Side by side

jless vs JSONLint

Both stand on json tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

jless

Free plan LinuxMac

jless combines terminal navigation, search, and clipboard or print commands for inspecting structured data. Its platform coverage and lack of a configuration file are worth noting before choosing it.

Visit jless

JSONLint covers common JSON checking and transformation tasks across browser, extension, and Mac app formats. Its browser-side validation and offline Mac option may matter when handling sensitive files.

Visit JSONLint

The facts

	jless	JSONLint
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac	Extension, Mac, Web
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	JSONLint Pro: $6.99, paid once
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	jless.io	jsonlint.com
On json tools	#11 of 29	#15 of 29

jless: what it does well

Formats JSON with syntax highlighting.
Searches with full-text and regular-expression queries.
Reads files and standard input, including newline-delimited JSON.
Copies or prints values, keys, and paths.
Offers package-manager, Cargo, binary, and source installation options.

What to know first

Supports macOS and Linux, not other listed platforms.
Does not yet support a configuration file.
YAML comments and anchors are not displayed.
Linux source builds need X11 libraries for clipboard access.

JSONLint: what it does well

Reports validation errors with line numbers
Includes schema validation and JSON Path tools
Converts JSON with several data formats
Browser validation is not sent for processing
Mac app works offline without an account

What to know first

Mac app requires macOS 12.0 or later
Web site uses analytics and cookies
Paid Mac Pro is a one-time purchase

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