MongoDB Master Guide

 

JSON vs BSON: Which One Should You Use in 2025? 

"Not all formats are created equal. When performance meets flexibility, the war of JSON vs BSON begins."

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•           Introduction

In today’s data-driven world, the way we store and exchange data plays a pivotal role in application speed, scalability, and user experience. Whether you're building a social media app or managing big data pipelines, you’ve likely come across JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). But have you met its binary cousin, BSON?

As MongoDB and other NoSQL databases gain popularity, developers are leaning toward BSON for performance—but why? Let’s explore what makes these formats different, where they shine, and which one YOU should choose.

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•      What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data format that is:

• Human-readable
• Language-independent
• Ideal for data exchange via REST APIs

It’s used everywhere—from frontend UIs to backend APIs and even mobile apps.

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•        What is BSON?

BSON (Binary JSON) is a binary-encoded serialization format developed by MongoDB. While it looks similar to JSON, it:

• Stores data in binary format
• Supports more data types like Date, int, long, float
• Enables faster encoding/decoding
• BSON Representation (similar to JSON, but in binary)

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•        JSON vs BSON: Head-to-Head Comparison

•  How View BSON and JSON in MongoDB

MongoDB stores data internally as BSON (Binary JSON), but exposes it to users in JSON-like formats through tools. Here’s how you can view both:

 1. Using MongoDB Shell

Ø  Step 1: Open Mongo Shell

Ø  Step 2: Switch to your database

 

 

Ø  Step 3: Insert a document

 

 

Ø  Step 4: View as JSON

 

 

This will return a readable JSON-style document, though technically, it's being decoded from BSON behind the scenes.

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 2. Using MongoDB Compass

MongoDB Compass is a GUI tool that shows BSON in a more user-friendly format.

 

Ø  Steps:

1.  Open MongoDB Compass.
2. Connect to your local or Atlas MongoDB server.
3. Navigate to your database and collection.
4.  Click on any document.
5.  At the top-right of the document view, choose:

o   "Tree View" → visually structured JSON.

o   "JSON View" → shows Extended JSON.

o   "Raw BSON View" (in dev tools or logs if available)

 Example Output in JSON View:

 

This is Extended JSON, MongoDB’s readable format for BSON data types like ObjectId, Date, and Int.

 

3. Using MongoDB Atlas (Online Cloud UI)

Ø  Steps:

 

1. Login to MongoDB Atlas.
2. Go to your Cluster > Collections.
3. Select your database and collection.
4. Click any document to view it in Extended JSON format.

Atlas displays BSON data using the same extended JSON view, just like Compass.

 

•          Future Scope of BSON

As applications scale and data becomes more complex:

• Performance becomes crucial → BSON's binary nature saves processing time.
• IoT & Real-time systems need faster serialization → BSON fits the bill.
• AI & Big Data applications demand type flexibility and fast reads → BSON is highly optimized.

MongoDB is investing in faster BSON libraries and adaptive compression—expect BSON to play a much bigger role in scalable backend architectures.

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•           Conclusion

Both JSON and BSON have their own strengths:

• Use JSON when human-readability, simplicity, and interoperability are your priorities.
• Use BSON when performance, data type richness, and database integration (like MongoDB) matter more.

In the battle of JSON vs BSON, it’s not about which is better—but which is right for your application.

 

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Daisiya K John

University: Sri Balaji University, Pune

School: School of Computer Studies

Course: BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications)

Interests: NoSQL, MongoDB, and related technologies

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