When should I use JSON instead of JSONB?

Use JSON instead of JSONB only in specific scenarios where its characteristics provide advantages. JSON preserves exact formatting including whitespace and key order, useful for audit logs or when exact input representation matters. JSON has faster insertion performance since it stores text directly without decomposition. Use JSON for write-once, rarely-queried data like event logs or archival storage. JSON is appropriate for temporary staging tables where data gets transformed before moving to structured format. When you need to preserve original formatting for compliance or legal requirements. For data that gets immediately exported without querying, JSON avoids processing overhead. However, these scenarios are rare. JSONB is better for nearly all production use cases: APIs, user settings, product catalogs, analytics. JSONB query performance, indexing capabilities, and operator support make it the default choice. Test your JSON structures with our JSON Editor at jsonconsole.com/json-editor before choosing storage type. Unless you have specific requirements for exact format preservation or extreme write throughput, use JSONB.