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Redux Toolkit vs Reselect

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.

Redux Toolkit

Open source · MIT

Official toolset that makes writing Redux state logic simpler and less error-prone.

Reselect

Open source · MIT

A library for creating memoized selector functions that derive data from state, mainly for Redux.

The short answer

Choose Redux Toolkit if you need…

  • Developers already using or learning Redux for app state
  • Teams that want the officially recommended Redux setup
  • TypeScript projects that need typed state logic

Choose Reselect if you need…

  • Redux users who want to derive data from a minimal store without recomputing it on every render
  • Developers using React-Redux who need stable result references to avoid unnecessary UI updates
  • TypeScript projects that want typed, composable selectors

Side-by-side

Redux ToolkitReselect
TypeLibraryLibrary
PriceFree and open sourceFree and open source
LicenceMITMIT
GitHub stars11.2k19k
Setup difficultyIntermediateIntermediate
How you get itInstall with a package managerInstall with a package manager
Main languageTypeScriptTypeScript
Last code update4 days ago8 days ago

What each one is

Redux Toolkit

Redux Toolkit is the official, opinionated set of tools for building Redux state management in JavaScript and TypeScript apps. Its description calls it batteries-included, meaning it bundles common Redux needs into one package. Developers use it to write less boilerplate code when managing shared application state.

Reselect

Reselect helps you write functions that pull or compute data from an app's state. It remembers the last result and only recalculates when the inputs change, which avoids repeated work. It is commonly used with Redux, though the README says it works with any plain JavaScript immutable data.

Best for

Redux Toolkit

  • Developers already using or learning Redux for app state
  • Teams that want the officially recommended Redux setup
  • TypeScript projects that need typed state logic

Reselect

  • Redux users who want to derive data from a minimal store without recomputing it on every render
  • Developers using React-Redux who need stable result references to avoid unnecessary UI updates
  • TypeScript projects that want typed, composable selectors

Strengths

Redux Toolkit

  • Official project maintained alongside Redux itself
  • Reduces repetitive Redux boilerplate
  • Open-source under the MIT license with 11,235 stars and recent activity

Reselect

  • Selectors skip recalculation when their arguments have not changed, according to the README
  • Returns the same result reference when nothing changed, which helps React-based UI updates
  • Composable: selectors can be used as inputs to other selectors

Not ideal for

Redux Toolkit

  • Projects with very simple state needs, where Redux itself may be more machinery than required
  • Non-developers, since it is a code library rather than an end-user tool
  • Anyone needing details the README does not cover, since the provided README text was truncated and empty

Reselect

  • People who are not using Redux or immutable-style data, since the main benefit depends on unchanged inputs
  • Beginners new to Redux, who may find the memoization concepts hard to grasp without learning the Redux basics first

Trade-offs

Redux Toolkit

  • The README text provided was truncated, so detailed features could not be verified here
  • Adds a dependency on Redux concepts that new developers must learn first
  • Best value depends on whether an app actually needs global state management

Reselect

  • Only useful when the data it wraps is treated as immutable; mutated state will not be detected
  • Requires understanding memoization and selector composition, which adds conceptual overhead
  • The README is truncated here, so version compatibility details beyond the v5 notes are not covered

Getting started

Redux Toolkit

Install with npm

npm install @reduxjs/toolkit
Step-by-step guide: how to use Redux Toolkit

Reselect

Install with npm

npm install reselect

Install with Yarn

yarn add reselect
Step-by-step guide: how to use Reselect

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Redux Toolkit and Reselect?

Redux Toolkit: Official toolset that makes writing Redux state logic simpler and less error-prone. Reselect: A library for creating memoized selector functions that derive data from state, mainly for Redux. Redux Toolkit suits developers already using or learning redux for app state, while Reselect suits redux users who want to derive data from a minimal store without recomputing it on every render.

Are Redux Toolkit and Reselect free?

Redux Toolkit: Free and open source. Reselect: Free and open source.

Is Redux Toolkit or Reselect more popular?

Reselect has more GitHub stars (19k) than Redux Toolkit (11.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.

What are other alternatives to Redux Toolkit and Reselect?

Other options people compare them with include Zustand, Jotai, MobX.

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.