When jq is the better choice
Programmatic filtering: curl api | jq '.data.items[] | select(.status=="active")' extracts nested arrays in one line. CI scripts, automated tests, and large log pipelines are jq territory.
On a configured dev machine or offline environment, the terminal is often faster than opening a new browser tab.
When an online JSON formatter wins
Ad-hoc debugging: A PM drops JSON in chat — you only need to read structure, not write a script. Paste into WoDeTool, zero install.
Non-developers: QA, ops, and support staff can inspect API output without a terminal.
Syntax errors: WoDeTool highlights the breaking line; jq fails opaquely on invalid JSON for beginners.
Tool chaining: Format → JSON Diff → JSON↔YAML on one site without context switching.
Recommended combo
Use WoDeTool in the browser for overview, syntax fixes, and contract diffs; use jq on servers for batch jobs and CI.
Share prefilled links via ?input= when you need colleagues to see the same formatted payload instantly.