React has been around for over ten years now, and thanks to its status as the most popular front-end framework, its ecosystem keeps growing and evolving. While React itself focuses just on the UI layer, most real world apps need more functionalities like data fetching, state management, form handling, animations, and routing.
This is why a mature ecosystem matters, you don’t need to learn or code everything. There are many reliable and helpful tools that you can use right away.
Here are 8 tools and libraries that I think every React developer should know about. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve built production apps, these tools can save you time, reduce bugs, and make your codebase much more maintainable.
Let’s dive in 🚀
Quick Note: React PDF for Document Viewing
Before we dive into the eight tools, a quick shout-out to React PDF Kit.
If your React app needs to display PDF documents, React PDF makes it straightforward. Drop in the viewer component, point it at a file, and you are done. It handles responsive layouts out of the box, giving you full control over theming, and plays nicely with Next.js. Worth keeping on your radar as you build out your toolkit.
Now, on to the main list. 😊
1. TanStack Query: Server State Done Right
If you still use useEffect and useState to get data from your API, TanStack Query will change how you see it.
Server state and client state are not the same. Server state is async, it can go stale without you knowing and multiple components might need the same data at the same time. TanStack Query helps you manage all of this. It takes care of things like caching, background refetching, request duplication, pagination, and optimistic updates. You just tell it what to fetch, and TanStack Query will do the rest for you.
What makes it stand out:
Automatic caching and refetching: Your data stays up to date in the background without extra code.
Request deduplication: If multiple components of your app ask for the same data, there will be only one API call.
Built-in loading and error states: You do not have to handle these yourself with useState.
Great DevTools: Inspect your cache, see what queries are running, and debug issues visually.
Who is it for:
Any developer who builds a React app that talks to a backend API.
Teams that need the same data fetching boilerplate in every component.
As of early 2026, TanStack Query has over 48,000 GitHub stars and more than 16 million weekly npm downloads. It is the most popular data fetching library in the React ecosystem by a wide margin.
Learn more on https://tanstack.com/query/latest
2. Zustand: Simple and Powerful State Management
Redux worked, but it had a lot of extra steps. You need action types, action creators, reducers, middleware, and providers. That is a lot to set up just to share some state between components.
Zustand lets you set up a global store with little extra code. You do not need any providers. There are no dispatching actions. All you have to do is create a store, then use the hook you get in any component and that’s all. Components will only re-render if the specific part of state they subscribed to changes, so your app stays fast without additional steps.
What keeps developers coming back:
Minimal API: You can get up and running with Zustand in minutes, not hours.
No Provider needed: Just create a store and use it anywhere.
Selector-based re-renders: Only parts of your app that need the change will update.
Middleware support: Persistence, logging, and devtools are all built in.
Who is it for:
Developers who want something lightweight and powerful without the complexity of Redux.
Teams who want things simple and want to work fast.
As of early 2026, Zustand has over 56,000 GitHub stars and more than 20 million weekly npm downloads. It has gone past Redux Toolkit in adoption, and thegap between them keeps growing.
Learn more on https://zustand.docs.pmnd.rs/
3. React Hook Form: Forms Without the Pain
Forms look easy at first, but that can change as your application or your requirements expand. Validation checks, error messages, dynamic fields, and slow performance from too many re-renders.
React Hook Form helps with this by using uncontrolled components. The form will not cause a re-render every time you type something. The register function connects the ref so React updates only the part that has changed. If you use it with Zod or Yup for schema validation, you get type-safe forms without much work.
What makes it a top choice:
Performance first: Minimal re-renders even when the forms are large or complex.
Easy validation: It works well with Zod, Yup, and many other schema tools.
Mature ecosystem: It has more than 7 million downloads each week and lots of community support.
Who is it for:
Developers who make any kind of forms, from simple login pages to complex forms with multiple parts.
Teams that want the forms to work fast and run smoothly.
As of early 2026, React Hook Form has over 44,000 GitHub stars and more than 18 million weekly npm downloads. It remains the most widely used form library in the React ecosystem.
Learn more on https://react-hook-form.com/
4. React Router: The Standard for Client-Side Routing
This will not be a surprise to many people. React Router has been the main routing tool for React apps for years and still going strong in 2026.
It gives you a declarative, component-based routing that feels right in React. Newer versions also let you use loader functions for data loading, nested layouts, set up error boundaries for each route, and lazy loading. These features help you put your data requirements right next to the routes that use them.
What keeps it at the top:
Routes with JSX: Set up your routes using JSX. It feels like React as it is React.
Data loading built in: Loaders and actions help you fetch and use data with your routes.
Nested layouts: Build complex page layouts without prop drilling.
Lazy loading: Split your app by route for better performance.
Who is it for:
Any developer who works on a single-page app that has more than one view.
Teams that make React apps using Vite and need good routing.
As of early 2026, React Router has over 56,000 GitHub stars and more than 25 million weekly npm downloads. With over 3 billion total downloads on npm, it is the most used routing library in the JavaScript ecosystem.
Learn more on https://reactrouter.com/
Quick note: If you use Next.js or Remix (which is now merging with React Router), the routing part is already set up for you.
5. Framer Motion: Animations That Actually Work
CSS transitions can handle the basics. But when you want to add exit animations, layout transitions, or add gestures for interactions, you may start looking for other solutions without needing to develop yourself.
Framer Motion gives you a motion tag that you can use instead of usual HTML tags. You set up your animations in a declarative way using initial, animate, and exit properties. The best part is AnimatePresence, which helps you add animations when components leave the DOM. Normally React clean up unmounted components immediately. Framer Motion waits for the exit animation to end before it removes them, a feature that makes it worth trying.
