ahooks vs SWR
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A React Hooks library of ready-made hooks for common state, request, and UI logic.
Open source · MIT
A React hook library for fetching data, with caching and automatic refresh.
The short answer
Choose ahooks if you need…
- React developers who repeatedly write data-fetching or state logic
- Teams building business web apps who want tested, shared hooks
- Developers who use TypeScript and want typed hook APIs
- Projects that need server-side rendering support
Choose SWR if you need…
- React developers who fetch data from APIs in components
- Projects that want built-in caching and request deduplication
- Apps that need data to refresh on focus, network recovery, or polling
- Teams building React Native or Next.js interfaces
Side-by-side
| ahooks | SWR | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 15k | 32.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 9 days ago | 20 days ago |
What each one is
ahooks
ahooks is a TypeScript library of React Hooks, reusable functions that handle common tasks in React apps such as data requests, state, and browser behavior. Developers install it from npm and import individual hooks, for example useRequest, instead of writing that logic from scratch. The README says it supports server-side rendering and includes both basic and more advanced hooks.
SWR
SWR is a React Hooks library for loading data in web interfaces. Its name comes from stale-while-revalidate: it shows cached data first, requests fresh data in the background, then updates the screen when the new data arrives. Developers use it to simplify data loading logic in React components.
Best for
ahooks
- React developers who repeatedly write data-fetching or state logic
- Teams building business web apps who want tested, shared hooks
- Developers who use TypeScript and want typed hook APIs
- Projects that need server-side rendering support
SWR
- React developers who fetch data from APIs in components
- Projects that want built-in caching and request deduplication
- Apps that need data to refresh on focus, network recovery, or polling
- Teams building React Native or Next.js interfaces
Strengths
ahooks
- Installable with npm, yarn, pnpm, or bun, and imported with a single package name
- Written in TypeScript with typed APIs, according to the README
- Includes both basic and advanced hooks and supports SSR
SWR
- Small, focused API: one hook covers the common fetch, loading, and error cases
- Built-in cache and request deduplication reduce repeated network calls
- Works with any asynchronous fetcher, so you can use your preferred fetching library
Not ideal for
ahooks
- Non-React projects, because the hooks only work inside React components
- Beginners still learning React basics, since the hooks assume understanding of React state and effects
- Projects needing a specific hook behavior the README does not document, as the README alone does not describe the full API
SWR
- People who do not write React code, since the library is built around React Hooks
- Projects that need a full server-side data layer rather than client-side fetching hooks
- Beginners with no JavaScript or React experience, who would need to learn those first
Trade-offs
ahooks
- The README is brief and points to external documentation sites for full API details
- The README notes that use-url-state has moved to a new package name, so older installs may need updating
SWR
- Requires React knowledge; it is not useful outside React-style apps
- The README is brief and points to the external documentation site for details and examples
- Behavior such as caching and revalidation has settings that take time to learn
Getting started
ahooks
Install with npm
$ npm install --save ahooksInstall with yarn
$ yarn add ahooksFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ahooks and SWR?
ahooks: A React Hooks library of ready-made hooks for common state, request, and UI logic. SWR: A React hook library for fetching data, with caching and automatic refresh. ahooks suits react developers who repeatedly write data-fetching or state logic, while SWR suits react developers who fetch data from apis in components.
Are ahooks and SWR free?
ahooks: Free and open source. SWR: Free and open source.
Is ahooks or SWR more popular?
SWR has more GitHub stars (32.5k) than ahooks (15k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ahooks and SWR?
Other options people compare them with include Million.js, useHooks, TanStack Query, Apollo Client, NativeBase.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.