Which is Better State Management Libraries?
redux vs redux-thunk vs zustand vs xstate vs mobx vs react-query vs redux-saga vs recoil vs effector
1 Year
reduxredux-thunkzustandxstatemobxreact-queryredux-sagarecoileffectorSimilar Packages:
What's State Management Libraries?

State management libraries provide developers with tools to manage the state of applications, particularly in complex user interfaces where multiple components need to share and synchronize data. These libraries help in maintaining a predictable state, enabling easier debugging, and enhancing the overall architecture of applications. They cater to different paradigms and use cases, from reactive programming to centralized stores, and can significantly impact the performance and maintainability of applications.

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redux9,959,52460,854290 kB3810 months agoMIT
redux-thunk5,212,54117,76726.8 kB210 months agoMIT
zustand4,035,15146,99988.6 kB524 days agoMIT
xstate1,581,43326,9991.67 MB13218 days agoMIT
mobx1,507,26927,4954.32 MB6713 days agoMIT
react-query1,310,84442,0182.26 MB832 years agoMIT
redux-saga976,27722,532221 kB379 months agoMIT
recoil495,60019,5922.21 MB3222 years agoMIT
effector46,4874,5861.42 MB1549 days agoMIT
Feature Comparison: redux vs redux-thunk vs zustand vs xstate vs mobx vs react-query vs redux-saga vs recoil vs effector

Reactivity

  • redux: Redux follows a predictable state management model with a single source of truth. State changes are made through actions and reducers, ensuring a clear and traceable flow of data, but it lacks built-in reactivity.
  • redux-thunk: Redux-Thunk allows for asynchronous actions in Redux, enabling functions to be dispatched that can perform side effects. However, it does not provide the same level of reactivity as MobX or Effector.
  • zustand: Zustand offers a simple and reactive API for managing state in React applications. It allows for easy subscription to state changes, enabling components to re-render efficiently when the state updates.
  • xstate: XState uses state machines to manage state transitions, providing a clear and visual way to handle complex state logic. It promotes predictable state changes but requires a different mindset compared to reactive libraries.
  • mobx: MobX uses observable state, automatically tracking dependencies and re-rendering components when the state they depend on changes. This reactive approach simplifies state management and reduces boilerplate code.
  • react-query: React Query focuses on managing server state and provides hooks that automatically handle fetching, caching, and updating data, ensuring components are always in sync with the server state.
  • redux-saga: Redux-Saga manages side effects using generator functions, allowing for complex asynchronous flows. While it provides powerful control over side effects, it does not inherently provide reactivity like MobX or Effector.
  • recoil: Recoil offers a reactive state management model that integrates seamlessly with React's rendering model. It allows components to subscribe to atoms (state units) and selectors (derived state), promoting efficient updates.
  • effector: Effector provides a fine-grained reactivity model, allowing components to subscribe to specific pieces of state. This leads to efficient updates and minimal re-renders, making it highly performant for complex applications.

Complexity

  • redux: Redux has a steep learning curve due to its boilerplate and concepts like actions, reducers, and middleware. However, it provides a robust architecture for large applications once understood.
  • redux-thunk: Redux-Thunk is simpler than Redux-Saga, allowing for straightforward asynchronous actions. It is easier to learn but may not handle complex flows as elegantly as sagas.
  • zustand: Zustand is designed to be minimalistic and easy to use, making it suitable for developers of all experience levels. Its straightforward API allows for quick adoption without overwhelming complexity.
  • xstate: XState requires understanding of state machines and statecharts, which can be complex for some developers. However, it provides a powerful way to manage intricate state logic once learned.
  • mobx: MobX is relatively easy to learn, especially for those familiar with observables. Its simplicity and automatic dependency tracking reduce boilerplate, making it accessible for new developers.
  • react-query: React Query is straightforward to integrate into React applications, focusing on data fetching and caching. Its API is intuitive, making it easy for developers to adopt without significant overhead.
  • redux-saga: Redux-Saga introduces complexity with its use of generator functions and side effect management. It requires a good understanding of asynchronous programming concepts, which can be challenging for newcomers.
  • recoil: Recoil has a gentle learning curve for those already familiar with React. Its API is designed to feel natural for React developers, making it easy to get started with state management.
  • effector: Effector has a steeper learning curve due to its unique approach to reactivity and state management. However, it offers powerful capabilities for managing complex state logic once mastered.

