XState vs Zustand: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will compare the key differences between XState and Zustand, two popular state management libraries in JavaScript.

1. State Machine vs Store: The main difference between XState and Zustand lies in their core focus. XState is a state management library that is centered around state machines. It allows you to define and visualize complex state transitions, providing a formal and structured approach to state management. On the other hand, Zustand is a minimalist store that provides a simple and efficient way to manage application state without the need for state machines.

2. Declarative vs Imperative: XState follows a declarative approach to state management, where state transitions are defined using a declarative syntax. It allows you to define states, events, and transitions in a clear and concise manner. Zustand, on the other hand, uses an imperative approach, where state updates are performed imperatively using plain JavaScript.

3. Complexity vs Simplicity: XState is a powerful state management library that is suitable for managing complex state in large-scale applications. It provides advanced features like hierarchical state machines, parallel states, guards, actions, and more. Zustand, on the other hand, focuses on simplicity and aims to provide a lightweight and minimalist state management solution. It is easy to understand and use, making it suitable for small to medium-sized applications.

4. React Integration: Both XState and Zustand can be used with React, but they have different integration approaches. XState provides a React specific API called useMachine which allows you to easily integrate state machines into your React components. Zustand, on the other hand, is a standalone library that can be used with any JavaScript framework, including React. It provides a customizable useStore hook that allows you to access and update the store state.

5. Tooling and Ecosystem: XState is a more mature library that has been around for a longer time. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and utilities for working with state machines, including a visualizer, typed state machine models, and more. Zustand, although relatively new, has gained popularity for its simplicity and performance. It has a growing ecosystem of plugins and extensions, and its simplicity makes it easy to integrate with other libraries and tools.

In summary, XState is a feature-rich state management library focused on state machines, while Zustand is a lightweight and minimalist store that offers simplicity and efficiency. The choice between XState and Zustand depends on the complexity of your application's state requirements and your preference for declarative or imperative state management.