Simplifying State Management: The Rise of Zustand

What is Zustand?

Zustand is a lightweight library created by the makers of react-spring and react-three-fiber, weighing in at just 1.5kB. Its simplicity and flexibility make it an attractive alternative to Redux and other state management tools.

import create from 'zustand';

const useStore = create((set) => ({
  bears: 0,
  increaseBears: () => set({ bears: (state) => state.bears + 1 }),
}));

Getting Started with Zustand

Zustand’s simplicity is its strongest selling point. The library’s main function, create, accepts a callback function that returns a Hook, which can be injected anywhere in your React application.

function BearCounter() {
  const { bears, increaseBears } = useStore();

  return (

  );
}

Persisting State with Zustand

One of the most common use cases for state management is persisting data across page reloads or user sessions. Zustand’s persist middleware makes it easy to save your state to localStorage or sessionStorage.

import { persist } from 'zustand/middleware';

const useStore = create(
  (set) => ({
    bears: 0,
    increaseBears: () => set({ bears: (state) => state.bears + 1 }),
  }),
  persist({
    name: 'bears-storage',
    storage: typeof window!== 'undefined'? localStorage : null,
  })
);

Zustand vs. Redux: A Comparison

Zustand offers a more pragmatic and simpler approach to state management compared to Redux. With Zustand, you don’t need to create reducers, actions, or dispatch functions to manage your state.

• Zustand: Create a global state with just a few lines of code.
• Redux: Requires creating reducers, actions, and dispatch functions.

Zustand vs. Jotai vs. Recoil: A Comparison of State Management Tools

Zustand, Jotai, and Recoil are all modern state management tools that offer unique approaches to managing global state.

1. Zustand: Provides a single store that can be connected to the external world.
2. Jotai: Focuses on primitive atoms and composing them.
3. Recoil: Offers a more comprehensive state management system.

What Makes Zustand Special?

Two things set Zustand apart from other state management tools: its independence from React and its unopinionated nature.

• Independence from React: Can be used with other frameworks and libraries.
• Unopinionated nature: Offers a flexible and easy-to-use state management tool.

Disadvantages of Using Zustand

While Zustand is an excellent choice for many projects, it’s not without its limitations.

• Documentation could be improved.
• The store structure can be clunky at times.

The Future of State Management

As the frontend ecosystem continues to evolve, it’s clear that state management will play an increasingly important role.

With libraries like Zustand, Jotai, and Recoil offering innovative approaches to managing global state, the days of over-engineering with Redux may be numbered.

Learn more about Zustand and other state management tools.