It’s Okay to Use React Context for Global State Management
If you’ve been working with React for a while, you’ve probably heard this:
Context isn’t a state management tool.”
But is that still true?
With Hooks, the answer’s not so clear-cut anymore. And if you’ve ever reached for Redux just to manage a login state or app theme, you might be overcomplicating your stack.
I wrote an article that takes a fresh look at using React Context for global state management — what’s changed since Hooks, when it works well, and when it doesn’t.
Here’s what I cover:
- What Context was built for (and what it wasn’t)
- How Hooks like useReducer, useMemo, and useCallback changed the game
- When Context is enough— and when you should reach for Redux, Zustand, or something else
- Performance tips to avoid unnecessary re-renders
- A hands-on example of Context + Hooks replacing Redux in under 20 lines
Why It Matters
State management is one of the biggest sources of complexity in React apps. Understanding when you need structure (like Redux), and when you don’t, can save your team hours of overhead and boilerplate.
Whether you’re building a small side project or working in a large codebase, this guide will help you make smarter, simpler decisions about global state.
Read the full article here
Oluwawunmi Bewaji
Content Technical Writer
I'm Oluwawunmi — a technical content writer who turns complex developer tools into content that ranks, resonates, and converts. I specialize in writing high-impact articles for dev-focused startups, with a sharp eye for what developers actually care about (and what gets ignored in most content strategies). In just two years, my work has helped early-stage tools go from obscure to essential — earning press, backlinks, and real developer adoption.
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