The 3 Best JSON Editors For Windows

Are You Searching For the Best JSON Editors on Windows? Here Are 3 Great Options That Support Syntax Highlighting Formatting Validation and More. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is an increasingly popular and lightweight data format widely utilized for data exchange and configuration. No matter whether you are a web developer, data analyst, hobbyist or not; JSON files will come up in various scenarios or uses cases; perhaps editing one may help configure applications, modify settings or manipulate data more efficiently.

But how can Windows users edit JSON files effectively? Which are the top tools for JSON editing and what features should a good JSON editor possess? Check out How to Edit JSON Files Like a Pro on Your Mac with These 3 Best Tools.

We aim to answer these and more in this blog, by reviewing and comparing 3 best JSON editors for Windows: Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code and Atom. Furthermore, we will give some helpful hints and techniques when using these editors for JSON editing.

Editor DOWNLOAD FREE FILES NOW	Pros	Cons
Sublime Text	Fast and lightweight Highly customizable A rich ecosystem of plugins and packages	Not free Requires plugins for some advanced features
Visual Studio Code	Free, open-source, cross-platform Rich in features and extensions Built-in JSON support	Can be slow or buggy at times Consumes more memory and CPU resources
Atom	Free, open-source, cross-platform Customizable and hackable Built-in JSON support	Can be slow or unstable at times Consumes more memory and CPU resources Requires plugins for some advanced features

Let’s get started!

1 Sublime Text

Sublime Text is an extremely flexible text editor loved by developers for its speed, simplicity and customizability. Sublime supports numerous languages and formats – JSON included! – while its built-in validator helps detect syntax errors easily and can provide suggestions as to their resolution.

Pros Sublime Text as a JSON Editor

It is fast and lightweight, which means it can handle large JSON files without lagging or crashing.
It is highly customizable, which means you can tweak its appearance, behaviour, and functionality to suit your preferences and needs.
It has a rich ecosystem of plugins and packages that can enhance its features and capabilities. For example, you can install plugins for auto-formatting, auto-completion, linting, beautifying, minifying, and more.

Cons Sublime Text as a JSON Editor

It is not free. You can use it for evaluation purposes, but you need to purchase a license to use it indefinitely.
It requires plugins for some advanced features that are not available out of the box. For example, you need to install plugins for auto-formatting and auto-completion of JSON files.

Tips and Tricks for Using Sublime Text for JSON Editing

Here are some tips and tricks for using Sublime Text for JSON editing:

To install and enable the JSON package, go to Preferences > Package Control > Install Package > JSON.
To use keyboard shortcuts and commands for common tasks, such as formatting, validating, folding, unfolding, etc., press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the command palette and type “JSON” to see the available options.
To customize the settings and preferences for JSON editing, go to Preferences > Settings – Syntax Specific > JSON.sublime-settings. You can change various options such as indentation size, tab size, word wrap, etc.

2 Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a free, open-source, cross-platform code editor that is rich in features and extensions. Visual Studio Code has built-in JSON support with syntax highlighting, validation, formatting, auto-completion, and more. It also has a JSON Outline view that shows the structure of your JSON file and allows you to navigate and edit it easily.

Pros of Visual Studio Code as a JSON Editor

It is free, open-source, and cross-platform, which means you can use it on any device and operating system without paying anything or worrying about compatibility issues.
It is rich in features and extensions that can help you with various aspects of JSON editing. For example, you can use extensions for linting, beautifying,
minifying, generating schemas, comparing files, etc.
It has built-in JSON support with syntax highlighting,
validation,
formatting,
auto-completion,
and more. You don’t need to install any plugins or packages to use these features.

Cons of Visual Studio Code as a JSON Editor

It can be slow or buggy at times,
especially when dealing with large or complex JSON files.
It consumes more memory
and CPU resources than Sublime Text,
which may affect your system performance or battery life.

Tips and Tricks for Using Visual Studio Code for JSON Editing

Here are some tips and tricks for using Visual Studio Code for JSON editing:

To install and enable the JSON Tools extension, go to Extensions > Search > JSON Tools > Install > Reload. This extension adds some useful features such as formatting selection, sorting keys, escaping/unescaping strings, etc.
To use the JSON Outline view and the JSON Schema support, go to View > Explorer > Outline > Select your JSON file. You can see the structure of your JSON file and navigate and edit it easily. You can also associate your JSON file with a schema file to get validation and auto-completion based on the schema.
To customize the settings and preferences for JSON editing, go to File > Preferences > Settings > Search > JSON. You can change various options such as indentation size, tab size, word wrap, etc.

