Zustand
A small React state-management library built on hooks, with no providers needed.
- Stars
- 58.9k
- Forks
- 2.2k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 15 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Zustand lets React apps keep shared state in a store that components read through a hook. Components subscribe to just the pieces they select and re-render only when those pieces change. The README says it needs no context providers and has a small API, and it can also be used without React.
- Create a counter store with actions and read it in separate components with a selector hook
- Select several state values at once with useShallow to avoid unnecessary re-renders
- Subscribe to specific store changes outside React using subscribe with the subscribeWithSelector middleware
- Use the core store without React via the zustand/vanilla entry point
Great for
- React developers who want simpler shared state than Redux
- Apps that need state shared across many components without wrapping them in providers
- Projects that need to read or update state outside components via getState and setState
- Developers who want fine control over which state changes trigger re-renders
Not ideal for
- Teams that require Redux's conventions, tooling, and strict structure, since the README describes zustand as un-opinionated
- Projects not using React or JavaScript, since the README focuses on JavaScript and React usage and the vanilla core is only a secondary option
- Adding state inside React Server Components, which the README explicitly advises against because it can cause bugs and privacy issues
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js and npm
Install zustand from npm
npm install zustand - 2
Run it
- Install the package with npm install zustand
- Create a store with create((set) => ({ ... })) and define state and actions
- Call the store hook in a component, passing a selector to pick the state you need
- Update state by calling set from an action
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use useShallow when a selector returns an object or array to avoid unnecessary re-renders
- Use the subscribeWithSelector middleware to react to specific state changes outside components
- Use getState and setState for non-reactive reads and writes when needed
- Read the TypeScript Usage section and the docs site for typing details
Downloads
Strengths
- Small, simple API based on hooks, with no providers required
- Components re-render only when the selected state they read changes
- Works with async actions and can be used outside React
Trade-offs
- The README says to set state immutably and be careful when replacing state, which takes care to get right
- Some patterns, such as fetching everything or using custom equality, can cause extra re-renders or require extra setup
- Documentation for the migration to v5 and TypeScript usage is referenced but not included in the truncated README
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zustand (this) | 58.9k | Library | beginner | 15 days ago | React developers who want simpler shared state than Redux |
| redux | 61.4k | Library | intermediate | 16 days ago | Developers building larger front-end apps where many components share the same data |
| jotai | 21.3k | Library | beginner | 14 days ago | React developers who want simple shared state without heavy setup |
| Recoil | 19.4k | Library | intermediate | 1.8 years ago | React developers who want shared state beyond simple prop passing |
| valtio | 10.2k | Library | intermediate | 7 days ago | React developers who want simple shared state without a lot of boilerplate |
| table | 28.5k | Library | intermediate | 15 days ago | Developers building custom data tables in React, Vue, Solid, Svelte or another supported framework |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.