Zustand and Valtio are both lightweight state management solutions from the Poimandres community, yet they represent fundamentally different philosophies. Zustand follows an immutable state model with explicit mutations through setState functions, similar to Redux but with far less boilerplate. Valtio takes the opposite approach, using ES6 Proxies to enable direct mutable updates that feel like working with plain JavaScript objects, similar to MobX or Vue's reactivity system.
This comparison matters because choosing between them determines your entire state update pattern and mental model. Zustand appeals to developers who value predictability and explicit control, making it ideal for teams transitioning from Redux or those building applications where state flows need to be clearly traceable. Valtio targets developers working with complex nested state structures or those coming from frameworks like Vue, where the mutable syntax reduces boilerplate and makes deeply nested updates dramatically simpler.
Choose Zustand if you value simplicity, predictability, and maintainability over developer convenience. It's the safer default choice for most React applications, especially those with straightforward state structures or teams that prioritize code readability and explicit patterns. The manual selector optimization might feel like extra work initially, but it creates code that's easier to debug and reason about six months later. Zustand is particularly strong for applications where state updates need to be clearly traceable and for teams unfamiliar with proxy-based reactivity.
Choose Valtio when you're working with deeply nested state structures where Zustand's spreading would create unmaintainable code. If you're building configuration panels, game state systems, complex form wizards, or any application where state nesting goes 3+ levels deep, Valtio's mutable API will save significant boilerplate and mental overhead. It's also the better choice if your team comes from Vue or MobX backgrounds and finds mutable patterns more intuitive. However, be prepared to invest time understanding proxy behavior and handling the TypeScript complexity that comes with it.