3 Atom

Atom is a free, open-source, cross-platform text editor that is customizable and hackable. Atom supports multiple languages and formats, including JSON. It also has built-in JSON support with syntax highlighting, validation, formatting, auto-completion, and more. It also has a built-in package manager that allows you to install and manage plugins and packages for JSON editing.

Pros of Atom as a JSON Editor

It is free, open-source, and cross-platform, which means you can use it on any device and operating system without paying anything or worrying about compatibility issues.
It is customizable and hackable, which means you can modify its appearance, behaviour, and functionality to suit your preferences and needs. You can also create your own plugins and packages for JSON editing.
It has built-in JSON support with syntax highlighting, validation, formatting, auto-completion, and more. You don’t need to install any plugins or packages to use these features.

Cons of Atom as a JSON Editor

It can be slow or unstable at times, especially when dealing with large or complex JSON files.
It consumes more memory and CPU resources than Sublime Text and Visual Studio Code, which may affect your system performance or battery life.
It requires plugins for some advanced features that are not available out of the box. For example, you need to install plugins for JSON Schema support, linting, beautifying, minifying, etc.

Tips and Tricks for Using Atom for JSON Editing

Here are some tips and tricks for using Atom for JSON editing:

To install and enable the Pretty JSON package, go to Settings > Install > Search > Pretty JSON > Install. This package adds some useful features such as formatting selection, sorting keys, escaping/unescaping strings, etc.
To use the command palette and the context menu for common tasks, such as formatting, validating, folding, unfolding, etc., press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the command palette and type “JSON” to see the available options. You can also right-click on your JSON file and select “Pretty JSON” to see the same options.
To customize the settings and preferences for JSON editing, go to Settings > Packages > Search > Pretty JSON > Settings. You can change various options such as indentation size, tab size, word wrap, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions for 3 Best Json Editors for Windows

Here are some common questions and answers related to JSON editing in Windows:

How do I edit a JSON file in Windows?

There are different ways to edit a JSON file in Windows, depending on the tool you want to use. One of the simplest ways is to use Notepad, which is a built-in text editor in Windows. To edit a JSON file in Notepad, follow these steps: Right-click on your JSON file and select Open with > Choose another app from the menu. A window containing a list of apps will open. Click on the More Apps button to reveal all the available programs you can use. Choose Notepad from the extended list of applications and select OK. Open Visual Studio Code and select File > Open File from the menu. Browse to your JSON file and select it. You can now edit your JSON file with the help of IntelliSense and validation features.

How do I edit an existing JSON file?

To edit an existing JSON file, you can use any of the tools mentioned above, such as Notepad or Visual Studio Code. You can also use online tools like JSON Editor Online or JSON Formatter & Validator to edit your JSON file in your browser. However, be careful when using online tools, as they may not be secure or reliable.

Can Notepad++ edit JSON files?

Yes, Notepad++ can edit JSON files. Notepad++ is a popular text editor that supports multiple languages and formats, including JSON. It also has plugins and extensions that can enhance its features and capabilities for JSON editing. For example, you can install the JSTool plugin for formatting, validating, folding, unfolding, etc. your JSON files.

Are there any tools to visually create and edit JSON files?

Yes, there are some tools that allow you to visually create and edit JSON files. These tools usually provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that lets you manipulate your JSON data with drag-and-drop actions, buttons, menus, etc. Some examples of these tools are: Altova XMLSpy: A professional XML editor that also supports JSON editing and conversion. It has a graphical JSON Schema editor that lets you design and generate schemas for your JSON data. It also has a graphical JSON Grid View that lets you view and edit your JSON data in a tabular format. Oxygen XML Editor: Another professional XML editor that also supports JSON editing and conversion. It has a graphical JSON Schema editor that lets you design and generate schemas for your JSON data. It also has a graphical JSON Grid Editor that lets you view and edit your JSON data in a tabular format. Json.NET Schema: A .NET library that lets you generate, validate, and manipulate JSON schemas and data. It has a graphical Schema Explorer that lets you view and edit your schemas in a tree view. It also has a graphical Data Explorer that lets you view and edit your data in a tree view.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have reviewed and compared the 3 best JSON editors available for Windows: Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code and Atom. In addition, we provided tips and tricks for using each editor for JSON editing.

Each editor comes equipped with its own strengths and weaknesses; depending on your personal tastes and requirements, one editor may prove more suitable than others – however, all three editors offer powerful yet versatile editing solutions for JSON documents.

We hope this blog has provided useful insight into JSON editing and enabled you to choose an editor best suited for you and any feedback or suggestions are welcome in the form of comments below.

Thank you for reading! 😊