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RAML VS JsonAPI

Compare RAML VS JsonAPI and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

RAML logo RAML

RAML is a solution that manages an API lifecycle from design to sharing.

JsonAPI logo JsonAPI

Application and Data, Languages & Frameworks, and Query Languages
  • RAML Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-19
  • JsonAPI Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-21

RAML features and specs

  • Human Readability
    RAML (RESTful API Modeling Language) uses a YAML-based syntax which makes it highly readable and easy for developers to understand and write.
  • Reusability
    RAML allows for the reusability of various components like data types, which helps in maintaining consistency across different APIs and reduces redundancy.
  • Modularity
    With RAML, APIs can be divided into modules and fragments, making them easier to manage and update. This also promotes cleaner organization of complex APIs.
  • Documentation Generation
    RAML supports automatic generation of API documentation, which helps in seamlessly updating and maintaining up-to-date documentation for the APIs.
  • Tooling Support
    There is substantial tooling support for RAML, including API design platforms, code generators, and documentation tools, which enhances developer productivity.

Possible disadvantages of RAML

  • Learning Curve
    Developers new to RAML may face a learning curve, especially if they are not familiar with YAML or similar modeling languages.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to other API description languages like OpenAPI, RAML has a relatively smaller ecosystem of tools and community support.
  • Market Adoption
    RAML is less widely adopted than competing specifications like OpenAPI, which may limit collaboration and job opportunities focusing specifically on RAML.
  • Complexity in Large APIs
    For very large APIs, managing numerous RAML fragments and dependencies can become complex and may require additional overhead to manage effectively.

JsonAPI features and specs

  • Standardization
    JSON:API provides a standardized format for building APIs, which promotes consistency and interoperability between different APIs.
  • Efficiency
    It supports features like sparse fieldsets, compound documents, and included relationships which help in reducing the amount of data transferred and improving response times.
  • Decoupling
    JSON:API encourages a clear separation between client and server, allowing them to evolve independently as long as they adhere to the specification.
  • Error Handling
    It has a well-defined error format that makes it easier for clients to understand what went wrong and how to fix it.
  • Community and Tooling
    A growing community and increasing tooling support make it easier to implement JSON:API in various server-side and client-side technologies.

Possible disadvantages of JsonAPI

  • Complexity
    The specification can be complex and may introduce a learning curve for developers who are new to it or used to simpler REST approaches.
  • Overhead
    Strict adherence to the JSON:API specification can sometimes introduce additional overhead in terms of implementation effort, especially for small projects.
  • Flexibility
    While the standardization is beneficial, it can reduce flexibility in scenarios where a more customized or optimized solution is needed.
  • Adoption
    Although growing, JSON:API is not as widely adopted as other conventions like simple REST, and thus some developers and projects might resist switching to it.
  • Resource Intensive
    Some features of JSON:API, like relationship links and included resources, can become resource-intensive for the server if not implemented carefully.

RAML videos

RAML Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - API Design - Creating Reusable RAML with Mock-Service in 5 Minutes

JsonAPI videos

No JsonAPI videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RAML and JsonAPI)
API Tools
68 68%
32% 32
Development
0 0%
100% 100
APIs
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, JsonAPI seems to be a lot more popular than RAML. While we know about 52 links to JsonAPI, we've tracked only 5 mentions of RAML. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

RAML mentions (5)

  • The Good, the Bad, and the OpenAPI: Why Developers Love and Hate It
    While alternatives like RAML and API Blueprint exist, OpenAPIโ€™s widespread adoption and comprehensive tooling make it the go-to choice for most developers. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Mastering API Definitions: A Comprehensive Guide
    RAML is another popular format for RESTful APIs, focusing on making it easier to design and document APIs. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Introduction to TypeSpec
    In this context, a "dispute" began between some API specification languages; as more and more teams adopted APIs, something was needed that would make it possible to define, document, and detail them. Among the competitors, I can remember RAML and the one I was betting my chips on, API Blueprint, but the winner was Swagger, later renamed to OpenAPI. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Navigating Microservices Code Repos
    This happened when I was working for one of my previous employers. I had just joined the company and was working on a microservice that was consuming a REST api exposed by another microservice. There was this JIRA ticket I was working on and I was not sure about the data model exposed by this REST api call. At this point in time the adoption to OpenAPI / Swagger / RAML was just beginning. I was new and was... - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago
  • What is Developer Experience and why should we care?
    Provide consistent and easy-to-use documentation. Provide an OpenAPI or RAML file that describes your API and the endpoints. Also, provide easy-to-use interactive online API documentation like Swagger if possible. - Source: dev.to / about 5 years ago

JsonAPI mentions (52)

  • GraphQL vs REST: 18 Claims Fact-Checked with Primary Sources (2026)
    REST does not define a standard batching mechanism at the protocol level. When batching is needed, it is handled through API design (such as bulk endpoints), infrastructure, or framework-specific solutions. Some specifications attempt to address this, such as ODataโ€™s batch format or JSON:APIโ€™s compound documents, but adoption is inconsistent. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Show HN: Aura โ€“ Like robots.txt, but for AI actions
    Why reinvent the wheel poorly when you have a hundred of solutions like https://jsonapi.org/? - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Build Real-Time Knowledge Graph for Documents with LLM
    For context, the subject-predicate-object pattern is known as a semantic triple or Resource Description Framework (RDF) triple: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_triple They're useful for storing social network graph data, for example, and can be expressed using standards like Open Graph and JSONAPI: https://ogp.me https://jsonapi.org I've stored RDF triples in database tables and experimented with query... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • OSF API: The Complete Guide
    Built on JSON API standards, the OSF API is intuitive for anyone familiar with REST conventions. Once you learn its core patterns, you can quickly expand into project creation, user collaboration, and moreโ€”without constantly referencing documentation. The official OSF API docs provide everything needed to get started. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Common Mistakes in RESTful API Design
    Following established patterns reduces the learning curve for your API. Adopt conventions from JSON:API or Microsoft API Guidelines to provide consistent experiences. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing RAML and JsonAPI, you can also consider the following products

Postman - The Collaboration Platform for API Development

GraphQL - GraphQL is a data query language and runtime to request and deliver data to mobile and web apps.

Apiary - Collaborative design, instant API mock, generated documentation, integrated code samples, debugging and automated testing

graphql.js - A reference implementation of GraphQL for JavaScript - graphql/graphql-js

Apigee - Intelligent and complete API platform

Apollo - Apollo is a full project management and contact tracking application.