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React State Management in 2025: Why I'm Ditching Zustand for ZenBox
The author, a veteran React developer, discovered a new state management library called ZenBox, aiming to combine the best of Zustand and Vue. ZenBox offers a Vue-inspired developer experience within React, simplifying state management. It is tiny, with only around 100 lines of core code, and boasts features like inferred types, eliminating TypeScript boilerplate. Cross-store dependencies are handled naturally, and Immer is built-in for easy state mutations. ZenBox defaults to shallow comparison for optimal performance. A complete todo app example showcases how these features integrate. ZenBox has fewer features than Zustand, but it excels at a developer-friendly experience. The author recommends ZenBox for those tired of Zustand's TypeScript overhead and desiring a Vue-like approach for React projects. The author suggests trying it out, as they found it solved real problems. ZenBox is a newer library, so it may not suit those who prioritize an extensive ecosystem. Ultimately, it represents a shift towards a more natural approach to state management. The author is now a Zenbox advocate, believing it to be the future of React state management.
