2026-05-28 · 5 min read
YAML emphasizes human readability with indentation and comments. JSON emphasizes strict syntax and universal parser support. Many platforms accept both; choosing wisely reduces operational pain.
Prefer YAML when
- Humans edit configs by hand (Kubernetes, CI pipelines)
- Comments document non-obvious settings
- Nesting is deep but still readable with indentation
Prefer JSON when
Converting between formats is easy for simple trees but lossy for comments and YAML-specific types.
- Machines generate and consume data exclusively
- You need the strictest cross-language compatibility
- Comments must not appear in the serialized form