Is JSON or JSONB faster for queries in PostgreSQL?

JSONB is significantly faster than JSON for queries in PostgreSQL, typically 2-10x faster depending on query complexity. JSON stores data as text requiring parsing on every query. JSONB stores data in binary format parsed once at insertion, enabling faster access. JSONB supports indexing with GIN indexes, dramatically accelerating queries on nested fields. JSON cannot be indexed directly. JSONB operators use optimized binary operations versus string parsing. For equality checks, JSONB is orders of magnitude faster. Range queries and containment checks on JSONB use index scans while JSON requires sequential scans. However, JSON is faster for insertion since it skips decomposition and processing. Use JSONB for read-heavy workloads and query-intensive applications. Use JSON only when write speed is critical and queries are rare. For production applications, JSONB is the default choice. Validate your JSON structure with our JSON Viewer at jsonconsole.com/json-viewer before designing database schemas. JSONB performance benefits far outweigh the minor insertion overhead for most use cases.