SWR vs useHooks
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 React hook library for fetching data, with caching and automatic refresh.
Open source · MIT
A set of ready-made React hooks for common UI and browser tasks, built to be safe on the server.
The short answer
Choose SWR if you need…
- React developers who fetch data from APIs in components
- Projects that want built-in caching and request deduplication
- Apps that need data to refresh on focus, network recovery, or polling
- Teams building React Native or Next.js interfaces
Choose useHooks if you need…
- React developers who want ready-made hooks for common browser tasks
- Teams building apps with React v18.0.0 or newer
- Developers who want to learn from a documented set of hook implementations
- Projects that need server-safe hooks for server-rendered React
Side-by-side
| SWR | useHooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 32.5k | 11.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | MDX |
| Last code update | 21 days ago | 18 months ago |
What each one is
SWR
SWR is a React Hooks library for loading data in web interfaces. Its name comes from stale-while-revalidate: it shows cached data first, requests fresh data in the background, then updates the screen when the new data arrives. Developers use it to simplify data loading logic in React components.
useHooks
useHooks is an npm package of reusable React hooks, small functions that add common behavior to React components, such as tracking window size, debouncing input, or storing values in local storage. It is published by the ui.dev team and is described as server-safe, meaning its hooks are meant to work when React renders on a server. Developers use it to avoid writing these common pieces from scratch.
Best for
SWR
- React developers who fetch data from APIs in components
- Projects that want built-in caching and request deduplication
- Apps that need data to refresh on focus, network recovery, or polling
- Teams building React Native or Next.js interfaces
useHooks
- React developers who want ready-made hooks for common browser tasks
- Teams building apps with React v18.0.0 or newer
- Developers who want to learn from a documented set of hook implementations
- Projects that need server-safe hooks for server-rendered React
Strengths
SWR
- Small, focused API: one hook covers the common fetch, loading, and error cases
- Built-in cache and request deduplication reduce repeated network calls
- Works with any asynchronous fetcher, so you can use your preferred fetching library
useHooks
- Covers many common browser and UI needs in one package
- Documented hook by hook on the project website
- Explicitly designed to be server-safe and is MIT licensed
Not ideal for
SWR
- People who do not write React code, since the library is built around React Hooks
- Projects that need a full server-side data layer rather than client-side fetching hooks
- Beginners with no JavaScript or React experience, who would need to learn those first
useHooks
- Developers not using React, since every hook is written for React
- Projects on React versions older than v18.0.0, which the README says is the compatibility floor
- Teams that need the experimental hooks in production, since they are installed from a separate experimental tag and may change
Trade-offs
SWR
- Requires React knowledge; it is not useful outside React-style apps
- The README is brief and points to the external documentation site for details and examples
- Behavior such as caching and revalidation has settings that take time to learn
useHooks
- The README is short and does not explain each hook's API, so details are on the linked per-hook pages
- Experimental hooks require installing pre-release versions of React, which adds risk
- Maintenance activity is not fully clear from the README alone; the last push date is May 2025
Getting started
useHooks
Install the standard hooks
npm i @uidotdev/usehooksInstall the experimental hooks (pre-release React)
npm i @uidotdev/usehooks@experimental react@experimental react-dom@experimentalFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between SWR and useHooks?
SWR: A React hook library for fetching data, with caching and automatic refresh. useHooks: A set of ready-made React hooks for common UI and browser tasks, built to be safe on the server. SWR suits react developers who fetch data from apis in components, while useHooks suits react developers who want ready-made hooks for common browser tasks.
Are SWR and useHooks free?
SWR: Free and open source. useHooks: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, SWR or useHooks?
useHooks is easier to get started with (rated beginner); SWR is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is SWR or useHooks more popular?
SWR has more GitHub stars (32.5k) than useHooks (11.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to SWR and useHooks?
Other options people compare them with include TanStack Query, Apollo Client, NativeBase, Zustand, TanStack Table.
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.