Top 10 React Libraries You Should Be Using in 2025

As React continues to evolve, the ecosystem of libraries surrounding it grows more sophisticated and specialized. In 2025, certain libraries stand out for their innovation, performance benefits, and developer experience improvements. Here are the top 10 React libraries you should integrate into your workflow.

1. React Query

React Query has established itself as the premier data-fetching library for React applications, offering a powerful combination of caching, background updates, and optimistic UI experiences.

Key features:

• Automatic caching and stale-while-revalidate functionality
• Parallel and dependent queries
• Prefetching capabilities
• Built-in devtools
• TypeScript support

import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';

function UserProfile({ userId }) {
  const { data, isLoading, error } = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['user', userId],
    queryFn: () => fetchUserData(userId),
    staleTime: 5 * 60 * 1000, // 5 minutes
  });

  if (isLoading) return <Skeleton />;
  if (error) return <ErrorMessage error={error} />;

  return (
    <ProfileCard
      name={data.name}
      avatar={data.avatar}
      stats={data.stats}
    />
  );
}

2. Jotai

Jotai has surpassed many state management solutions with its atomic approach that scales elegantly from simple to complex applications while maintaining excellent performance.

Key features:

• Atomic state model
• No boilerplate
• Supports derived and async atoms
• Works seamlessly with React Suspense
• Small bundle size (3.5kB)

import { atom, useAtom } from 'jotai';

// Create atoms
const counterAtom = atom(0);
const doubledAtom = atom((get) => get(counterAtom) * 2);

function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useAtom(counterAtom);
  const [doubled] = useAtom(doubledAtom);

  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Count: {count}</h2>
      <h3>Doubled: {doubled}</h3>
      <button onClick={() => setCount(c => c + 1)}>Increment</button>
    </div>
  );
}

3. React Hook Form

React Hook Form continues to be the go-to solution for building performant forms in React applications with minimal re-renders and boilerplate.

Key features:

• Performance-focused with minimal re-renders
• Built-in validation
• TypeScript support
• Integrates with UI libraries
• Small bundle size

import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';
import { zodResolver } from '@hookform/resolvers/zod';
import { z } from 'zod';

const schema = z.object({
  email: z.string().email(),
  password: z.string().min(8),
});

function LoginForm() {
  const { 
    register, 
    handleSubmit, 
    formState: { errors } 
  } = useForm({
    resolver: zodResolver(schema)
  });

  const onSubmit = data => {
    console.log(data);
    // Handle login
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
      <input {...register('email')} placeholder="Email" />
      {errors.email && <p>{errors.email.message}</p>}
      
      <input type="password" {...register('password')} placeholder="Password" />
      {errors.password && <p>{errors.password.message}</p>}
      
      <button type="submit">Login</button>
    </form>
  );
}

4. Framer Motion

Framer Motion has become the standard for creating beautiful animations and gestures in React applications, with an intuitive API that makes complex animations simple.

Key features:

• Declarative animations
• Gesture recognition
• Layout animations
• SVG animations
• Exit animations with AnimatePresence

import { motion } from 'framer-motion';

function AnimatedCard() {
  return (
    <motion.div
      initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 20 }}
      animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
      exit={{ opacity: 0, y: -20 }}
      whileHover={{ scale: 1.05 }}
      whileTap={{ scale: 0.95 }}
      transition={{ type: 'spring', stiffness: 300 }}
      className="card"
    >
      <h2>Interactive Card</h2>
      <p>Hover and tap to see animations</p>
    </motion.div>
  );
}

5. TanStack Router

TanStack Router (formerly React Router) has evolved into a fully type-safe, data-driven router that integrates seamlessly with React Server Components and modern React patterns.

