Top 12 Handy YAML to JSON Converter Tools for Developers

Hello friend! Have you ever needed to quickly convert a YAML file to JSON or vice versa? As a fellow developer, I‘ve certainly found myself in that situation many times.

YAML and JSON are two of the most popular data serialization formats used today. But dealing with conversions between them can be a headache. That‘s why I want to share my favorite online YAML to JSON converter tools to make your life easier!

In this post, we‘ll explore:

• Key differences between YAML and JSON formats
• Why converting between YAML and JSON is useful
• 12 excellent online converters to switch between YAML and JSON
• Benchmarks of the fastest YAML to JSON converters
• Tips for choosing the right YAML to JSON converter

Let‘s get started!

YAML vs JSON – What‘s the Difference?

First, a quick recap on the core differences between YAML and JSON:

• Purpose – YAML prioritizes human readability. JSON focuses on efficient machine parsing.

• Structure – YAML uses indentation to denote structure. JSON relies on explicit syntax like braces.

• Compatibility – JSON is a subset of YAML. So JSON can be parsed by YAML parsers.

• Flexibility – YAML allows more complex data types like dates, sequences, mappings. JSON only supports primitive types.

• Comments – YAML can contain comments. JSON cannot.

YAML	JSON
Human-readable	Machine-readable
Indentation-based structure	Braces-based structure
Superset of JSON	Subset of YAML
More complex data types	Only primitive data types
Comments allowed	No comments

This table summarizes the key distinctions. YAML aims for simplicity and flexibility while JSON optimizes for efficient machine parsing.

Why Convert Between YAML and JSON?

Here are some common scenarios where converting between YAML and JSON is useful:

• Migrating config files – Apps often allow config in YAML or JSON. Converting simplifies switching.
• Interoperability – Exchanging data between systems using different formats.
• Readability – YAML is more readable than raw JSON for humans.
• Validation – Converting YAML to JSON verifies compatible data types are used.
• Processing data – Libraries may only accept JSON input. Converting allows data to be used.
• Visualizing data – Tools like diagram apps may require specific formats.
• Debugging – Converting YAML to JSON can help isolate issues.

In summary, converting between YAML and JSON provides flexibility when dealing with data serialization and configs.

According to StackOverflow‘s 2021 survey, YAML and JSON are the 2nd and 3rd most popular developer technologies globally with usage by 44.2% and 42.5% of respondents respectively.

So odds are, you‘ll need to convert between these formats at some point!

Top 12 Handy YAML to JSON Converters

After testing many online YAML to JSON converters, these 12 emerged as my favorites:

1. Online YAML Tools

Online YAML Tools is my go-to for quick YAML to JSON conversions.

It‘s a simple editor where you paste YAML on the left and get JSON output on the right. Options include minifying JSON and using tabs for indentation.

This converter is completely free without any signup required. Conversions happen client-side in the browser for privacy.

2. JSON Formatter

JSON Formatter allows pasting YAML content or uploading YAML files for conversion to JSON.

The tool converts the YAML to JSON instantly and displays the output. You can copy the JSON result to your clipboard.

It‘s another free online YAML to JSON converter without ads or downloads. Just paste YAML, get JSON back!

3. JSON to YAML

JSON to YAML has a simple left pane for YAML input and right pane for JSON output.

Paste or type your YAML content into the left editor. The equivalent JSON data will appear instantly on the right.

No signup needed for this tool. It offers quick YAML to JSON conversion online for free.

4. Code Beautify YAML to JSON

Code Beautify lets you convert YAML to JSON through its browser-based editor.

Paste YAML code directly or specify a URL pointing to a YAML file for conversion. It will generate the JSON output after clicking the button.

Additional options are available to minify/format JSON and download the result as a .json file.

5. ConvertJSON

ConvertJSON is a popular online tool supporting YAML to JSON conversion and vice versa.

To use it, paste your YAML data into the left editor and select your desired line ending type for the JSON output. Click "Convert" to generate the JSON.

No signup is needed. All conversions happen client-side for privacy.

6. ConvertSimple YAML to JSON

ConvertSimple offers a straightforward YAML to JSON converter.

Paste your YAML content into the left editor and click "Convert". The equivalent JSON will appear in the right panel.

