streamich/react-use

react-use — the essential React hooks utility library. ~100 well-tested hooks for things React itself doesn't ship but every team needs.

What it is

A TypeScript library of ~100 reusable React hooks covering UI state, browser APIs, lifecycle events, sensors, animation, and side-effects. Saves teams from reinventing the same useDebounce / useLocalStorage / useMedia 100 times. The unofficial "VueUse for React" — pioneered the model of curating a single utility-hooks library that becomes the team's default.

Key features

~100 hooks organized into categories: state, side-effects, lifecycle, animation, sensors (geolocation, network, idle, hover, scroll), UI utilities (useClickAway, useKey, useWindowSize), function utilities (useDebounce, useThrottle, useUpdateEffect).
Storage hooks: useLocalStorage, useSessionStorage, useCookieValue.
Network: useFetch, useAsync, useAsyncFn, useNetworkState.
DOM events: useEvent, useClickAway, useKey, useKeyPress.
TypeScript types bundled.
Tree-shakable — import { useDebounce } from 'react-use' only pulls what's used.
Unlicense (public-domain-equivalent) — friction-free vendoring.

Tech stack

TypeScript primary.
npm package: react-use.
Hook implementations stay close to native React semantics — no opinionated frameworks layered on top.

When to reach for it

You're a React team and want a vetted utility-hooks library to anchor on.
You're maintaining a codebase where homegrown hooks have proliferated and want a consolidation target.
You want a permissive license (Unlicense) for redistribution without attribution.

When not to reach for it

You only need 1-2 hooks — copy them inline rather than adding a dependency.
You want a smaller, modern alternative — @uidotdev/usehooks and usehooks-ts ship tighter scopes.
You're sensitive to bundle size and don't tree-shake aggressively — verify your bundler's output before assuming it's free.

Maturity signal

Actively maintained for 5+ years. The hook catalog is mostly stable — additions are slow, breakage is rare. Used by thousands of React projects. Unlicense + lean dependency set + stable API make this the safest utility-hooks library to depend on long-term.

Alternatives

@uidotdev/usehooks, usehooks-ts — alternatives with overlapping coverage and tighter scopes.
VueUse for Vue.js — the spiritual sibling project.
React Hook Form, TanStack Query — for domain-specific hook libraries (forms, server state).
Copy-paste from usehooks.com — when you want one-off snippets without a dependency.

Notes

The Unlicense is unusually permissive — most utility libraries pick MIT. For internal-only projects this doesn't matter; for libraries you redistribute, Unlicense means downstream users have zero attribution obligation. The author (streamich) maintains several other utility libraries; this one is the most-installed by far.

Wiki: streamich/react-use