Redux vs Vuex
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for keeping an app's shared state predictable and easy to test.
Open source · MIT
Centralized state store for Vue.js apps, now superseded by Pinia as the official default.
The short answer
Choose Redux if you need…
- Developers building larger front-end apps where many components share the same data
- Teams that want state changes to follow a consistent, testable pattern
- Projects that already use React and want the official React-Redux integration
- People who want a time-travel debugger via Redux DevTools
Choose Vuex if you need…
- Teams maintaining an existing Vue app that already uses Vuex
- Developers migrating an existing Vuex codebase gradually toward Pinia
- Projects that need a centralized store with devtools time-travel debugging
Side-by-side
| Redux | Vuex | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 61.4k | 28.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 17 days ago | 2 years ago |
What each one is
Redux
Redux is a JavaScript library for managing global state, the data many parts of an app need to share. You store that state in one place and change it by dispatching plain action objects that describe what happened, handled by pure reducer functions. The README says the core is small (about 2kB) and works with React or other view libraries, and that Redux Toolkit is the official recommended way to write Redux code.
Vuex
Vuex is a state management library for Vue.js applications. It keeps shared application data in one central store that all components can read, and it enforces rules so changes to that data happen in a predictable way. It also integrates with Vue's devtools extension for features such as time-travel debugging and state snapshot export and import. The README notes that the official recommendation has changed: Pinia is now the default state management library for Vue, and Vuex 3 and 4 will still be maintained but are unlikely to get new features.
Best for
Redux
- Developers building larger front-end apps where many components share the same data
- Teams that want state changes to follow a consistent, testable pattern
- Projects that already use React and want the official React-Redux integration
- People who want a time-travel debugger via Redux DevTools
Vuex
- Teams maintaining an existing Vue app that already uses Vuex
- Developers migrating an existing Vuex codebase gradually toward Pinia
- Projects that need a centralized store with devtools time-travel debugging
Strengths
Redux
- The README describes a predictable, single-store data flow that is easy to reason about
- The core is small and the ecosystem of addons is large, according to the README
- Official docs, tutorials, and a Discord community are linked from the README
Vuex
- Official Vue state management library with a long history and a large star count
- Integrates with Vue's official devtools for time-travel debugging and snapshots
- Permissive MIT license
Not ideal for
Redux
- Small apps with little shared state, since the README itself suggests Redux may be unnecessary there
- Beginners who only need local component state, which the README suggests keeping simple
- Anyone wanting a zero-boilerplate setup without Redux Toolkit, since the README recommends Toolkit for most tasks
Vuex
- New Vue projects: the README says Pinia is the recommended choice for new projects
- Developers who want the newest state management features, since Vuex 3 and 4 are unlikely to receive new functionality
Trade-offs
Redux
- The README stresses that Redux adds structure and may not be needed for every app
- Most modern usage goes through Redux Toolkit, so you need to learn both layers
- The README excerpt is truncated, so detailed API and version compatibility are not covered here
Vuex
- The README states Pinia is now the official default, so Vuex is no longer the recommended choice for new work
- Vuex 3 and 4 are maintained but unlikely to gain new features
- Setup details beyond the examples and documentation link are not covered in the README excerpt
Getting started
Redux
Install Redux core
npm install reduxInstall Redux Toolkit and React-Redux
npm install @reduxjs/toolkit react-reduxVuex
Install dependencies to run the bundled examples
npm installServe the examples locally
npm run devFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Redux and Vuex?
Redux: A JavaScript library for keeping an app's shared state predictable and easy to test. Vuex: Centralized state store for Vue.js apps, now superseded by Pinia as the official default. Redux suits developers building larger front-end apps where many components share the same data, while Vuex suits teams maintaining an existing vue app that already uses vuex.
Are Redux and Vuex free?
Redux: Free and open source. Vuex: Free and open source.
Is Redux or Vuex more popular?
Redux has more GitHub stars (61.4k) than Vuex (28.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Redux and Vuex?
Other options people compare them with include Zustand, Jotai, MobX, Pinia, vue-admin-template.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.