state-management-expert

Zustand is recommended for most apps due to its minimal boilerplate and built-in middleware like persist and devtools. Redux Toolkit suits larger teams needing strict conventions, slice-based reducers, and the Redux DevTools ecosystem.

No, server state should use TanStack Query or SWR instead of Redux or Zustand. These libraries handle caching, stale time, background refetching, and cache invalidation automatically, which global stores do not.

Wrap your Zustand store creator with the persist middleware from zustand/middleware and provide a storage name. The store state then automatically syncs to localStorage and rehydrates on page load.

Yes, TanStack Query supports optimistic updates through the onMutate callback where you update the cache before the request completes. On success, use queryClient.invalidateQueries to refetch fresh server data.

Context re-renders all consumers whenever any value in the provider changes. Fix this by memoizing the context value with useMemo, splitting large contexts into smaller ones, or switching to Zustand selectors.

Use useState or useReducer for local component state that is not shared beyond one or two levels. Global state libraries add unnecessary complexity for local concerns and should be reserved for truly shared state.