JSON vs JavaScript Object Literal

JSON and JavaScript object literals look so similar that it’s easy to make a mistake one for the other. Both use curly braces, both organise data in key-value pairs, and both are used in modern web development. But don’t get confused by their appearances, as they serve different purposes and follow different rules.

In this blog, you will learn all the differences in simple terms and understand when to use JSON and when to use object literals in your code.

Table of Contents:

What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a text-based format for storing and transforming data. It was inspired by the syntax of JavaScript object literals, and this is the main reason why they look so similar. However, JSON is a language-independent which is designed to be easy for machines to parse and humans to read.

Example:

{
  "name": "Intellipaat",
  "age": 2008,
  "Location": "Bangalore"
}

JSON is always a string. Even though it looks like a JavaScript object, it has to be parsed into an object before you can use it in JavaScript.

What are JavaScript Object Literals?

A JavaScript object literal is a way to define objects directly in your code. It’s not just a structure, it’s a fully functional object that can hold any kind of data, like functions, symbols, and other objects in the form of key-value pairs.

Example:

Output:

Explanation: Object literals are flexible and powerful, more ideal for building dynamic behavior in your app.

Difference between JSON and JavaScript Object Literals

Here are some of the key differences between JSON and JavaScript object literals. Let’s discuss them:

Feature	JSON	JavaScript Object Literals
Purpose	JSON is specially designed to store and exchange data between systems, especially over the web.	JavaScript object literals are used directly in code to define objects with properties and values.
Data Types Supported	Supports basic data types – strings, numbers, booleans, arrays, null, and other objects. It doesn’t support functions, undefined, or special types like Date.	It can hold any JavaScript-supported data type, including undefined functions, symbols, and special objects like Dates and Maps.
Rules for Quotes	All keys and string values are wrapped in double quotes.	Keys can be unquoted, and both single and double quotes can be used for string values.
Function Allowed	No, functions are not allowed in JSON.	Yes, object literals can contain methods.
Comment Allowed	No, comments are not allowed.	JavaScript object literals can allow single and multi-line comments.
Being a String or Object	JSON is a string by nature. It represents data, but must be parsed to turn into an object, and you can use this parsed object in code.	Object literals are actual objects, directly usable in code without any parsing or conversion.

Parsing and Converting Between Two

If you want to go from a JavaScript object to JSON, or vice versa, then JavaScript gives you two important methods for doing this:

Convert a JavaScript Object to JSON

Converting a JavaScript object to JSON is an easy task in JavaScript. For this, you have to use JSON.stringify().

Example:

Output:

Explanation: The JSON.stringify() method in JavaScript is used to convert a JavaScript object into JSON Data.

Convert JSON to JavaScript Object

Converting JSON data into a JavaScript object is possible with the JSON.parse() method in JavaScript.

Example:

Output:

Explanation: In this example, you’re using JSON.parse() method to parse JSON data and convert it into a JavaScript object.

When to Use Each: JSON and JavaScript Object Literals

JSON	JavaScript Object Literals
For sending and receiving data from a server(like RESTful APIs).	While writing client-side JavaScript code.
For storing configuration settings in a file.	When you want to add behaviour to your data using methods/functions.
You need a text format that can be read by other systems or programming languages.	While managing in-memory state in your application.

Conclusion

While there are many similarities between JSON and the JavaScript object literal, they are built for different purposes. JSON is a format used for transferring data, and it must follow strict rules. On the other hand, JavaScript object literals are flexible and used in writing client-side logic. Understanding each one will help you write cleaner, more efficient, and error-free code.

JSON vs JavaScript Object Literal – FAQs