Performance

  • redux: Redux can suffer from performance issues due to its centralized state management, especially in large applications. However, using techniques like memoization and selective rendering can mitigate these issues.
  • redux-thunk: Redux-Thunk is lightweight and introduces minimal performance overhead, making it suitable for simpler applications. However, it may not handle performance optimally in highly complex scenarios compared to Redux-Saga.
  • zustand: Zustand is designed for performance with a minimalistic approach, allowing for efficient state updates and reactivity. It is suitable for applications that require quick and responsive state management.
  • xstate: XState can improve performance by clearly defining state transitions and reducing unnecessary updates. Its visual representation of state machines aids in optimizing state management.
  • mobx: MobX optimizes performance through automatic dependency tracking, ensuring that only components that depend on changed state are re-rendered. This leads to efficient updates and a responsive user experience.
  • react-query: React Query enhances performance by caching server responses and automatically updating components when data changes. This reduces the need for redundant API calls and improves overall application responsiveness.
  • redux-saga: Redux-Saga can introduce performance overhead due to its complexity and the need to manage side effects. However, it provides powerful control over asynchronous flows, which can lead to better performance in complex scenarios.
  • recoil: Recoil's architecture allows for efficient updates by enabling components to subscribe to specific atoms. This minimizes re-renders and enhances performance in applications with shared state.
  • effector: Effector is designed for high performance, with fine-grained reactivity that minimizes unnecessary re-renders. This makes it suitable for applications with complex state interactions and frequent updates.

Use Cases

  • redux: Redux is best for large-scale applications with complex state management needs, where a centralized store and predictable state transitions are essential for maintainability.
  • redux-thunk: Redux-Thunk is ideal for simpler applications that require basic asynchronous actions without the overhead of more complex solutions like Redux-Saga.
  • zustand: Zustand is suitable for small to medium-sized applications that require a simple and efficient state management solution without the complexity of Redux.
  • xstate: XState is perfect for applications with complex state logic that can benefit from state machines, such as form handling or multi-step processes.
  • mobx: MobX is well-suited for applications that benefit from observable state and require a straightforward approach to state management, such as medium-sized applications with dynamic data.
  • react-query: React Query excels in applications that heavily rely on server data, such as dashboards or data-driven applications, where efficient data fetching and caching are crucial.
  • redux-saga: Redux-Saga is suitable for applications with complex asynchronous flows, such as e-commerce platforms or applications requiring intricate data-fetching logic.
  • recoil: Recoil is a great choice for React applications that need a simple yet powerful state management solution, especially when dealing with shared state across components.
  • effector: Effector is ideal for applications requiring complex state management and fine-grained control over reactivity, such as real-time applications or those with intricate user interactions.
How to Choose: redux vs redux-thunk vs zustand vs xstate vs mobx vs react-query vs redux-saga vs recoil vs effector
  • redux: Choose Redux for its predictable state container, especially in large applications where state management can become complex. It is ideal for applications that require a centralized store and strict unidirectional data flow, making debugging easier.
  • redux-thunk: Choose Redux-Thunk for simpler asynchronous actions in Redux applications. It is a lightweight middleware that allows you to write action creators that return a function instead of an action, making it suitable for straightforward async logic without the complexity of sagas.
  • zustand: Choose Zustand for its minimalistic approach to state management in React applications. It offers a simple API and allows for easy state sharing without the boilerplate of Redux, making it suitable for small to medium-sized applications.
  • xstate: Choose XState for managing state machines and statecharts in your applications. It provides a visual representation of state transitions and is ideal for applications with complex state logic that requires clear and maintainable state management.
  • mobx: Choose MobX if you prefer a more straightforward and less verbose way to manage state with automatic dependency tracking. It is suitable for applications that benefit from observable state and want to minimize boilerplate code.
  • react-query: Choose React Query for data fetching and caching in React applications. It excels in managing server state and provides built-in support for synchronization, caching, and background updates, making it perfect for applications that rely heavily on API interactions.
  • redux-saga: Choose Redux-Saga when you need to handle complex asynchronous flows in a Redux application. It uses generator functions to manage side effects, making it suitable for applications with intricate data-fetching logic and complex interactions.
  • recoil: Choose Recoil if you are looking for a simple and flexible state management solution that integrates seamlessly with React. It allows for fine-grained control over state and supports derived state and asynchronous queries, making it suitable for medium to large applications.
  • effector: Choose Effector for its fine-grained reactivity and ability to manage complex state logic with minimal boilerplate. It is ideal for applications that require high performance and a reactive approach to state management.
README for redux

Redux Logo

Redux is a predictable state container for JavaScript apps.

