mobx vs redux vs storeon vs vuex
State Management Libraries
mobxreduxstoreonvuexSimilar Packages:

State Management Libraries

State management libraries are essential tools in modern web development that help manage and centralize application state in a predictable manner. They enable developers to maintain a single source of truth for application data, facilitating easier debugging, testing, and state synchronization across components. Each library has its unique approach to state management, catering to different project requirements and developer preferences.

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mobx028,1854.35 MB796 months agoMIT
redux061,458290 kB412 years agoMIT
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vuex028,394271 kB141-MIT

Feature Comparison: mobx vs redux vs storeon vs vuex

Reactivity Model

  • mobx:

    MobX uses a reactive programming model where state changes automatically propagate to the UI. It employs observables to track state changes, allowing components to re-render only when relevant data changes, resulting in efficient updates and minimal performance overhead.

  • redux:

    Redux follows a more traditional approach with a unidirectional data flow. State changes are made through actions and reducers, which means the UI must explicitly subscribe to state changes, leading to more predictable but less automatic updates compared to MobX.

  • storeon:

    Storeon provides a simple reactive model based on events. It allows components to subscribe to specific state changes, ensuring that only the necessary parts of the application re-render, promoting performance without complex reactivity mechanisms.

  • vuex:

    Vuex leverages Vue's reactivity system, allowing state changes to automatically trigger updates in components that depend on that state. It provides a centralized store that integrates tightly with Vue's component architecture, ensuring a smooth reactivity experience.

Boilerplate Code

  • mobx:

    MobX requires minimal boilerplate code, making it easier to set up and use. Its reactive nature allows developers to focus on building features rather than managing complex state logic, which can speed up development time.

  • redux:

    Redux often involves more boilerplate code due to its strict structure, requiring actions, reducers, and middleware to manage state. This can lead to a steeper learning curve but provides a clear and maintainable architecture for larger applications.

  • storeon:

    Storeon is designed to be lightweight with very little boilerplate. It allows developers to define stores and events succinctly, making it easy to integrate into projects without overwhelming complexity.

  • vuex:

    Vuex has a moderate amount of boilerplate, as it requires defining a store, mutations, actions, and getters. However, this structure helps maintain clarity and organization in larger Vue applications.

Middleware Support

  • mobx:

    MobX does not have built-in middleware support, as it focuses on simplicity and direct state management. However, developers can implement custom solutions for side effects if needed, keeping the core library lightweight.

  • redux:

    Redux has a robust middleware ecosystem, allowing developers to handle asynchronous actions, logging, and other side effects through middleware like Redux Thunk or Redux Saga. This extensibility is a significant advantage for complex applications.

  • storeon:

    Storeon supports middleware through its event system, allowing developers to create custom middleware for logging, analytics, or other side effects. This flexibility is beneficial for small to medium applications that require some level of extensibility.

  • vuex:

    Vuex supports plugins that can act as middleware, allowing developers to extend its functionality for logging, state persistence, or other side effects. This feature integrates well with Vue's ecosystem, providing a cohesive development experience.

Learning Curve

  • mobx:

    MobX has a gentle learning curve, especially for those familiar with reactive programming concepts. Its straightforward API and minimal boilerplate make it accessible for developers of varying skill levels.

  • redux:

    Redux has a steeper learning curve due to its more complex architecture and the need to understand concepts like actions, reducers, and middleware. However, once mastered, it provides a powerful and predictable state management solution.

  • storeon:

    Storeon is easy to learn, particularly for developers looking for a simple and effective state management solution. Its minimalistic design allows for quick onboarding and implementation without extensive knowledge of complex patterns.

  • vuex:

    Vuex is relatively easy to learn for those already familiar with Vue.js, as it follows Vue's conventions. However, understanding its concepts like state, getters, and mutations may take some time for newcomers.

Performance

  • mobx:

    MobX excels in performance due to its fine-grained reactivity, which minimizes unnecessary re-renders. It efficiently tracks dependencies, ensuring that only components that rely on changed state are updated, leading to optimal performance in dynamic applications.

  • redux:

    Redux can face performance challenges if not optimized correctly, especially with large state trees and frequent updates. However, using techniques like memoization and selective rendering can mitigate these issues, ensuring smooth performance in larger applications.

  • storeon:

    Storeon is designed for performance, as it only re-renders components that are subscribed to specific state changes. This lightweight approach ensures that applications remain responsive and efficient, even as they scale.

  • vuex:

    Vuex provides good performance due to its integration with Vue's reactivity system. However, performance can be impacted if state management becomes overly complex or if components are not optimized for reactivity.

How to Choose: mobx vs redux vs storeon vs vuex

  • mobx:

    Choose MobX if you prefer a more reactive programming model with minimal boilerplate code. It is ideal for applications that require fine-grained reactivity and automatic dependency tracking, making it suitable for smaller to medium-sized applications.

