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Comparison guide

@tanstack/react-query vs Swr vs Tanstack

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Tanstack

5.6 KB gzipped

Most Popular

@tanstack/react-query

40.1M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

@tanstack/react-query

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

@tanstack/react-query

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

@tanstack/react-query

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

  1. @tanstack/react-query

    Hooks for managing, caching and syncing asynchronous and remote data in React

    40.1M weekly downloads · 12.9 KB gzip · Health 85/100

    0
  2. swr

    React Hooks library for remote data fetching

    11.4M weekly downloads · 5.6 KB gzip · Health 85/100

    0
  3. tanstack

    TanStack Player — A developer-first, universal Video Player SDK built on Video.js with headless hooks, plugin architecture, and React-first DX

    1.5K weekly downloads · 5.6 KB gzip · Health 61/100

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Choosing between @tanstack/react-query and Swr and Tanstack? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

@tanstack/react-query leads with 40.1M weekly downloads — roughly 3.5x more. Swr has 11.4M weekly downloads. Tanstack has 1.5K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Tanstack has the smallest gzipped bundle at 5.6 KB. Swr comes in at 5.6 KB. @tanstack/react-query comes in at 12.9 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

@tanstack/react-query has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Swr has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Tanstack has an overall health score of 61/100 (good), with strong security scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose @tanstack/react-query if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Swr if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Tanstack if you value strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both @tanstack/react-query and Swr and Tanstack are solid choices for JavaScript development. @tanstack/react-query has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is @tanstack/react-query better than swr?
It depends on your needs. @tanstack/react-query has a health score of 85/100 while Swr scores 85/100. @tanstack/react-query has more recorded weekly downloads (40.1M). Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, @tanstack/react-query or swr?
Swr has the smaller gzipped bundle at 5.6 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use @tanstack/react-query vs swr?
@tanstack/react-query has more recorded weekly downloads (40.1M). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
Which is better maintained, @tanstack/react-query or swr?
@tanstack/react-query has a maintenance score of 100/100. @tanstack/react-query scores 100/100 and Swr scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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