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What are the differences between React context and Redux? When should you use one over the other?

React Context and Redux both help with state management in React apps, but they serve different purposes and come with different trade-offs. Here's a breakdown to help you decide when to use each:

What are the differences between React context and Redux? When should you use one over the other?

🧩 React Context

What it is:

  • A built-in feature of React (createContext, Provider, useContext) for passing data deeply through the component tree without prop drilling.

Best for:

  • Simple or static state that's needed globally (like themes, user auth info, language settings).

  • Small to medium-sized apps.

Pros:

  • No extra dependencies.

  • Great for read-only or rarely-changing state.

  • Lightweight and easy to set up.

Cons:

  • Performance issues: Any context value change causes all consuming components to re-render, even if only part of them need it.

  • Not ideal for complex or frequently-updating state.

🏛️ Redux

What it is:

Best for:

  • Complex apps with large-scale state logic, multiple features, or deeply nested components.

  • Apps where state needs to be shared and modified across many components in a predictable way.

Pros:

  • Centralized and predictable state.

  • Great tools (Redux DevTools, middleware like thunk/saga).

  • Encourages better structure and separation of concerns.

Cons:

  • More boilerplate and setup (though less so with Redux Toolkit).

  • Slightly steeper learning curve.

  • Overkill for small apps or minimal state.

⚖️ When to Use Which?

Use CaseUse ContextUse Redux
Theme toggles, user authentication, locale✅❌
App with < 5 state slices✅❌
Real-time chat, complex forms, large feature sets❌✅
Want debugging tools and middleware❌✅
Minimal setup and dependencies✅❌

🛠 Bonus Tip:

If you need somewhere in between, consider:

  • Redux Toolkit: simplifies Redux setup a LOT.

  • Zustand, Recoil, or Jotai: modern alternatives that blend simplicity with power.

Want a quick example comparing the two?

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