Comparison

JSON Viewer vs Focal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

JSON Viewer

Features
Read full description

Paste a JSON blob — an API response, a config file, a log payload — and JSONView turns it into a collapsible, colour-coded tree the moment it lands. Validate it with an error that names the exact line and column, format or minify it, and copy it back out. Everything happens on your iPhone, offline, so your payload never touches a web tool. Most JSON apps wrap the same lenient system parser. JSONView ships its own strict RFC 8259 engine: it preserves your key order instead of scrambling it, keeps number literals exactly as written, rejects the trailing commas other parsers silently swallow, and warns you about duplicate keys — with the position of both copies. WHAT YOU GET • Paste an API response and read it as a collapsible tree in under a second, with keys, strings, numbers and booleans each in their own colour • Broken JSON tells you exactly where: "Line 14, column 27 — trailing comma before '}'" instead of a shrug • Duplicate keys are flagged with both positions, so the bug that only bites in production gets caught on your phone • Find any key or value in a deep payload and jump to it with its full $.path[3].to.node • One tap copies a value, its path, or the whole document — pretty-printed or minified — to the clipboard • Round-tripping never rewrites your data: key order survives, 1e3 stays 1e3, -0 stays -0 PERFECT FOR • Backend and mobile developers checking an API response away from the desk • QA engineers pinning down exactly which field broke the build • Support and ops engineers reading the log payloads customers send in • Anyone learning what valid JSON actually is, from a parser that explains every rejection WHY NOT JUST A WEB FORMATTER? Every browser JSON tool means pasting your payload — auth tokens, emails, customer records — into someone else's server. JSONView parses entirely on-device and works in airplane mode. It also opens .json files straight from Files, Mail or Slack, so you skip the copy-paste dance entirely. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT No network calls. No account. Your documents are parsed and stored only on your iPhone, and your saved library never leaves the device. FULL ACCESS JSONView Pro unlocks the complete toolkit: an unlimited saved-document library, minify to clipboard, .json file export, custom indent width, and A-to-Z key sorting. Choose a weekly plan, a yearly plan, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Weekly and yearly plans are auto-renewing subscriptions; lifetime is a single payment. Copy a JSON payload, open JSONView, and tap Paste — the tree is already waiting. Terms of Use: https://leanstudio.asia/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://leanstudio.asia/privacy-policy Support: support@leanstudio.asia

About

Focal

Features
Read full description

Focal is a fast, private JSON viewer that works completely offline. Open a JSON file and Focal turns it into a clean, collapsible tree you can actually read — no pasting into a website, no uploading, nothing leaving your device. Huge exports open in an instant, search finds any key or value, and the inspector shows you the exact bytes from the file, never silently reformatted. • OFFLINE & PRIVATE — your JSON never leaves your device. No account, no upload, no tracking, no ads. • OPENS HUGE FILES — an indexed viewer opens massive JSON in an instant and scrolls smoothly. • SEARCH ANYTHING — find any key or value instantly and jump straight to each match. • EXACT SOURCE — inspect the real bytes from the file, never "prettified" behind your back. • ONE APP, EVERY DEVICE — a focused reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Perfect for developers, QA and anyone who works with APIs, config files or data exports and just wants to read JSON quickly and privately.

Screenshots

JSON Viewer4 screens
Focal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Focal at 4 against JSON Viewer's 1. Focal also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
JSON Viewer versus Focal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJSON ViewerFocal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLEAN ASIA CO., LTDUMUTCAN SAHIN

In-app purchases

None

JSON Viewer

No in-app purchases

None

Focal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JSON Viewer free?
JSON Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Focal free?
Focal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do JSON Viewer or Focal have ads?
Neither JSON Viewer nor Focal shows ads.

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