Introduction

• State management is a crucial part of modern frontend development. If you’ve built applications with React, you’ve probably heard of Redux — one of the most popular state management libraries. However, Zustand has recently gained popularity for being simpler and more intuitive.

• So, how do these two compare? Which one should you use? Let’s break it down in a way that even a child can understand!

What is State Management?

• Imagine you are playing a game where you collect coins. The number of coins you collect needs to be stored somewhere so that it doesn’t reset every time you move to a new level.

• State management in React is like a notebook that keeps track of your game’s progress. It helps you store and update information across different parts of your app.

• Now, Redux and Zustand are two different ways of managing this notebook. Let’s see how they work!

What is Redux?

Redux is like a strict teacher who makes sure everything is organized. It follows a set of rules:

• You store your data in a single object called the store.

• To change data, you have to ask for permission using something called actions.

• These actions are handled by reducers, which are like rule books that decide how the state should change.

How Redux Works

Imagine you have a piggy bank, and you want to add or remove coins.

1. Store → The piggy bank where coins are stored.

2. Action → A note saying “Add 10 coins” or “Remove 5 coins”.

3. Reducer → The rule book that says, “If the action says ‘add,’ increase the number of coins.”

4. Dispatch → A messenger that sends the action to the reducer.

Redux Code Example

javascript
1import { createStore } from “redux”;
2
3// Step 1: Define the initial state
4const initialState = { count: 0 };
5
6// Step 2: Create a reducer (rule book)
7function counterReducer(state = initialState, action) {
8 switch (action.type) {
9 case “INCREMENT”:
10 return { count: state.count + 1 };
11 case “DECREMENT”:
12 return { count: state.count — 1 };
13 default:
14 return state;
15 }
16}
17
18// Step 3: Create the store
19const store = createStore(counterReducer);
20
21// Step 4: Dispatch actions (asking for state change)
22store.dispatch({ type: “INCREMENT” });
23console.log(store.getState()); // { count: 1 }
24
25store.dispatch({ type: “DECREMENT” });
26console.log(store.getState()); // { count: 0 }
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🔴 Problem with Redux

• Too much boilerplate (reducers, actions, dispatch).

• More setup for simple state management.

• Can be overkill for small projects.

What is Zustand?

Zustand is like a friendly notebook where you can just write down whatever you need, without needing a middleman (reducers, actions).

• No boilerplate — just a simple function!

• Direct updates — you don’t need reducers or actions.

• Lightweight and fast — works with small and large projects.

How Zustand Works

Imagine you have a magic notebook where you can write and update your state directly.

1. Store → A notebook where you store your information.

2. State Updater → A simple function to update the notebook.

Zustand Code Example

javascript
1import { create } from “zustand”;
2
3// Step 1: Create the store
4const useCounterStore = create((set) => ({
5 count: 0,
6 increment: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count + 1 })),
7 decrement: () => set((state) => ({ count: state.count — 1 })),
8}));
9
10// Step 2: Use the store in a React component
11function Counter() {
12 const { count, increment, decrement } = useCounterStore();
13
14 return (
15 <div>
16 <h1>Count: {count}</h1>
17 <button onClick={increment}>Increase</button>
18 <button onClick={decrement}>Decrease</button>
19 </div>
20 );
21}
22
23export default Counter;
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🟢 Zustand Advantage Over Redux

• Much simpler than Redux!

• No reducers, no actions, just state and functions.

Differences B/W Redux and Zustand

When to Use Redux vs Zustand?

Use Redux if:

• You are working on a large-scale app.

• You need strict state management with middleware.

• Your team already uses Redux.

Use Zustand if:

• You want a simple, easy-to-use state manager.

• You are working on small to medium-sized apps.

• You don’t want extra boilerplate code.

Conclusion

Both Redux and Zustand are great tools, but Zustand is much simpler and easier to use for most projects. If you are a beginner, start with Zustand and learn Redux when you need more complex state management.

🔵 Zustand → Simple and fast!
🔴 Redux → Powerful but complex!