is zustand is alternative for redux?
Tags: zustand, webdev, react, tutorial
Published: 2022-12-12 11:21:58

Zustand is a state management library for React applications that is often compared to Redux. Both Zustand and Redux provide a way to manage state in React applications, but they have some key differences in their approach and features.

One key difference between Zustand and Redux is the way that they handle state updates. Zustand uses a React hook called useState to manage state updates, while Redux uses a pattern called "reducer" to handle state updates. This means that Zustand may be easier to learn and use for developers who are familiar with React's built-in hooks, while Redux may be a better fit for developers who prefer the reducer pattern.

Another difference between the two libraries is their approach to performance. Zustand uses memoization to optimize state updates, which can help improve performance in larger applications. Redux, on the other hand, uses a technique called "normalization" to optimize state updates, which can help improve the predictability and maintainability of state in large applications.

Overall, Zustand and Redux are both popular state management libraries for React applications, and they both have their own strengths and weaknesses. Whether Zustand is a suitable alternative to Redux for your project will depend on your specific needs and preferences. It may be helpful to try out both libraries and see which one works best for your project.


**Redux example:**

As you can see, the Redux implementation is somewhat more verbose and requires more boilerplate code. You have to create a store using the createStore function, define a reducer function that specifies how the state should be updated in response to different actions, and dispatch actions to the store to update the state.

In contrast, Zustand allows you to define the state and methods directly in the store, and provides a hook that you can use in your components to access the state and methods from the store. This makes it much simpler and more intuitive to manage the state of your React components.

Of course, Redux offers more features and flexibility than Zustand, so it may be a better choice for certain types of applications. However, for many simple applications, Zustand can be a more convenient and lightweight solution.

```
import { createStore } from 'redux';

const initialState = {
  count: 0
};

function reducer(state = initialState, action) {
  switch (action.type) {
    case 'INCREMENT':
      return { count: state.count + 1 };
    case 'DECREMENT':
      return { count: state.count - 1 };
    default:
      return state;
  }
}

const store = createStore(reducer);

function Counter() {
  const { count } = store.getState();
  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => store.dispatch({ type: 'DECREMENT' })}>-</button>
      {count}
      <button onClick={() => store.dispatch({ type: 'INCREMENT' })}>+</button>
    </div>
  );
}
```

**Zustand example:**

In this example, we use the create function from Zustand to create a store that manages the state of a simple counter component. The store has a count property that tracks the current value of the counter, and two methods increment and decrement that can be used to update the value of the counter.

In the Counter component, we use the useStore hook provided by Zustand to access the state and methods from the store, and we use them to render the counter and add logic for incrementing and decrementing the count.

This is just a simple example, but it shows how Zustand can be used to manage the state of a React application in a convenient and straightforward way.

```
import { create } from 'zustand';

const [useStore] = create((set, get) => ({
  count: 0,
  increment: () => set(state => ({ count: state.count + 1 })),
  decrement: () => set(state => ({ count: state.count - 1 }))
}));

function Counter() {
  const { count, increment, decrement } = useStore();
  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={decrement}>-</button>
      {count}
      <button onClick={increment}>+</button>
    </div>
  );
}
```