Can React Context Really Replace Redux or Zustand

As a developer, you’ve probably asked this question. With every new React project, we face the big decision: how should we manage state? For a long time, Redux was the default answer. Then came Context API, built right into React, and many wondered if we even needed external libraries anymore.

The short answer is: no, Context does not replace Redux or Zustand.

But the long answer is more interesting. They solve different problems. Thinking of it as a competition is the wrong way to look at it. Instead, let's figure out which tool is right for which job. This post will break it down with simple examples.

The Problem Prop Drilling

Before we compare tools, let's remember the problem we're trying to solve. In a React app, you often need to pass data from a top-level component to a deeply nested one. Passing that data through every single component in between is called "prop drilling."

Imagine you’re in a large office and you need to give a message to someone at the far end. Prop drilling is like telling the person next to you, who tells the person next to them, and so on, until the message finally arrives. It’s inefficient and annoying.

function App() {
  const user = { name: "Alex" };
  return <HomePage user={user} />;
}

function HomePage({ user }) {
  return <Header user={user} />;
}

function Header({ user }) {
  return <UserInfo user={user} />;
}

function UserInfo({ user }) {
  return <span>Hello, {user.name}</span>;
}

Here, HomePage and Header don't need the user object, but they have to pass it along. That’s prop drilling.

What is React Context

React Context is the built-in solution to prop drilling. It creates a central place to store data that can be accessed by any component in its tree, without passing props down manually.

Think of Context as a public announcement system in that same office. You make an announcement, and anyone who needs to hear it can listen in directly.

Here’s how you’d solve the prop drilling problem with Context:

import { createContext, useContext } from 'react';

// 1. Create the context
const UserContext = createContext(null);

function App() {
  const user = { name: "Alex" };
  // 2. Provide the value to the component tree
  return (
    <UserContext.Provider value={user}>
      <HomePage />
    </UserContext.Provider>
  );
}

function UserInfo() {
  // 3. Consume the value directly where it's needed
  const user = useContext(UserContext);
  return <span>Hello, {user.name}</span>;
}

// HomePage and Header no longer need to know about the user prop!
function HomePage() {
  return <Header />;
}
function Header() {
  return <UserInfo />;
}

It’s clean and simple. So why would we need anything else?

The Big Catch with Context Performance

Context has one major drawback. When the value in the Context Provider changes, every single component that consumes that context re-renders.

This is fine for data that doesn't change often, like a theme (dark/light mode) or user authentication status. But what if your context holds a large object with multiple values, and only one of them changes?

const AppStateContext = createContext({ cartCount: 0, userProfile: {} });

// Both components use the same context
function CartIcon() {
  const { cartCount } = useContext(AppStateContext);
  console.log("CartIcon re-rendered");
  return <div>Cart: {cartCount}</div>;
}

function UserProfile() {
  const { userProfile } = useContext(AppStateContext);
  console.log("UserProfile re-rendered");
  return <div>{userProfile.name}</div>;
}

If you update cartCount, both CartIcon and UserProfile will re-render, even though UserProfile doesn't care about the cart. In a large application, this causes serious performance issues.

Enter Redux and Zustand

This performance issue is the primary problem that libraries like Redux and Zustand solve. They are specialized state management tools designed to handle complex, frequently-changing state efficiently.

If Context is a public announcement system, Redux and Zustand are like targeted walkie-talkies. You can send a message to a specific person (or component) without bothering everyone else.

They achieve this through selectors. A selector lets a component subscribe to only the specific pieces of state it needs. If that specific piece of state changes, only that component re-renders.

Here’s a quick example using Zustand, which is known for its simplicity:

import create from 'zustand';

// 1. Create a "store" to hold your state
const useStore = create((set) => ({
  cartCount: 0,
  userProfile: { name: 'Alex' },
  incrementCart: () => set((state) => ({ cartCount: state.cartCount + 1 })),
}));

// 2. Components select only the state they need
function CartIcon() {
  const cartCount = useStore((state) => state.cartCount);
  console.log("CartIcon re-rendered");
  return <div>Cart: {cartCount}</div>;
}

function UserProfile() {
  const userProfile = useStore((state) => state.userProfile);
  console.log("UserProfile re-rendered");
  return <div>{userProfile.name}</div>;
}

Now, if you call incrementCart(), only CartIcon will re-render. UserProfile remains untouched because its selected state (userProfile) didn't change. This is a huge performance win.

So When Should You Use Which

Let's make it simple.

Use React Context when:

• You are solving prop drilling for low-frequency updates.

• The state is simple (e.g., theme, user info, language).

• You're building a small to medium-sized app and want to avoid adding more libraries.

Use Redux or Zustand when:

• You have a complex global state that changes often (e.g., items in a shopping cart, the state of a multi-step form, data from a real-time connection).

• Performance is critical, and you need to prevent unnecessary re-renders.

• You need powerful developer tools for debugging, like the Redux DevTools.

• Your application is large and many different components rely on the same state.

Conclusion It's Not a Replacement

React Context is a fantastic tool for solving prop drilling, but it is not a state management library. It’s a dependency injection mechanism.

Libraries like Redux and Zustand are true state management solutions. They are built to handle the complexity and performance demands of large applications.

So, the next time you start a project, don't ask "Context or Redux?". Instead, ask "What kind of state am I managing?". Start with what React gives you. If your app grows and you feel the performance pain of Context, then reach for a dedicated tool like Zustand or Redux. Choose the right tool for the job.

Originally published at https://muhabbat.dev/post/can-react-context-really-replace-redux-zustand/ on September 21, 2025.