Choosing the right state management approach depends on your needs. Here's how different solutions compare.
When to Use What#
Local state (useState):
- Component-specific data
- Form inputs
- UI state (open/closed)
Lifted state:
- Shared between few components
- Parent-child relationships
- Simple prop drilling acceptable
Context:
- Theme, locale, auth
- Infrequently changing data
- Avoiding deep prop drilling
External stores (Zustand, Redux):
- Complex state logic
- Frequent updates
- Shared across many components
- DevTools debugging needed
useState and useReducer#
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React Context#
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Zustand#
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Redux Toolkit#
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Jotai (Atomic State)#
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Comparison Table#
| Feature | useState | Context | Zustand | Redux | Jotai |
|------------------|----------|---------|---------|--------|--------|
| Boilerplate | Low | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
| Learning curve | Easy | Easy | Easy | Medium | Easy |
| DevTools | React | React | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Persistence | Manual | Manual | Built-in| Manual | Manual |
| Bundle size | 0 | 0 | ~3KB | ~11KB | ~4KB |
| Re-render control| Manual | Poor | Good | Good | Good |
| Async support | Manual | Manual | Manual | RTK Q | Built-in|
| SSR support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Best Practices#
General:
✓ Start simple, add complexity as needed
✓ Colocate state with usage
✓ Avoid premature optimization
✓ Use selectors for derived data
Context:
✓ Split contexts by domain
✓ Memoize provider values
✓ Avoid frequent updates
External stores:
✓ Normalize complex data
✓ Use selectors to prevent re-renders
✓ Keep actions small and focused
✓ Leverage middleware for side effects
Conclusion#
Start with useState for local state, use Context for app-wide infrequent data like themes. For complex or frequently updating state, Zustand offers simplicity while Redux provides structure. Choose based on team experience and app complexity.