Best JSON viewers in 2026, compared by size limit and price

Pick by where the viewer runs, how big your file is, and whether you want to read it as a tree, a graph or a table.

rows.page

rows.page opens .json, .jsonl and .ndjson files up to 1.5 GB as a table in your browser, with per-column stats, filters and DuckDB SQL on a table called data. Nested objects flatten into dot-path columns like user.address.city, up to 8 levels deep, and the file stays on your machine unless you press Share. The catch is that there is no whole-file tree or graph, only a JSON drawer per row, and a .json file over 1.5 GB is refused (a bigger JSONL file loads only its first rows). Opening files is free with no signup; hosted links run on Free ($0), Pro ($12 per month) or Max ($39 per month).

SELECT "user.address.city", count(*) AS users
FROM data
WHERE price > 20
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY users DESC

JSON Crack

JSON Crack draws your JSON as an interactive node graph, which helps you see how nested objects connect. The hosted web app caps a graph at 1,200 nodes, so it suits payloads and configs, not data exports. It is free and open source (Apache-2.0), and no paid price is published.

JSON Hero

JSON Hero shows a document in column, tree and editor views, which makes API responses easy to read. File uploads are capped at 1 MB, and the JSON is saved on its server to create the share URL. It is free and open source (Apache-2.0).

jsonviewer.stack.hu

jsonviewer.stack.hu is a single page where you paste JSON and browse it as a collapsible tree. It publishes no size limit, and the site says the JSON you enter is not saved on its server. It is free with ads, and a $19 one-time payment removes them.

Firefox built-in viewer

Firefox opens any .json file or JSON URL in a built-in viewer with Raw Data, Pretty Print and a collapsible tree you can filter. It needs no setup, but it shows one document at a time with no table or SQL. It is free.

Chrome with JSON Formatter

Chrome has no built-in JSON viewer, so you add an extension such as JSON Formatter by Callum Locke (version 0.10.2, May 2026). It turns JSON pages into collapsible trees with syntax highlighting and a button to switch between raw and parsed JSON. It is free and open source (BSD-3-Clause).

Dadroit JSON Viewer

Dadroit is a desktop app built to open large JSON files as a tree. The free version handles files up to 50 MB, Standard costs $98 per year and goes up to 2 GB, and the Advanced edition goes up to 1 TB. It is a tree viewer, not a table or SQL tool.

VS Code

VS Code formats JSON with Format Document and validates it against JSON schemas while you edit. It has no tree or table view, so a long array of records means scrolling through braces and repeated keys. It is free, built on MIT-licensed source.

jq

jq 1.8.2 is the standard command-line processor for filtering and reshaping JSON in scripts and pipelines. It is not a viewer you browse: you write a filter for each question, like the one below. It is free (MIT).

jq '.data[] | {id: .id, city: .user.address.city}' payload.json

jless

jless shows JSON as a collapsible tree that you move through with the keyboard. It runs on macOS and Linux; Windows support is planned but not available. It is free (MIT).

fx

fx is an interactive terminal viewer: pipe JSON into it to explore the structure, or add a JavaScript expression to transform it. It also reads YAML and TOML. It is free (MIT).

• File size: under 1 MB, any of them works, including JSON Hero. Up to 50 MB, Dadroit's free tier works on desktop. Up to 1.5 GB, use rows.page for free or Dadroit Standard ($98 per year, up to 2 GB). Above that, use Dadroit Advanced (up to 1 TB) or jq --stream in a terminal.
• Shape: a deeply nested config or single document reads best as a tree (Firefox, JSON Formatter, Dadroit, jless, fx) or a graph (JSON Crack). An array of records or a .jsonl file reads best as a table with filters like country:NL and SQL in rows.page.
• Privacy: desktop and terminal tools never send your file anywhere, and rows.page reads it inside your browser unless you press Share. JSON Hero stores the document on its server to make the share link, so keep sensitive data out of it.