Json.NET

Json.NET is a popular high-performance JSON framework for .NET

Features

  • Flexible JSON serializer for converting between .NET objects and JSON
  • LINQ to JSON for manually reading and writing JSON
  • High performance, faster than .NET's built-in JSON serializers
  • Write indented, easy to read JSON
  • Convert JSON to and from XML
  • Supports .NET 2, .NET 3.5, .NET 4, Silverlight, Windows Phone and Windows 8.

The JSON serializer is a good choice when the JSON you are reading or writing maps closely to a .NET class.

LINQ to JSON is good for situations where you are only interested in getting values from JSON, you don't have a class to serialize or deserialize to, or the JSON is radically different from your class and you need to manually read and write from your objects.

Download Json.NET from CodePlex or install using NuGet

NuGet

Find getting started guides and comprehensive API documentation here.

Donate

Json.NET is a personal open source project. Started in 2006, I have put hundreds of hours adding, refining and tuning Json.NET with the goal to make it not just the best JSON serializer for .NET but the best serializer for any computer language. I need your help to achieve this.

Click here to lend your support to: Json.NET and make a donation at www.pledgie.com !

Feature Comparison

  Json.NET DataContractJsonSerializer JavaScriptSerializer
Supports JSON      
Supports BSON
     
Supports JSON Schema
     
Supports .NET 2.0
     
Supports .NET 3.5
     
Supports .NET 4.0      
Supports .NET 4.5      
Supports Silverlight      
Supports Windows Phone      
Supports Windows 8      
Supports Portable Class Library      
Open Source      
MIT License      
LINQ to JSON      
Thread Safe      
XPath-like JSON query syntax      
Indented JSON support
     
Efficient dictionary serialization      
Nonsensical dictionary serialization      
Deserializes IList, IEnumerable, ICollection, IDictionary properties
     
Serializes circular references
     
Supports serializing objects by reference
     
Deserializes polymorphic properties and collections
     
Serializes and deserializes multidimensional arrays
     
Supports including type names with JSON      
Globally customize serialization process      
Supports excluding null values when serializing
     
Supports SerializationBinder
     
Conditional property serialization
     
Includes line number information in errors
     
Converts XML to JSON and JSON to XML
     
JSON Schema validation
     
JSON Schema generation from .NET types
     
Camel case JSON property names
     
Non-default constructors support
     
Serialization error handling
     
Supports populating an existing object
     
Efficiently serializes byte arrays as base64 text
     
Handles NaN, Infinity, -Infinity and undefined
     
Handles JavaScript constructors      
Serializes .NET 4.0 dynamic objects
     
Serializes ISerializable objects
     
Supports serializing enums to their text name      
JSON recursion limit support
 
   
Attribute property name customization      
Attribute property order customization      
Attribute property required customization      
Supports ISO8601 dates      
Supports JavaScript constructor dates      
Supports Microsoft AJAX dates      
Unquoted property names support      
Raw JSON support      
Supports reading and writing comments      
Serializes anonymous types      
Deserializes anonymous types      
Opt-in mode serialization      
Opt-out mode serialization      
Field (Serializable) mode serialization  
   
Efficiently stream reading and writing JSON      
Single or double quote JSON content      
Supports overriding a type's serialization      
Supports OnDeserialized, OnSerializing, OnSerialized and OnDeserializing attributes      
Supports serializing private properties      
DataMember attribute support      
MetdataType attribute support      
DefaultValue attribute support      
Serializes DataSets and DataTables      
Serailizes Entity Framework      
Serializes nHibernate      
Case-insensitive property deserialization      
Tracing      

Performance Comparison

The source code for this benchmark is included in the Json.NET unit tests.

My Blog

My blog can be found at http://james.newtonking.com where I post news and updates about Json.NET.

My Twitter

My twitter account can be found at @JamesNK

Last edited Dec 22, 2012 at 12:32 PM by JamesNK, version 95