Key features:

• Full TypeScript support
• File-system based routing
• Data loading and mutations
• Search params management
• Nested layouts

import { createRouter, createRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router';
import { RootLayout } from './layouts/RootLayout';
import { HomePage } from './pages/Home';
import { AboutPage } from './pages/About';

// Define routes
const rootRoute = createRoute({
  component: RootLayout,
});

const indexRoute = createRoute({
  getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
  path: '/',
  component: HomePage,
});

const aboutRoute = createRoute({
  getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
  path: '/about',
  component: AboutPage,
});

// Create router
const router = createRouter({
  routeTree: rootRoute.addChildren([
    indexRoute,
    aboutRoute,
  ]),
});

// Register router for type safety
declare module '@tanstack/react-router' {
  interface Register {
    router: typeof router;
  }
}

6. Radix UI

Radix UI has redefined component libraries with its headless, accessible, and composable components that provide behavior without imposing design constraints.

Key features:

• Unstyled, accessible components
• Complete keyboard navigation
• Focus management
• ARIA attributes
• Server component compatibility

import * as Dialog from '@radix-ui/react-dialog';
import './dialog-styles.css';

function SettingsDialog() {
  return (
    <Dialog.Root>
      <Dialog.Trigger asChild>
        <button className="button">Settings</button>
      </Dialog.Trigger>
      <Dialog.Portal>
        <Dialog.Overlay className="dialog-overlay" />
        <Dialog.Content className="dialog-content">
          <Dialog.Title className="dialog-title">Settings</Dialog.Title>
          <Dialog.Description className="dialog-description">
            Adjust application settings here.
          </Dialog.Description>
          
          {/* Settings form goes here */}
          
          <Dialog.Close asChild>
            <button className="button">Save</button>
          </Dialog.Close>
        </Dialog.Content>
      </Dialog.Portal>
    </Dialog.Root>
  );
}

7. Zustand

Zustand remains a favorite for simple yet powerful state management with its hook-based API and minimal boilerplate.

Key features:

• Simple API with hooks
• Small bundle size (2kB)
• Middleware support
• TypeScript support
• Works with Immer for immutable updates

import create from 'zustand';
import { immer } from 'zustand/middleware/immer';

// Create store
const useStore = create(
  immer((set) => ({
    bears: 0,
    fish: 0,
    increasePopulation: () => set((state) => {
      state.bears += 1;
    }),
    decreasePopulation: () => set((state) => {
      if (state.bears > 0) state.bears -= 1;
    }),
    eatFish: () => set((state) => {
      if (state.fish > 0) {
        state.fish -= 1;
        state.bears += 0.5;
      }
    }),
  }))
);

function BearCounter() {
  const bears = useStore((state) => state.bears);
  const increase = useStore((state) => state.increasePopulation);
  const decrease = useStore((state) => state.decreasePopulation);
  
  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Bears: {bears}</h2>
      <button onClick={increase}>Add Bear</button>
      <button onClick={decrease}>Remove Bear</button>
    </div>
  );
}

8. Tamagui

Tamagui has emerged as the leading cross-platform UI solution, offering excellent performance for both web and native applications with a single codebase.

Key features:

• Atomic CSS-in-JS compiler
• Near-native performance
• Responsive design system
• Theme support
• Reusable animations

import { Button, Text, XStack, YStack, styled } from 'tamagui';

// Create custom styled component
const Card = styled(YStack, {
  backgroundColor: '$background',
  borderRadius: '$4',
  padding: '$4',
  shadowColor: '$shadowColor',
  shadowOffset: { width: 0, height: 2 },
  shadowOpacity: 0.1,
  shadowRadius: 10,
  variants: {
    size: {
      small: {
        padding: '$2',
      },
      large: {
        padding: '$6',
      },
    },
  },
});

function FeatureCard() {
  return (
    <Card size="large" animation="bouncy">
      <Text fontSize="$6" fontWeight="bold">Premium Feature</Text>
      <Text fontSize="$3" opacity={0.7} marginVertical="$2">
        Access exclusive content and features
      </Text>
      <XStack space="$2" marginTop="$4">
        <Button theme="alt1" size="$3">Learn More</Button>
        <Button theme="active" size="$3">Upgrade</Button>
      </XStack>
    </Card>
  );
}

9. React-Three-Fiber

React-Three-Fiber has revolutionized 3D development in React, making three.js accessible with a declarative approach that follows React patterns.

