@tanstack/react-query vs xstate

@tanstack/react-query is downloaded 11.1× more often than xstate (225,327,948 vs 20,263,809 per month), so it has the larger community and more answered questions online. Both projects are actively maintained.

Metric@tanstack/react-queryxstate
Weekly downloads51,850,189✓4,469,231
Monthly downloads225,327,948✓20,263,809
GitHub stars49,542✓29,666
Minified size45.1 kB44.7 kB✓
Minified + gzipped13.3 kB✓14.1 kB
Dependencies10✓
Open issues172123✓
Last commit2026-06-02✓2026-06-01
Latest version5.100.145.32.0
LicenseMITMIT

When to choose which

@tanstack/react-query

Async server-state: caching, refetching and mutations.

Choose it when: Managing data from an API — caching, background refetch, pagination, mutations. It complements (not replaces) a client store.

  • + Best-in-class server cache
  • + Great devtools
  • + Handles refetch/stale data
  • - Not for client/UI state
  • - More config than SWR

xstate

Explicit state machines and statecharts.

Choose it when: Complex flows (wizards, async sequences, UI with many states) where you want logic that is explicit, testable and visualizable.

  • + Impossible states become impossible
  • + Visualizable logic
  • + Framework-agnostic
  • - Steepest learning curve here
  • - Overkill for simple state

Feature comparison

Feature@tanstack/react-queryxstate
ParadigmAsync server cacheState machines
First-class TypeScript✓ Yes✓ Yes
Works outside ReactPartial✓ Yes
Dedicated devtools✓ Yes✓ Yes
Built-in async / server state✓ Yes✓ Yes
BoilerplateLowHigh

@tanstack/react-query

Hooks for managing, caching and syncing asynchronous and remote data in React

DetailsGitHubnpm

xstate

Finite State Machines and Statecharts for the Modern Web.

DetailsGitHubnpm

Related comparisons

@reduxjs/toolkit vs xstate@reduxjs/toolkit vs @tanstack/react-queryredux vs xstateredux vs @tanstack/react-queryreact-redux vs xstatereact-redux vs @tanstack/react-queryxstate vs zustand@tanstack/react-query vs zustand

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@tanstack/react-query vs xstate downloads
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Data from npm, Bundlephobia and GitHub. Last updated 2026-06-02.