  • redux:

    Choose Redux if you need a predictable state container that emphasizes immutability and a unidirectional data flow. It is best for larger applications where state management complexity can grow, and you want to leverage middleware for side effects and asynchronous actions.

  • storeon:

    Choose Storeon for its lightweight and minimalistic approach to state management. It is a good option for small to medium applications where simplicity and performance are key, and you want to avoid the overhead of larger libraries.

  • vuex:

    Choose Vuex if you are working within the Vue.js ecosystem and need a state management solution that integrates seamlessly with Vue components. It is designed specifically for Vue applications and provides a structured way to manage state with a clear flow.

README for mobx

logo

MobX

Simple, scalable state management.

npm version OpenCollective OpenCollective Discuss on Github Coverage Status View changelog


Documentation

Documentation can be found at mobx.js.org.


Sponsors

MobX is made possible by the generosity of the sponsors below, and many other individual backers. Sponsoring directly impacts the longevity of this project.

🥇🥇 Platinum sponsors ($5000+ total contribution): 🥇🥇


Guilded Canva Parallax

🥇 Gold sponsors ($2500+ total contribution):


One Beyond Frontend Masters Auction Frontier CodeFirst Modulz Coinbase Curology Mendix Facebook Open Source Casino Sites Bugsnag

🥈 Silver sponsors ($500+ total contributions):

mantro GmbH Extremely Heavy Algolia Space307 Blokt UPPER DAZN talentplot EaseUS Route Planner and Route Optimizer Handsontable

Introduction

Anything that can be derived from the application state, should be. Automatically.

MobX is a signal based, battle-tested library that makes state management simple and scalable by transparently applying functional reactive programming. The philosophy behind MobX is simple:

😙

Straightforward

Write minimalistic, boilerplate-free code that captures your intent. Trying to update a record field? Simply use a normal JavaScript assignment — the reactivity system will detect all your changes and propagate them out to where they are being used. No special tools are required when updating data in an asynchronous process.

🚅

Effortless optimal rendering

All changes to and uses of your data are tracked at runtime, building a dependency tree that captures all relations between state and output. This guarantees that computations that depend on your state, like React components, run only when strictly needed. There is no need to manually optimize components with error-prone and sub-optimal techniques like memoization and selectors.

🤹🏻‍♂️

Architectural freedom

MobX is unopinionated and allows you to manage your application state outside of any UI framework. This makes your code decoupled, portable, and above all, easily testable.


A quick example

So what does code that uses MobX look like?

import React from "react"
import ReactDOM from "react-dom"
import { makeAutoObservable } from "mobx"
import { observer } from "mobx-react-lite"

// Model the application state.
function createTimer() {
    return makeAutoObservable({
        secondsPassed: 0,
        increase() {
            this.secondsPassed += 1
        },
        reset() {
            this.secondsPassed = 0
        }
    })
}

const myTimer = createTimer()

// Build a "user interface" that uses the observable state.
const TimerView = observer(({ timer }) => (
    <button onClick={() => timer.reset()}>Seconds passed: {timer.secondsPassed}</button>
))

ReactDOM.render(<TimerView timer={myTimer} />, document.body)

// Update the 'Seconds passed: X' text every second.
setInterval(() => {
    myTimer.increase()
}, 1000)

The observer wrapper around the TimerView React component will automatically detect that rendering depends on the timer.secondsPassed observable, even though this relationship is not explicitly defined. The reactivity system will take care of re-rendering the component when precisely that field is updated in the future.

Every event (onClick / setInterval) invokes an action (myTimer.increase / myTimer.reset) that updates observable state (myTimer.secondsPassed). Changes in the observable state are propagated precisely to all computations and side effects (TimerView) that depend on the changes being made.

MobX unidirectional flow

This conceptual picture can be applied to the above example, or any other application using MobX.

Getting started

To learn about the core concepts of MobX using a larger example, check out The gist of MobX page, or take the 10 minute interactive introduction to MobX and React. The philosophy and benefits of the mental model provided by MobX are also described in great detail in the blog posts UI as an afterthought and How to decouple state and UI (a.k.a. you don’t need componentWillMount).

Further resources

The MobX book

The MobX Quick Start Guide ($24.99) by Pavan Podila and Michel Weststrate is available as an ebook, paperback, and on the O'Reilly platform (see preview).

Videos

Credits

MobX is inspired by reactive programming principles, which are for example used in spreadsheets. It is inspired by model–view–viewmodel frameworks like MeteorJS's Tracker, Knockout and Vue.js, but MobX brings transparent functional reactive programming (TFRP, a concept which is further explained in the MobX book) to the next level and provides a standalone implementation. It implements TFRP in a glitch-free, synchronous, predictable and efficient manner.

A ton of credit goes to Mendix, for providing the flexibility and support to maintain MobX and the chance to prove the philosophy of MobX in a real, complex, performance critical applications.