JSON vs XML: Which is Better for APIs?

Introduction

The debate between JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) has shaped API development for decades.

| Feature | JSON | XML |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| **Syntax** | Lightweight (Key-Value) | Verbose (Tags) |

| **Parsing** | Native `JSON.parse()` | Requires XML Parser |

| **Size** | Smaller | Larger |

| **Schema** | JSON Schema (Optional) | XSD (Strict) |

A user profile in JSON is concise:

{ "id": 1, "name": "Alice" }

In XML, it requires opening and closing tags:

<user><id>1</id><name>Alice</name></user>

JSON is the de-facto standard for modern REST and GraphQL APIs due to its simplicity and direct compatibility with JavaScript.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, use our JSON Converter to switch between formats instantly.

JSON is generally faster to parse and transmit due to its smaller payload size.

Yes, JSON files are typically smaller because they lack the repetitive tag structure of XML.