Json.NET
A widely used .NET library for reading and writing JSON data, under the MIT license.JamesNK/Newtonsoft.Json
- Stars
- 11.3k
- Forks
- 3.3k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- C#
- Last update
- 2 months ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Json.NET is a JSON framework for .NET, the Microsoft software platform, described by its maintainers as high-performance and popular. JSON is a common text format for sending data between programs, and a framework like this helps a C# program convert that text into objects it can work with, and back again. The README is very short, so it says little beyond this about specific features.
- Convert JSON text received from a web service into C# objects
- Turn C# objects into JSON text to send to another system
- Read configuration or data files stored in JSON format
Great for
- C# developers who need to read or write JSON in a .NET application
- Teams maintaining existing .NET code that already depends on Json.NET
- Developers who want documentation and Stack Overflow answers to search through
- Projects that need a permissive MIT-licensed JSON library
Not ideal for
- People who are not writing .NET or C# code, since the project is a .NET library
- Anyone who needs the README to explain every feature, because the README here covers only links and badges
- Teams that need details on limitations or security history, since the README provides none
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/JamesNK/Newtonsoft.Json - 2
Run it
- Add the Newtonsoft.Json package from NuGet to your .NET project
- Follow the getting-started guide at https://www.newtonsoft.com/json/help
- Serialize or deserialize a small object to confirm the package works in your project
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the official documentation at https://www.newtonsoft.com/json/help for usage details
- Check the release notes on GitHub before upgrading, since the latest listed release is 13.0.4
- Search Stack Overflow under the json.net tag for answers to common questions
- Review CONTRIBUTING.md if you want to report issues or propose changes
Downloads
Strengths
- Described as a popular and high-performance JSON framework for .NET
- Licensed under MIT, which is permissive for commercial and personal use
- Has public documentation on its homepage, NuGet package listing, and a Stack Overflow tag
Trade-offs
- The README is truncated and does not describe features, supported .NET versions, or limitations
- Performance and popularity claims come from the project's own description and are not measured here
- Microsoft also ships a built-in JSON library, so the choice between them depends on needs not covered in this README
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newtonsoft.Json (this) | 11.3k | Library | intermediate | 2 months ago | C# developers who need to read or write JSON in a .NET application |
| json | 50.8k | Library | beginner | 4 days ago | C++ developers who need to read or write JSON in an application |
| cli | 24.3k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Go developers writing a command line tool with subcommands and flags |
| SwiftyJSON | 22.9k | Library | beginner | 3 months ago | Swift developers building iOS, macOS, tvOS or watchOS apps that read JSON from web APIs |
| pino | 18.3k | Library | beginner | 30 days ago | Node.js backend developers who want structured JSON logs |
| gjson | 15.6k | Library | beginner | 1 months ago | Go developers who need a few fields from a JSON response without writing struct definitions |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.