I Tested Every JSON Viewer After the Formatter Scandal. Here's What I Found.

Remember JSON Formatter? The Chrome extension with 200K+ users that auto-formatted JSON in your browser? In mid-2026 it went closed-source, partnered with GiveFreely, and started injecting geolocation tracking plus donation popups into checkout pages. The developer's defense was "it's for charity." The community's response was a collective "uninstall immediately."

I'm a developer. I look at JSON all day — API responses, config files, debug dumps. I needed a replacement. So I tested every major JSON viewer on the market.

The Contenders

JSON Formatter (arnav-kr) — The spiritual successor

This is the most popular open-source fork. 60+ themes, collapsible toolbar, keyboard shortcuts for everything.

I Tested Every JSON Viewer After the Formatter Scandal. Here's What I Found.

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