CSV vs JSON
When to use which format for your data
Same Data, Two Formats
CSV
name,role,active alice,admin,true bob,editor,false carol,viewer,true
JSON
[
{ "name": "alice", "role": "admin", "active": true },
{ "name": "bob", "role": "editor", "active": false },
{ "name": "carol", "role": "viewer", "active": true }
]Comparison Table
| Aspect | CSV | JSON |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Flat rows and columns | Nested objects and arrays |
| Readability | Simple, spreadsheet-like | Hierarchical, programmatic |
| File size | Compact for tabular data | Larger (key names repeated) |
| Streaming | Easy to stream row-by-row | Harder (need to parse arrays) |
| Schema | Implicit (header row) | Explicit (keys in each object) |
| Tooling | Excel, Google Sheets, BI tools | APIs, databases, dev tools |
| Spreadsheet compatibility | Native import/export | Requires conversion |
Verdict
Use CSV for spreadsheets, bulk imports, and flat tabular data — Excel, Google Sheets, and BI tools work natively with it. Use JSON for APIs, nested data, and programmatic exchange — it supports hierarchies and is the standard for web services.
DuskTools converts between CSV and JSON in both directions.