State Management: Redux vs Context API vs Zustand

State management is one of the biggest challenges in React development. In 2026, the 'single source of truth' philosophy remains relevant, but the tools have evolved. ### When to use what? - **Context API**: Perfect for simple global data like themes, user authentication, or language settings. Avoid it for high-frequency updates as it can cause performance issues. - **Zustand**: The modern favorite. It is lightweight, fast, and has almost no boilerplate. Great for 90% of medium-to-large projects. - **Redux Toolkit**: Still the best for extremely large, complex enterprise applications where multi-developer coordination and strict data flow are required. Always start simple and only add complexity when the project demands it.