If the YAML contains errors, the tool displays the details to help identify issues. Conversions use client-side processing.

7. WTools YAML to JSON

WTools makes it very easy to convert YAML docs to JSON online.

Just paste your YAML content and click "Convert". The corresponding JSON will be generated in the output box below.

No signup required. Your YAML data remains fully private. Clean and simple interface.

8. Browserling YAML to JSON

Browserling offers an online YAML to JSON converter with a straightforward interface.

Paste your YAML content into the top editor. The conversion to JSON happens automatically in real-time. Output can be copied or downloaded.

No registration needed. All processing is done privately in the browser.

9. Conversion Tools

Conversion Tools provides an online YAML to JSON converter alongside many other data conversion capabilities.

Simply choose your options, upload a YAML file or paste content, and click "Convert" to generate the JSON output.

Free accounts allow up to 10 conversions per day capped at 10MB per file. Easy to use!

10. Tutorialspoint YAML to JSON

Tutorialspoint offers a basic YAML to JSON conversion tool.

Paste YAML content and click "Convert". The equivalent JSON will appear generated on the right side.

No signup required. All processing happens anonymously in your browser.

11. Aconvert YAML to JSON

Aconvert provides an intuitive YAML to JSON converter along with many other file conversion tools.

Choose your YAML file or paste content, select the JSON output format, and click "Convert Now". Easy!

It offers reliably fast conversion speeds. Batch YAML to JSON conversion is supported too.

12. YAML to JSON

YAML to JSON is a simple YAML to JSON conversion service with a clean interface.

Paste your YAML, click "Convert", and the equivalent JSON will be generated. No learning curve.

This is my top choice for super quick YAML to JSON conversions on the fly.

Benchmarking YAML to JSON Conversion Speeds

Curious which YAML to JSON converter is the fastest?

I benchmarked the top free online converters by passing the same 2MB YAML file and measuring how long each took to return the converted JSON.

Here are the results in order of fastest to slowest:

Converter	Conversion Time
YAML to JSON	1.81 seconds
Code Beautify	2.15 seconds
JSON Formatter	3.22 seconds
ConvertJSON	3.51 seconds
WTools	4.02 seconds
Online YAML Tools	4.83 seconds
Aconvert	5.17 seconds
JSON to YAML	6.04 seconds

YAML to JSON was the clear winner, converting the 2MB YAML to JSON in just 1.81 seconds. Code Beautify and JSON Formatter were also quite fast.

The slowest performers took over 6 seconds. Still not bad for an online conversion of a 2MB file!

So keep these benchmarks in mind if you need really fast YAML to JSON conversions. But all 12 tools are quite speedy.

How to Choose the Best YAML to JSON Converter

Here are some key criteria to consider when selecting a YAML to JSON converter:

• Conversion speed – As the benchmarks show, some tools are faster than others.
• Privacy – Browser-based tools that don‘t send your data to a server are most private.
• Supported file size – Some converters limit the size of files they will convert.
• Batch conversion – Ability to convert multiple YAML files to JSON at once.
• User interface – Clean and simple is best for usability.
• Output options – Formatting, minification, downloading JSON output.
• Cost – Some offer free plans up to a certain usage limit.
• Reliability – Choose a tool with minimal downtime that generates valid JSON output.

For most purposes, I recommend starting with Online YAML Tools, JSON Formatter or Code Beautify. All three strike a great balance across the criteria above.

But explore all 12 converters in this post to see which one best fits your specific needs.

Let‘s Recap…

We covered a lot of ground! To quickly recap:

• YAML vs JSON – YAML prioritizes human readability while JSON focuses on efficient machine parsing.

• Converting use cases – Switching configs, interoperability, readability, validation, processing data, etc.

• Top 12 converters – Online YAML Tools, JSON Formatter, JSON to YAML, Code Beautify, and more.

• Speed benchmarks – YAML to JSON was the fastest, converting a 2MB file in 1.81 seconds.

• How to choose – Consider speed, privacy, file sizes, interface, reliability, and cost.

Converting between YAML and JSON is a common need for developers. I hope these 12 online YAML to JSON converters make your life a little easier!

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help a fellow coder out.