What developers love about it:
Exit animations: It can be tough to do this on your own. Framer Motion makes it easy.
Layout animations: See how elements move smoothly when their spot changes.
Gesture support: Built-in drag, tap, hover, and scroll animations.
Orchestration: Stagger child animations and sequence animations with less work.
Who is it for:
Developers who need to deliver intricate animations for their projects or systems.
Teams making apps where micro-animations make a real difference to the user experience.
As of early 2026, Framer Motion (now also known as Motion) has over 30,000 GitHub stars and more than 23 million weekly npm downloads. It is the fastest growing animation library in the JavaScript world.
Learn more on https://motion.dev/
6. shadcn/ui: Own Your Components
This one is not like the usual library you might use. With shadcn/ui, you do not need to install any other package. You can copy what you need right into your own project using a command in the CLI. You own the code and you can customize it however you want. There is no need to worry about breaking changes when the library gets an update.
It is built using Radix UI for accessibility and styled with Tailwind CSS. Want to change how a look works? Just edit the file. There is no need to fork repos, no wrapper components, or struggle with styles.
What makes it compelling:
Your Code, Your Control: Components live in your project. You can change any part, anytime.
Accessibility built in: Radix UI takes care of keyboard navigation, focus management, and ARIA attributes.
Tailwind native: If you use Tailwind CSS, these components feel right at home.
Fast CLI: You can add new components in seconds.
Who is it for:
Developers who want to own their UI code but do not want to build from the ground up.
Teams building custom design systems who need good starting points.
Tailwind CSS users who want out-of-the-box, accessible components.
As of January 2026, shadcn/ui has almost 106,000 GitHub stars. It also gets over 1 million weekly npm downloads each week.
Learn more on https://ui.shadcn.com/
7. Zod: One Schema to Rule Them All
Zod is not made specifically for React, but it is now an important library used in the React ecosystem. It is a library for schema validation that is TypeScript-first. You define the shape of your data once, and from that you get runtime validation and TypeScript static typing when you write your code. You do not have to worry about a mismatch between your types and what your code checks.
The reason this is so important in React is because of the integrations. React Hook Form uses an official Zod resolver. TanStack Form also works with it by using the standard schema setup. In Next.js, server actions often use Zod to validate your inputs. A single schema definition can cover your forms, API replies, environment variables, and more.
What sets it apart:
Define once, use everywhere: You can use your schema for runtime validation and also your TypeScript type.
Works with your existing tools: This works with React Hook Form, TanStack Form, Next.js, tRPC, and more.
Great error messages: You get clear error messages right away, and you can customize them if you want.
Zero dependencies: Lightweight with a small footprint.
Who is it for:
Any TypeScript developer who wants runtime validation and make sure it matches their type definitions.
Teams who are maintain growing or complex systems that want to avoid separate types and inconsistent validation logics.
As of early 2026, Zod has over 40,000 GitHub stars and more than 89 million weekly npm downloads. With the release of Zod 4, adoption has grown even faster, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Learn more on https://zod.dev/
8. Vite: The Build Tool That Just Works
If you still use Create React App to start React projects, it might be a good idea to switch. Vite is now the default tool, and you can feel the change right away when you start a development server.
Vite works with native ES modules and esbuild for a quick startup. The dev server starts in just milliseconds, regardless of how big your project is. Hot module replacement updates your browser so fast, you see changes almost as soon as you save your file. When you build for production, Vite uses Rollup under the hood. This makes sure you get bundles that are better and smaller with tree-shaking and code splitting without any extra configuration.
What makes it the go-to choice:
Fast dev server: There is no wait for your project to compile on startup.
Lightning fast HMR: When you make changes, they show up in the browser almost immediately.
Simple configuration: The default settings are good as they are. You rarely need to change them.
Plugin ecosystem: You can use path aliases, SVG imports, PWA support, and more.
Who is it for:
Every developer starting a new standalone React project.
Teams that need a fast and steady build tool, and want it to be simple to use.
As of early 2026, Vite has over 78,000 GitHub stars and more than 53 million weekly npm downloads. It has become the default build tool for most JavaScript frameworks, not just React.
Learn more on https://vite.dev/
Quick note: If you use Next.js or Remix, you do not have to worry about bundling. It is already handled for you.
Conclusion
So, which tools should you pick for your next React project? Here is a quick recap:
Go with Vite for your build tool. It is fast, simple, and the default for good reason.
Use React Router for client-side routing in standalone React apps.
Pick TanStack Query for anything that involves fetching data from a server.
Choose Zustand for client-side state that needs to be shared across components.
Reach for React Hook Form when you need forms that perform well and validate cleanly.
Add Zod to define your data shapes once and get both types and validation from it.
Use shadcn/ui when you want accessible, good-looking components that you fully own.
Bring in Framer Motion when your app needs animations that go beyond CSS transitions.
Although not every tool here will apply to your current project, I hope at least a few of them will be helpful as you build and grow your React apps. And if you’ve come across other interesting tools that make your workflow smoother or solve tricky problems, I’d love to hear about them. Just drop a comment and share what’s working for you!
📢 One More Thing: React PDF Kit
Before you go, I mentioned React PDF Viewer component earlier. If any of your projects involve rendering PDFs, I would be happy if you could give it a try. We made it so you can view PDFs in React apps easily, with theme customization, responsive layouts, and smooth Next.js integration. No heavy dependencies or complicated configuration to deal with.
Give it a spin if it fits your use case. Your support helps us keep the library growing and lets us continue putting out content for the React community 🙏
Now go build something great! 🚀
What are the tools in your React stack? Is there something I did not add to this list? Let me know in the comments. I would like to know what is working for you when you use it.
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