Crates / json-patch / Alternatives
Rust crate alternatives · data Oct 24, 2026
Alternatives to json-patch
Short answerThe closest alternatives to json-patch on crates.io data are assert-json-diff (491K real downloads a day), prost-reflect (283K real downloads a day), jsonpath-rust (259K real downloads a day). Of the 3 we list, the most used is assert-json-diff, and 2 shipped a release in the last year. json-patch itself gets 384,913 a day with 162 dependents.
Every alternative we found
| Alternative | Real downloads a day | vs json-patch | Dependents | Last release | Why it is listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| assert-json-diff Established | 491,066 | 1.28x | 178 | 4.3y | keyword "json" | compare |
| prost-reflect Established | 283,349 | 0.74x | 198 | 4mo | keyword "json" | compare |
| jsonpath-rust Pulled in | 258,575 | 0.67x | 79 | 11d | keyword "json" | compare |
How to choose
- Same job, not the same API. Each line is listed because it shares a crates.io category or keyword with json-patch; read its description before you swap.
- More dependents means more answered questions and a smaller chance it disappears.
- Check the last release against how fast you need fixes. For json-patch: is it still maintained?
Rules
Alternatives = tracked crates (top 1000 by downloads) that share a specific crates.io category (2 points each) or keyword (3 points each) with json-patch, most similar first; its own parts (same name prefix) and crates it depends on or that depend on it are left out, because those are companions, not substitutes. Real downloads = quiet-day median, crates.io data Oct 24, 2026. Built when we find 3 or more.
Up next
The closest alternative: Established and quiet for years. 491,066 real downloads a day.assert-json-diffRust crate. Easily compare two JSON values and get great output. Real use: 491K downloads a day on quiet days; 178 crates depend on it.Read it next →Also worth your time