Plist to JSON

Convert any property list — XML, binary or OpenStep — to clean, indented JSON you can paste straight into code.

Binary plists supported
Indented JSON output
Copy or download
Runs in your browser

Ready to open a file processed locally — nothing is uploaded

JSON turns dates and data into strings and loses plist type distinctions. Duplicate keys and numeric-key ordering may change. Keep the original plist for a lossless reference.

Paste XML or OpenStep plist

How types are mapped

string, integer, real and boolean map to their JSON equivalents
date becomes an ISO 8601 string
data becomes a base64 string
dict and array become objects and arrays; duplicate dictionary keys collapse and numeric-looking keys may reorder

Careful with round-trips

JSON has no separate integer and real types and no date or data type, so converting to JSON and back is lossy by nature. If you need to edit a plist and keep it a plist, edit it in the tree and download it as XML or binary instead.

Try an input and compare the output

These small synthetic examples contain no personal data. Use Load sample above to inspect the same values in the tree.

<date>2026-01-01T00:00:00Z</date>
<data>SGk=</data>

{
  "Created": "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "Data": "SGk="
}

The two XML values are excerpts from the sample's Created and Data fields. JSON cannot tell these strings apart from ordinary text.

Download XML sample Download binary sample Download JSON sample

Conversion rules and limits

Plist	JSON	What to check
integer / real	number	1 and 1.0 become the same JSON number; JSON import uses integer for whole numbers.
date / data	string	ISO date / Base64 text. Reverse conversion does not infer their original types.
UID	number	The UID tag is lost. XML export uses a CF$UID dictionary; confirm archive compatibility.
No equivalent	null	JSON to Plist rejects null instead of silently replacing it.
dict	object	Duplicate keys collapse and numeric-looking keys may reorder in JSON. Use unique keys.

Numbers use JavaScript precision. JSON imports reject non-finite numbers and integers outside ±9,007,199,254,740,991. Decimal fractions can round; represent exact identifiers or decimals as strings. This tool is not an arbitrary-precision converter.

Keep plist types when editing · Apple's property-list types

Frequently asked questions

Does it handle binary plists?: Yes — many converters only accept XML. Binary bplist00 files work here too.
Can I go the other way?: Yes, use the JSON to Plist page.