JMESPath vs jq

jq is a powerhouse CLI; JMESPath is the lightweight query language built into AWS CLI and SDKs. Here’s how to pick the right tool for each job.

JMESPath playground JMESPath create CSV

Feature comparison

Aspect	JMESPath	jq
Form factor	Embedded query language	Standalone CLI tool
CSV output	Needs helper (like this site)	Built-in @csv and @tsv
Learning curve	Simple expressions, functions	Powerful but steeper
Use in apps	Lightweight library bindings	Usually shell-only
Streaming	Not streaming	Supports streaming and large files
AWS CLI	Native with --query	Requires piping output to jq

Which to use?

AWS CLI guide →

AWS CLI quick filter

Best: JMESPath

No extra install; use --query directly and export with our CSV tool.

Massive log crunching on server

Best: jq

Streaming and filters excel on huge files.

Application-level JSON transforms

Best: JMESPath

Embed in Python/JS/Go/Java; small dependency footprint.

One-off CLI data wrangling

Best: jq

Rich operators, regex, math, and CSV formatting inline.

Sample commands

JMESPath

aws ec2 describe-instances --query "Reservations[].Instances[].{Id:InstanceId,State:State.Name}" --output json
# Export to CSV with our JMESPath create CSV tool

aws ec2 describe-instances \
  | jq -r '.Reservations[].Instances[] | [.InstanceId, .State.Name] | @csv' \
  > instances.csv