Crates / serde_json / Alternatives
Rust crate alternatives · data Oct 24, 2026
Alternatives to serde_json
Short answerThe closest alternatives to serde_json on crates.io data are rmp-serde (346K real downloads a day), prost-reflect (283K real downloads a day), ron (266K real downloads a day). Of the 8 we list, the most used is zerovec, and 7 shipped a release in the last year. serde_json itself gets 4,294,696 a day with 113,141 dependents.
Every alternative we found
| Alternative | Real downloads a day | vs serde_json | Dependents | Last release | Why it is listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rmp-serde Widely used | 345,933 | 0.08x | 1,717 | 10mo | category Encoding, keyword "serde", keyword "serialization" | side by side |
| prost-reflect Established | 283,349 | 0.07x | 198 | 4mo | category Encoding, keyword "json", keyword "serialization" | compare |
| ron Widely used | 265,639 | 0.06x | 1,028 | 4mo | category Encoding, keyword "serde", keyword "serialization" | side by side |
| quick-xml Widely used | 1,525,182 | 0.36x | 2,687 | 2mo | category Encoding, category Parser implementations, keyword "serde" | compare |
| csv Widely used | 677,936 | 0.16x | 3,501 | 12mo | category Encoding, category Parser implementations, keyword "serde" | compare |
| zerovec Pulled in | 2,516,803 | 0.59x | 60 | 2d | category No standard library, keyword "serde", keyword "serialization" | compare |
| prost Widely used | 1,867,529 | 0.43x | 5,082 | 5mo | category Encoding, keyword "serialization" | compare |
| schemars_derive Pulled in | 952,344 | 0.22x | 6 | 12d | category Encoding, category No standard library, keyword "serde" | compare |
How to choose
- Same job, not the same API. Each line is listed because it shares a crates.io category or keyword with serde_json; 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 serde_json: 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 serde_json, 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: Widely used and steady. 345,933 real downloads a day.rmp-serdeRust crate. Serde support for MessagePack. Real use: 346K downloads a day on quiet days; 1,717 crates depend on it.Read it next →Also worth your time