JSON vs YAML

Choose JSON for APIs and configuration. Choose YAML for configuration files. Both compress the same way; the difference is compatibility and ecosystem.

	JSON	YAML
Compression	Lossless	Lossless
Metadata	-	-
Open / royalty-free	✓	✓
Defined by	-	-
Since	-	-
Best for	APIs and configuration	configuration files

JSON

The data format of the web and every API.

YAML

Human-friendly configuration. Indentation instead of braces.

Questions

JSON or YAML: which is smaller?

It depends on the content; see our measured benchmarks on the conversion pages.

Can I convert JSON to YAML?

Yes, in your browser, nothing uploaded.

And YAML to JSON?

Yes, as well.