jq

Visit site Alternatives

Score7.2

Rank#1 of 35

PriceFree

Free planYes

Runs onLinux, macOS, Self-hosted, Web, Windows

Summary

jq is a free command-line tool for filtering and transforming JSON data. A jq filter takes an input value and produces output; filters can be combined to select records, access nested attributes, construct objects, or gather results into arrays. It reads whitespace-separated JSON values and writes serialized results, with each expression applied to each input value and potentially producing zero or more outputs. For very large inputs, the --stream option parses incrementally. Output settings include compact, raw, ASCII, sorted-key, and colored forms. jq is implemented in portable C and has no runtime dependencies, and a binary can be copied to another machine of the same type. Standalone executables are offered for Linux, macOS, and Windows, alongside packages for common Linux distributions and package managers. A Docker image is also available. Release binaries have SHA-256 checksums, and release artifacts are signed with jq release keys. The code is MIT-licensed; its documentation uses CC-BY-3.0.

Who it is for

jq suits developers and other command-line users who need to query, filter, or reshape JSON streams. Its incremental parsing option may be useful when working with very large inputs.

What is good

Free software with MIT-licensed code.
Filters select, map, and transform JSON data.
Incremental parsing is available with --stream.
No runtime dependencies; written in portable C.
Standalone binaries are available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

What to know first

jq is a command-line tool, not a graphical editor.
Standalone executables are listed only for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Verdict

jq provides focused JSON filtering and transformation through composable command-line filters. Its multiple output options, incremental parsing, and broad package availability make it suitable for command-line data work.

jq plans and pricing

All plans

jq Free MIT-licensed software · standalone binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026

Compared on data transformation tools

Free plan: Yesjqlang.org

Facts

Purpose: jq is a lightweight and flexible command-line JSON processor.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Data operations: jq can slice, filter, map and transform JSON data.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Implementation: jq is written in portable C and has zero runtime dependencies.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Binary portability: A single jq binary can be copied to another machine of the same type and run.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Filter model: A jq program is a filter that takes an input and produces an output, and filters can be combined.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Streaming: jq reads whitespace-separated JSON values and writes newline-separated JSON output.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Large inputs: The --stream option parses input incrementally and is useful for very large inputs.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Output controls: jq provides options for compact, raw, ASCII, sorted-key and colored output.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Desktop platforms: Official standalone executables are available for Linux, macOS and Windows.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Package integrations: jq is available through Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, Arch, Homebrew, MacPorts, Fink, winget, Scoop and Chocolatey.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Container: A jq Docker image is available from GitHub Container Registry.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Source builds: jq can be built from source on Linux, macOS, Cygwin and other POSIX-like operating systems.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Artifact verification: Release binaries have SHA-256 checksums and signed release artifacts with jq release keys.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Security reporting: The jqlang/jq repository has GitHub private vulnerability disclosure enabled.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs users to Stack Overflow, the jq tag, Libera.Chat and Discord for questions and discussion.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Licensing: jq code is licensed under MIT and its documentation under CC-BY-3.0.jqlang.org · 1 Oct 2026
Purpose: jq is a lightweight, flexible command-line JSON processor for slicing, filtering, mapping, and transforming structured data.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Implementation: jq is written in portable C and has zero runtime dependencies.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Data handling: jq processes streams of JSON values, with each expression running on each input value and producing zero or more outputs.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Transformations: jq filters can select data, access nested attributes, build objects, and collect results into arrays.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Output format: JSON values in jq streams are serialized with whitespace separators, so streams can be joined together.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Platforms: The download page links standalone executables for Linux, macOS, and Windows, and describes building jq for nearly any platform.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Distribution: The download page lists installation through Linux distribution repositories, Homebrew, MacPorts, Fink, winget, Scoop, and Chocolatey.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Container: A Docker image is available from GitHub Container Registry.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Security: SHA-256 checksums are provided for release and pre-release binaries, and release artifacts are signed by a jq release key.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
License: jq code is licensed under the MIT license, while its documentation is licensed under CC-BY-3.0.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Support: The project points users to Stack Overflow, the #jq Libera.Chat channel, and its Discord server for questions and discussion.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Release: The project news page lists jq 1.8.2 as released on June 20, 2026.jqlang.org · 2 Oct 2026
Maintainers: The jqlang organization says it is the canonical source for the C implementation of jq and that new maintainers were recruited.github.com · 2 Oct 2026