It helps you write applications that behave consistently, run in different environments (client, server, and native), and are easy to test. On top of that, it provides a great developer experience, such as live code editing combined with a time traveling debugger.

You can use Redux together with React, or with any other view library. The Redux core is tiny (2kB, including dependencies), and has a rich ecosystem of addons.

Redux Toolkit is our official recommended approach for writing Redux logic. It wraps around the Redux core, and contains packages and functions that we think are essential for building a Redux app. Redux Toolkit builds in our suggested best practices, simplifies most Redux tasks, prevents common mistakes, and makes it easier to write Redux applications.

GitHub Workflow Status npm version npm downloads redux channel on discord

Installation

Create a React Redux App

The recommended way to start new apps with React and Redux Toolkit is by using our official Redux Toolkit + TS template for Vite, or by creating a new Next.js project using Next's with-redux template.

Both of these already have Redux Toolkit and React-Redux configured appropriately for that build tool, and come with a small example app that demonstrates how to use several of Redux Toolkit's features.

# Vite with our Redux+TS template
# (using the `degit` tool to clone and extract the template)
npx degit reduxjs/redux-templates/packages/vite-template-redux my-app

# Next.js using the `with-redux` template
npx create-next-app --example with-redux my-app

We do not currently have official React Native templates, but recommend these templates for standard React Native and for Expo:

  • https://github.com/rahsheen/react-native-template-redux-typescript
  • https://github.com/rahsheen/expo-template-redux-typescript
npm install @reduxjs/toolkit react-redux

For the Redux core library by itself:

npm install redux

For more details, see the Installation docs page.

Documentation

The Redux core docs are located at https://redux.js.org, and include the full Redux tutorials, as well usage guides on general Redux patterns:

The Redux Toolkit docs are available at https://redux-toolkit.js.org, including API references and usage guides for all of the APIs included in Redux Toolkit.

Learn Redux

Redux Essentials Tutorial

The Redux Essentials tutorial is a "top-down" tutorial that teaches "how to use Redux the right way", using our latest recommended APIs and best practices. We recommend starting there.

Redux Fundamentals Tutorial

The Redux Fundamentals tutorial is a "bottom-up" tutorial that teaches "how Redux works" from first principles and without any abstractions, and why standard Redux usage patterns exist.

Help and Discussion

The #redux channel of the Reactiflux Discord community is our official resource for all questions related to learning and using Redux. Reactiflux is a great place to hang out, ask questions, and learn - please come and join us there!

Before Proceeding Further

Redux is a valuable tool for organizing your state, but you should also consider whether it's appropriate for your situation. Please don't use Redux just because someone said you should - instead, please take some time to understand the potential benefits and tradeoffs of using it.

Here are some suggestions on when it makes sense to use Redux:

  • You have reasonable amounts of data changing over time
  • You need a single source of truth for your state
  • You find that keeping all your state in a top-level component is no longer sufficient

Yes, these guidelines are subjective and vague, but this is for a good reason. The point at which you should integrate Redux into your application is different for every user and different for every application.

For more thoughts on how Redux is meant to be used, please see:

Basic Example

The whole global state of your app is stored in an object tree inside a single store. The only way to change the state tree is to create an action, an object describing what happened, and dispatch it to the store. To specify how state gets updated in response to an action, you write pure reducer functions that calculate a new state based on the old state and the action.

Redux Toolkit simplifies the process of writing Redux logic and setting up the store. With Redux Toolkit, the basic app logic looks like:

import { createSlice, configureStore } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'

const counterSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'counter',
  initialState: {
    value: 0
  },
  reducers: {
    incremented: state => {
      // Redux Toolkit allows us to write "mutating" logic in reducers. It
      // doesn't actually mutate the state because it uses the Immer library,
      // which detects changes to a "draft state" and produces a brand new
      // immutable state based off those changes
      state.value += 1
    },
    decremented: state => {
      state.value -= 1
    }
  }
})

export const { incremented, decremented } = counterSlice.actions

const store = configureStore({
  reducer: counterSlice.reducer
})

// Can still subscribe to the store
store.subscribe(() => console.log(store.getState()))

// Still pass action objects to `dispatch`, but they're created for us
store.dispatch(incremented())
// {value: 1}
store.dispatch(incremented())
// {value: 2}
store.dispatch(decremented())
// {value: 1}

Redux Toolkit allows us to write shorter logic that's easier to read, while still following the original core Redux behavior and data flow.

Logo

You can find the official logo on GitHub.

Change Log

This project adheres to Semantic Versioning. Every release, along with the migration instructions, is documented on the GitHub Releases page.

License

MIT