Ever since React entered the field of web development, it reshaped the entire web industry. As we know that frontend is all about performance, making your website or app work fast. In today’s time, how quickly it works really matters a lot. If you’re building a website that lacks performance, it’s essentially useless in today’s world.
Today, in this blog, we are going to highlight some key differences between React Query vs Axios library in React. So, without wasting time, let’s dive in deep.
But before we dive into the comparison of React Query vs Axios, let’s gain a clear understanding of what React Query and Axios are all about.
What is React Query ?
Nowadays, plenty of libraries are introduced every day, specially for React. React Query is one of them, setting a new standard for data fetching and gaining popularity in the market.
React Query, sometimes also referred to as TanStack Query, is one of the most popular JavaScript data-fetching library designed for managing asynchronous data and state management in React applications
Automatic data updates are one of the most important features required in modern web development. Luckily, React Query makes it easy by providing this useful feature.
React Query provides essential features like caching, automatic fetching, and background updates that other libraries may not offer. There are plenty of data fetching libraries available in the market, but React Query stands out as the best. Let’s check some essential facts about React Query :
| Official Website | https://tanstack.com/query/latest |
| Installation Command | npm i @tanstack/react-query |
| Unpacked Size | 1.92 MB |
| GitHub Star | 38.2K |
| GitHub Link | https://github.com/tanstack/query |
| Weekly Downloads | 2.5M+ |
What is Axios in React ?
On the other hand, Axios is also a popular JavaScript library for making HTTP requests from a web browser or a Node.js server, Axios is a promise-based library that allows developers to make various HTTP requests, including GET, POST, PUT/PATCH, and DELETE.
Okay, so after reading the above paragraph, you must have a basic understanding of what React Query and Axios are used for. Let’s check some essential facts about Axios :
| Official Website | https://axios-http.com/ |
| Installation Command | npm i axios |
| Unpacked Size | 1.84 MB |
| GitHub Star | 103K |
| GitHub Link | https://github.com/axios/axios |
| Weekly Downloads | 40M+ |
Now, let’s understand the key difference between React Query and Axios.
Key Difference Between React Query vs Axios
The major difference between React Query vs Axios is that React Query is primarily designed for asynchronous data fetching and caching purposes, while Axios is used for making HTTP requests in JavaScript. Here are some more key differences between these libraries
- Purpose : React Query is primarily designed for asynchronous data fetching and caching purposes, while Axios is used for making HTTP requests in JavaScript
- Integration : React Query is specifically designed for React, while Axios can be used with any JavaScript framework like Angular, Vue, React etc.
- Caching : React Query has built-in caching for query results. In contrast, Axios, unfortunately, lacks built-in caching and requires manual handling.
- State Management : Fortunately, React Query supports state management through hooks, whereas Axios primarily focuses on request and response handling.
- Background Automatic Refetching : Thanks to advanced hooks and built-in features, React Query supports automatic data refetching in the background. In Axios, there is no concept of background fetching data.
However, if we look at the past 3 months download data for React Query and Axios, Axios is significantly ahead of React Query.
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Why should you use React Query :
Okay, so you’ve decided to learn React Query and implement it into your project. That’s a great idea, but here are some additional advantages that you should look into.
Server-Side Rendering (SSR) Support
Yes, you heard it right. React Query also supports server-side rendering, enabling developers to build apps/websites that render on both the client and server sides.
Community and Support
It has a large and growing community that is continuously expanding. It has whopping 38k stars on GitHub and still counting. Currently, this library is used by many tech giants and trusted companies like Microsoft, Google, eBay, Uber etc.
Built-in Dev Tools
This library also offers powerful built-in DevTools integration, allowing developers to quickly debug queries and more.
React Query Example :
There are plenty of available examples on the internet, but if you truly want to learn React Query, I would recommend this video. You’ll have most of React Query by watching this video within 1 hour.
Additionally, apart from this video, I also recommend going through the documentation of React Query. They have created an excellent resource, covering all the important topics thoroughly
Conclusion
These two libraries are growing and among the most downloaded, with continued growth. The choice between them depends on your project’s specific requirements.
If you require background data fetching, caching, and offline support, you should opt for React Query. On the other hand, if your goal is simply to fetch data, then Axios would be a suitable choice.
Sources
Some information presented in this blog is taken from a combination of research and some reputable resources within the React community. Some of them are : NPM Trends, YouTube etc.
Still have a question in your mind or feedback? Don’t worry; just drop a message in the comment section below, and we will get back to you
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