The React Ecosystem in 2025: What to Use and Why

The React ecosystem continues to evolve rapidly. Here's a guide to what's worth using in 2025 and why.

Framework Choice

Next.js (Recommended)

Still the default for most:
• Server Components mature
• App Router standard
• Excellent DX
• Strong ecosystem

Alternatives

Remix:
• Strong web fundamentals
• Good for specific use cases
• Active development

Astro:
• Content-focused sites
• Island architecture
• Multi-framework support

State Management

Built-in First

Start with React:
• useState for local
• useReducer for complex
• Context for shared (with care)
• Server state with frameworks

When You Need More

Zustand:
• Simple API
• Small bundle
• Easy to learn
• Good patterns

Jotai:
• Atomic approach
• Bottom-up
• Fine-grained

TanStack Query:
• Server state
• Caching
• Synchronization
• Essential for most apps

Styling

Tailwind CSS

The dominant choice:
• Fast development
• Consistent design
• Great tooling
• No CSS specificity issues

CSS-in-JS

If you need it:
• styled-components
• Emotion
• Vanilla Extract (zero runtime)

Component Libraries

Radix Primitives + Tailwind:
• Unstyled but accessible
• Full control
• shadcn/ui pattern

Headless:
• Headless UI
• React Aria

Forms

React Hook Form

Best balance:
• Performance
• DX
• Validation (with Zod)
• TypeScript support

const form = useForm({
  resolver: zodResolver(schema)
})

Data Fetching

Server Components

Default for static data:

async function ProductList() {
  const products = await getProducts()
  return 
}

Client Data

TanStack Query for:
• Real-time data
• User-specific data
• Mutations
• Optimistic updates

Testing

Unit Testing

Vitest:
• Fast
• Jest compatible
• Modern features

Component Testing

React Testing Library:
• User-centric
• Best practices
• Well documented

E2E Testing

Playwright:
• Multiple browsers
• Good DX
• Reliable

Build Tools

Vite

For non-Next.js projects:
• Fast development
• Good production builds
• Growing ecosystem

Turbopack

With Next.js:
• Extremely fast
• Improving rapidly
• Future default

Type Safety

TypeScript

Non-negotiable:
• Catch errors early
• Better DX
• Improved refactoring
• Self-documentation

Runtime Validation

Zod for:
• API responses
• Form data
• Environment variables
• External data

Patterns to Adopt

Server Components

Default choice for:
• Data fetching
• Static content
• SEO-critical pages

Composition

Prefer composition:
• Small, focused components
• Props over context
• Render props when needed

Colocation

Keep together:
• Component + styles
• Component + tests
• Component + types

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