Which is Better Data Fetching Libraries for React?
swr vs react-query vs axios-hooks vs use-http
1 Year
swrreact-queryaxios-hooksuse-httpSimilar Packages:
What's Data Fetching Libraries for React?

Data fetching libraries for React streamline the process of making HTTP requests and managing server state in React applications. They provide tools to handle caching, synchronization, and updates to the UI based on data changes, enhancing the overall developer experience and application performance. These libraries abstract away the complexities of managing asynchronous data and offer built-in features for error handling, loading states, and data revalidation, making it easier for developers to focus on building their applications without worrying about the underlying data-fetching logic.

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swr2,211,83430,532620 kB1459 months agoMIT
react-query1,334,42242,4552.26 MB912 years agoMIT
axios-hooks46,2101,87047 kB2a year agoMIT
use-http20,3282,315224 kB892 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: swr vs react-query vs axios-hooks vs use-http

Data Caching

  • swr: swr implements a caching strategy that allows for stale data to be displayed while fetching fresh data in the background, ensuring a smooth user experience with minimal loading times.
  • react-query: react-query excels in caching, automatically caching responses and providing options for stale-while-revalidate strategies, which enhances performance by reducing unnecessary network requests.
  • axios-hooks: axios-hooks does not provide built-in caching mechanisms; it relies on Axios for making requests, meaning caching must be handled manually or through external libraries.
  • use-http: use-http offers basic caching capabilities, but it is not as sophisticated as react-query or swr, focusing more on simplicity and ease of use.

Error Handling

  • swr: swr includes built-in error handling, allowing developers to manage errors gracefully and provide fallback UI or retry mechanisms for failed fetches, improving resilience in applications.
  • react-query: react-query provides comprehensive error handling features, allowing developers to easily manage error states and implement retry logic for failed requests, enhancing user experience during network issues.
  • axios-hooks: axios-hooks allows for error handling through Axios's built-in mechanisms, enabling developers to catch and manage errors in a straightforward manner using try/catch blocks or promise rejection handling.
  • use-http: use-http simplifies error handling by providing an error state that can be easily accessed and displayed, making it straightforward for developers to implement error feedback.

Learning Curve

  • swr: swr is designed to be simple and easy to learn, with a minimal API that allows developers to quickly grasp its usage for data fetching without much overhead.
  • react-query: react-query has a moderate learning curve due to its rich feature set and concepts like query keys and cache management, but it offers extensive documentation to ease the learning process.
  • axios-hooks: axios-hooks has a gentle learning curve, especially for those already familiar with Axios, as it builds on its API and integrates seamlessly with React hooks.
  • use-http: use-http is very beginner-friendly, providing a straightforward API that is easy to understand and implement, making it ideal for new developers.

Real-time Updates

  • swr: swr provides revalidation strategies that can be used to fetch fresh data periodically, making it suitable for applications that require near real-time data updates.
  • react-query: react-query supports real-time updates through features like polling and subscriptions, allowing applications to stay updated with the latest data from the server.
  • axios-hooks: axios-hooks does not inherently support real-time updates; developers must implement their own solutions for real-time data synchronization.
  • use-http: use-http does not offer built-in support for real-time updates, focusing instead on simple request handling without additional complexity.

Integration with Other Libraries

  • swr: swr is designed to work well with other libraries and frameworks, allowing for easy integration into existing projects without major refactoring.
  • react-query: react-query can work alongside various state management libraries and is often used in conjunction with React's Context API or Redux for managing global state.
  • axios-hooks: axios-hooks integrates seamlessly with Axios, making it a good choice if you are already using Axios for HTTP requests in your application.
  • use-http: use-http is a standalone library that can be used independently but may require additional setup to integrate with state management solutions.
How to Choose: swr vs react-query vs axios-hooks vs use-http
  • swr: Select swr if you want a minimalistic and efficient library focused on data fetching with built-in caching and revalidation, particularly useful for applications that require frequent data updates from the server.
  • react-query: Opt for react-query if you need a robust solution with advanced features like caching, background data synchronization, and automatic retries for failed requests, making it ideal for complex applications with multiple data sources.
  • axios-hooks: Choose axios-hooks if you prefer a simple and lightweight solution that integrates seamlessly with Axios for making HTTP requests while leveraging React hooks for state management.
  • use-http: Consider use-http if you seek a straightforward API for making HTTP requests with built-in support for loading and error states, making it suitable for simpler applications.
README for swr

SWR


Introduction

SWR is a React Hooks library for data fetching.

The name “SWR” is derived from stale-while-revalidate, a cache invalidation strategy popularized by HTTP RFC 5861. SWR first returns the data from cache (stale), then sends the request (revalidate), and finally comes with the up-to-date data again.

With just one hook, you can significantly simplify the data fetching logic in your project. And it also covered in all aspects of speed, correctness, and stability to help you build better experiences:

  • Fast, lightweight and reusable data fetching
  • Transport and protocol agnostic
  • Built-in cache and request deduplication
  • Real-time experience
  • Revalidation on focus
  • Revalidation on network recovery
  • Polling
  • Pagination and scroll position recovery
  • SSR and SSG
  • Local mutation (Optimistic UI)
  • Built-in smart error retry
  • TypeScript
  • React Suspense
  • React Native

...and a lot more.

With SWR, components will get a stream of data updates constantly and automatically. Thus, the UI will be always fast and reactive.


View full documentation and examples on swr.vercel.app.


Quick Start

import useSWR from 'swr'

function Profile() {
  const { data, error, isLoading } = useSWR('/api/user', fetcher)

  if (error) return <div>failed to load</div>
  if (isLoading) return <div>loading...</div>
  return <div>hello {data.name}!</div>
}

In this example, the React Hook useSWR accepts a key and a fetcher function. The key is a unique identifier of the request, normally the URL of the API. And the fetcher accepts key as its parameter and returns the data asynchronously.

useSWR also returns 3 values: data, isLoading and error. When the request (fetcher) is not yet finished, data will be undefined and isLoading will be true. When we get a response, it sets data and error based on the result of fetcher, isLoading to false and rerenders the component.

Note that fetcher can be any asynchronous function, you can use your favourite data-fetching library to handle that part.


View full documentation and examples on swr.vercel.app.


Authors

This library is created by the team behind Next.js, with contributions from our community:

Contributors

Thanks to Ryan Chen for providing the awesome swr npm package name!


License

The MIT License.