Key features:

• React reconciler for Three.js
• Declarative 3D scene creation
• Hooks for animations and interactions
• WebGL, WebGPU support
• Physics and post-processing

import { Canvas, useFrame } from '@react-three/fiber';
import { useRef, useState } from 'react';
import { OrbitControls } from '@react-three/drei';

function Box(props) {
  const ref = useRef();
  const [hovered, hover] = useState(false);
  const [clicked, click] = useState(false);
  
  useFrame(() => {
    ref.current.rotation.x += 0.01;
    ref.current.rotation.y += 0.01;
  });
  
  return (
    <mesh
      {...props}
      ref={ref}
      scale={clicked ? 1.5 : 1}
      onClick={() => click(!clicked)}
      onPointerOver={() => hover(true)}
      onPointerOut={() => hover(false)}
    >
      <boxGeometry args={[1, 1, 1]} />
      <meshStandardMaterial color={hovered ? 'hotpink' : 'orange'} />
    </mesh>
  );
}

function Scene3D() {
  return (
    <Canvas style={{ height: '400px' }}>
      <ambientLight intensity={0.5} />
      <spotLight position={[10, 10, 10]} angle={0.15} penumbra={1} />
      <Box position={[-1.2, 0, 0]} />
      <Box position={[1.2, 0, 0]} />
      <OrbitControls />
    </Canvas>
  );
}

10. Tailwind CSS with React

While not a React-specific library, Tailwind CSS has become the most popular styling solution for React projects, offering utility-first CSS that speeds up development and ensures consistency.

Key features:

• Utility-first approach
• JIT compiler for optimized builds
• Customizable design system
• Dark mode support
• Responsive utilities

function PricingCard({ tier, price, features, isPopular }) {
  return (
    <div className={`
      rounded-lg p-6 shadow-lg
      ${isPopular ? 'ring-2 ring-indigo-500' : 'bg-white'}
    `}>
      <div className="text-center">
        <h3 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">{tier}</h3>
        {isPopular && (
          <span className="inline-block mt-2 px-3 py-1 text-xs font-medium tracking-wide text-indigo-600 bg-indigo-100 rounded-full">
            Most Popular
          </span>
        )}
      </div>
      
      <p className="mt-4 text-center">
        <span className="text-5xl font-extrabold tracking-tight">${price}</span>
        <span className="ml-1 text-xl font-medium text-gray-500">/month</span>
      </p>
      
      <ul className="mt-6 space-y-4">
        {features.map((feature) => (
          <li key={feature} className="flex items-start">
            <svg className="flex-shrink-0 w-5 h-5 text-green-500" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 20 20">
              <path fillRule="evenodd" d="M10 18a8 8 0 100-16 8 8 0 000 16zm3.707-9.293a1 1 0 00-1.414-1.414L9 10.586 7.707 9.293a1 1 0 00-1.414 1.414l2 2a1 1 0 001.414 0l4-4z" clipRule="evenodd" />
            </svg>
            <span className="ml-3 text-gray-700">{feature}</span>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
      
      <button className={`
        mt-8 w-full py-3 px-6 rounded-md font-medium focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2
        ${isPopular 
          ? 'bg-indigo-600 text-white hover:bg-indigo-700 focus:ring-indigo-500' 
          : 'bg-gray-100 text-gray-900 hover:bg-gray-200 focus:ring-gray-500'}
      `}>
        Get started
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

Honorable Mentions

Several other libraries deserve recognition for their contributions to the React ecosystem:

• SWR: An alternative to React Query for data fetching
• React-aria: Adobe's collection of accessibility hooks
• Immer: For working with immutable state
• vitest: Fast testing framework for React components
• Storybook: Component documentation and development environment

Conclusion

The React ecosystem in 2025 offers a rich selection of libraries that address specific development needs while maintaining excellent performance and developer experience. By incorporating these top libraries into your workflow, you can build more robust, accessible, and efficient applications while writing less code.

Remember that the best library choices depend on your specific project requirements. Evaluate each library based on your needs, team expertise, and application constraints rather than simply following trends.