
- -Configuration files
- -Data storage and exchange
- -Web application state management
Use XML when...
- -SOAP web services
- -Configuration files (Android, Maven, Spring)
- -RSS/Atom feeds
- -SVG graphics
- -Office document formats (DOCX, XLSX)