mediumFrontend EngineerStartup
When would you use React Context vs Zustand vs Redux for state management?
Posted 18/04/2026
by Mehedy Hasan Ador
Question Details
At a growing startup: "Started with useState, then Context, now need more. Team split between Redux and Zustand."
Suggested Solution
State Management Spectrum
Context problem: Re-renders ALL consumers on any change.
Zustand (recommended for Interview OS):
const useStore = create((set) => ({
applications: [],
addApp: (app) => set(s => ({ applications: [...s.applications, app] })),
}));
const apps = useStore(s => s.applications); // Selective re-render
No providers needed, minimal boilerplate, great DX. Only use Redux if you need DevTools tracing or team has Redux experience.