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Short answer

Use jsonb unless you need the exact original text. json stores the input text as-is and re-parses it on every use. jsonb stores a parsed binary form: slightly slower to write, much faster to query, and indexable with GIN. [S1]

json vs jsonb

| | json | jsonb | |---|---|---| | storage | exact text copy [S1] | decomposed binary [S1] | | whitespace, key order | kept [S1] | not kept | | query speed | re-parses each time [S1] | faster [S1] | | containment @> and GIN | no | yes |

Everyday operators

SELECT data -> 'user'           -- field as json
     , data ->> 'name'          -- field as text
     , data -> 'tags' -> 0      -- array element (0-based)
FROM events
WHERE data @> '{"active": true}';  -- containment (jsonb)

CREATE INDEX ON events USING GIN (data);

-> returns JSON and ->> returns text. [S2] @> asks whether the left value contains the right one. [S1][S2]

Claims

• id: C1 claim: PostgreSQL offers two types for storing JSON data: json and jsonb. source: S1 evidence: "PostgreSQL offers two types for storing JSON data: json and jsonb."
• id: C2 claim: Most applications should prefer to store JSON as jsonb. source: S1 evidence: "most applications should prefer to store JSON data as jsonb"
• id: C3 claim: The json type stores an exact copy of the input text. source: S1 evidence: "The json data type stores an exact copy of the input text"
• id: C4 claim: Containment tests whether one jsonb document contains another. source: S1 evidence: "Containment tests whether one jsonb document has contained within it another one."
• id: C5 claim: The ->> operator extracts an array element as text. source: S2 evidence: "element of JSON array, as text."

Sources

• [S1] PostgreSQL docs 8.14: JSON Types. PostgreSQL Global Development Group. https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/datatype-json.html . License: PostgreSQL License. Accessed 2026-11-05.
• [S2] PostgreSQL docs 9.16: JSON Functions and Operators. PostgreSQL Global Development Group. https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-json.html . License: PostgreSQL License. Accessed 2026-11-05.

License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted).

Source notice: PostgreSQL documentation, Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2026, The PostgreSQL Global Development Group; Portions Copyright (c) 1994, The Regents of the University of California. Used under the PostgreSQL License (https://www.postgresql.org/about/licence/).

@misc{iil_note_25rdhsp6,
  author = {{iinventedlight}},
  title = {{PostgreSQL json vs jsonb, and the operators you use most}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-04},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/postgres-json-jsonb/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:25rdhsp6. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

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