TanStack Query
Hacker ApprovedThe most recommended of 6 state management libraries
Recommended for handling cache invalidation and re-rendering in React data fetching. Critics say it is over-engineered for simple cases.
Recommended for handling cache invalidation and re-rendering in React data fetching. Critics say it is over-engineered for simple cases.
21 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 19
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 90%
Recommended in 9 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 19 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 9.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 9 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Solves cache invalidation and re-rendering
“Data fetching libraries like Tanstack Query solve one of the hardest problems of cache invalidation/re-rendering.”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Does Anybody Actually Like React?” “tanstack query already does all the hard part”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: Tired of logic in useEffect, I built a class-based React state manager” Works well with TanStack Router
“I've found Vite + React SPA ( Tanstack Router/Query) with a Nodejs/Fast API to work so simply”
Comment from 10 Oct 2026 in “Next.js 16.4” “I went with a simple Hono + Tanstack Router/query.”
Comment from 24 Mar 2026 in “No-build, no-NPM, SSR-first JavaScript framework if you hate React, love HTML” Adds caching React lacks natively
“you will be left without a stable native caching mechanism in React unless you put the stream into state”
Comment from 14 Apr 2026 in “TanStack Start Now Support React Server Components” “works great with TanStack query for cache I validation”
Comment from 8 Apr 2026 in “We moved Railway's front end off Next.js. Builds went from 10 minutes to under 2”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Simple hooks can replace it
“even tanstack useQuery() is way over-engineered and the core idea can be implemented in”
Comment from 20 Jan 2026 in “The Overcomplexity of the Shadcn Radio Button” “It's not just react query, you can make a quick useFetch and useMutation hooks”
Comment from 9 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: Tired of logic in useEffect, I built a class-based React state manager”
Other state management libraries people recommend
The four most recommended other state management libraries, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
See all 6 state management libraries, rankedWhat people said
19 of the 22 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“robust, coherent, independent and logical evolution of battle-hardened wisdom”
“I've found Vite + React SPA ( Tanstack Router/Query) with a Nodejs/Fast API to work so simply”
“TanStack DB and somewhat TanStack Query finally show a little more actual statement management, for real.”
“things that I take for granted with React Query”
“Data fetching libraries like Tanstack Query solve one of the hardest problems of cache invalidation/re-rendering.”
“don't try to sell you courses or bump the major version several times”
“it's really a cache + promise hook, it's fairly versatile.”
“as someone who encountered this cargo culted at a number of start ups -- I beg to differ”
“React query is a lot leaner and safer than handful redux even w rtk query”
“you will be left without a stable native caching mechanism in React unless you put the stream into state”
“It's not just react query, you can make a quick useFetch and useMutation hooks”
“tanstack query already does all the hard part”
“works great with TanStack query for cache I validation”
“I went with a simple Hono + Tanstack Router/query.”
“tanstack-query/react-query”
“React Query at least gives you an `initialData` option”
“even tanstack useQuery() is way over-engineered and the core idea can be implemented in”
“They essentially have a global state, and you can attach reactive "views" to it.”
“React Query is now the default standard data fetching tool”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.