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React Hook Form vs redux-form

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.

React Hook Form

Open source · MIT

A React library for building forms, handling their state and validation with hooks.

redux-form

Open source · MIT

A React library that stores HTML form state in a Redux store.

The short answer

Choose React Hook Form if you need…

  • React developers building forms with several fields
  • Teams that want form validation with a schema library like Zod or Yup
  • Projects that need forms to stay responsive as they grow
  • React Native developers who want the same form approach on mobile

Choose redux-form if you need…

  • React developers who already use Redux and want form state in the same store
  • Apps where parts of the UI far from the form (such as another route) need to read or change form values
  • Teams maintaining an existing project that already uses redux-form

Side-by-side

React Hook Formredux-form
TypeLibraryLibrary
PriceFree and open sourceFree and open source
LicenceMITMIT
GitHub stars44.9k12.5k
Setup difficultyIntermediateIntermediate
How you get itInstall with a package managerInstall with a package manager
Main languageTypeScriptJavaScript
Last code update5 days ago2 years ago

What each one is

React Hook Form

React Hook Form is a TypeScript library for managing form state and validation in React apps, and the description says it also works with React Native. You register inputs with a hook, and it handles the values, errors, and submit flow for you. The README says it embraces native HTML form validation, works with popular validation schema libraries such as Yup and Zod, and has no dependencies.

redux-form

redux-form is a React library, built as a higher-order component on top of React Redux, that keeps the state of an HTML form inside a Redux store. It is meant for developers who already use Redux and want form values readable and changeable from elsewhere in their app. The README itself recommends most new projects use React Final Form or Formik instead, unless they specifically need tight coupling between form data and Redux.

Best for

React Hook Form

  • React developers building forms with several fields
  • Teams that want form validation with a schema library like Zod or Yup
  • Projects that need forms to stay responsive as they grow
  • React Native developers who want the same form approach on mobile

redux-form

  • React developers who already use Redux and want form state in the same store
  • Apps where parts of the UI far from the form (such as another route) need to read or change form values
  • Teams maintaining an existing project that already uses redux-form

Strengths

React Hook Form

  • The README states it is built with performance, UX and developer experience in mind
  • It has no dependencies, according to the README
  • It supports multiple validation libraries through resolvers

redux-form

  • Form state lives in Redux, so it can be inspected and updated from anywhere in the app
  • Includes a documented set of examples covering validation, field arrays, and wizard forms
  • Released under the permissive MIT license

Not ideal for

React Hook Form

  • People who are not writing React or React Native code, since it is a React library
  • Anyone wanting a ready-made form UI with no coding, because it provides hooks rather than visual components
  • Projects that need an exact guarantee of form performance, since the README gives no benchmarks

redux-form

  • Developers starting a new project with no need for form state in Redux; the README recommends React Final Form or Formik instead
  • Non-React projects, since it is built specifically on React and React Redux
  • Beginners who do not yet know React and Redux, since the library assumes both

Trade-offs

React Hook Form

  • The README is truncated and gives little detail on API behavior beyond the quickstart
  • It is specific to React, so it does not help with other frameworks
  • Validation setup depends on choosing and wiring a separate schema library

redux-form

  • The README says the author now recommends other libraries for most new projects
  • Documentation links point to version 8.2.2 docs, while the latest release is v8.3.10, so docs may lag the release
  • Keeping form state in Redux adds boilerplate compared with lighter form libraries

Getting started

React Hook Form

Install the package

npm install react-hook-form
Step-by-step guide: how to use React Hook Form

redux-form

Install redux-form with npm

npm install --save redux-form
Step-by-step guide: how to use redux-form

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between React Hook Form and redux-form?

React Hook Form: A React library for building forms, handling their state and validation with hooks. redux-form: A React library that stores HTML form state in a Redux store. React Hook Form suits react developers building forms with several fields, while redux-form suits react developers who already use redux and want form state in the same store.

Are React Hook Form and redux-form free?

React Hook Form: Free and open source. redux-form: Free and open source.

Is React Hook Form or redux-form more popular?

React Hook Form has more GitHub stars (44.9k) than redux-form (12.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.

What are other alternatives to React Hook Form and redux-form?

Other options people compare them with include Filament, Eureka, VeeValidate, Formily, Zustand.

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.