React Query and Redux are popular libraries for managing state in a React application. Still, they have some key differences, offering benefits and trade-offs that can influence the best fit for a particular project.

In this article, we will compare React Query and Redux in terms of their simplicity, performance, flexibility, community support, and suitability for different projects, trying to help you understand the key differences and determine the best fit for your needs.

It’s important to note that React Query and Redux are not mutually exclusive, and you can use them together or in combination with other state management solutions.

Closer Look at Capabilities of React Query

React Query provides tools for fetching and managing data from APIs and other sources, including caching and automatic updates, and integrates well with other popular React libraries. It’s designed to be easy to use and optimize performance but may not be suitable for more complex needs.

Let’s examine a few of the benefits and potential drawbacks of React Query we feel are essential:

Benefits of React Query

• Simplicity: React Query is designed to be easy to learn and use, with minimal API and straightforward concepts. This can make it a good choice for smaller projects or teams that want to get up and running quickly.

• Performance: React Query is optimized for performance, like caching, automatic background updates, and the ability to control the loading state of your components. This can help you build fast and responsive applications, reduce managing state overhead, and improve the user experience. Redux does not have these features built-in, but you can add them with additional libraries or by writing custom code.

• Flexibility: React Query allows you to easily fetch data from any API or other data source, and it provides a wide range of options for customizing the behavior of your queries.

• Integration with other libraries: React Query works well with other popular React libraries like React Router, React Suspense, and React Hooks, allowing you to integrate it into your existing codebase easily.

Drawbacks of React Query

• Limited functionality: React Query is focused on fetching and managing data from APIs, so it may not be suitable for more complex state management needs.

• Limited community support: React Query is a relatively new library, so that it may have a smaller community of users and a smaller pool of resources and documentation compared to more established alternatives like Redux.

Examination of Redux Capabilities

Redux is based on the principles of functional programming and the Flux architecture and is designed to handle complex state management needs but has a steep learning curve. It provides a clear, predictable pattern for managing state changes in an application.

Here are some benefits and potential drawbacks of Redux we find crucial.

Benefits of Redux

• Wide adoption: Redux has been around for several years and has a large and active community of users, which means it has a wealth of documentation, tutorials, and other resources available.

• Strong support for complex state management: Redux is designed to handle complex state management needs, with features like middleware and reducer composition that allow you to customize and extend its behavior.

• Easy to debug: Redux provides a clear, predictable pattern for managing state, making it easier to debug issues and understand what’s happening in your application.

Drawbacks of Redux

• Steep learning curve: Redux can have a steep learning curve, especially for developers who are new to the concept of functional programming or unfamiliar with the principles of Flux architecture.

• Simplicity: Redux can be more complex to learn and use than React Query, as it requires you to understand concepts like actions, reducers, and middleware. React Query, on the other hand, is designed to be easy to use and understand, with a minimal learning curve. 

• Boilerplate: Redux requires you to write a lot of boilerplate code, including action creators, reducers, and action types, which can be time-consuming and tedious.

• Overhead: Redux can add significant overhead to your application, especially if you’re managing a large or complex state tree. This can make your code more difficult to maintain and potentially impact performance. 

Conclusion

Ultimately, the choice between React Query and Redux will depend on your project’s specific needs and your team’s preferences. Both libraries can be powerful tools for managing state in a React application, but they have different trade-offs and may be better suited to other use cases.  If you need a more powerful and flexible solution for managing the application state or if you are already familiar with the Flux pattern, Redux may be a good choice. If you are looking for a simpler and more focused solution for managing data fetching, React Query may be a better option.

Authors

Marko Reljic – Software engineer extraordinaire passionate about FE, armed with a wealth of over eight years of experience and a formidable skillset in technologies such as JavaScript, Node.js, and C#. Always ready to tackle complex problems with grace and efficiency.

Nikola Knezevic – a software engineering mastermind focused on React and Node.js, with a strong background in the IT and services industry. Nikola delivers exceptional solutions, whether working on a small project or for a large enterprise.