Modern data fetching library for React with built-in caching, revalidation, and request deduplication.
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Tracked since2026
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Entry price
Free, no paid tier
Biggest pro
React data fetching
Biggest con
React only
TL;DR - SWR
- Modern data fetching library for React using hooks.
- Features built-in caching, revalidation, and request deduplication.
- Supports various data sources and integrates with React Suspense, SSR, and SSG.
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups
What is SWR?
SWR is a lightweight React Hooks library designed for efficient data fetching. It provides a minimal API to handle data requests, caching, revalidation, and request deduplication, ensuring UIs are fast, consistent, and always up-to-date. Developers can fetch data with a single hook, which manages the request lifecycle, caches responses, and keeps data fresh, providing `data`, `error`, and `isLoading` states to drive the UI.
SWR covers various aspects of speed, correctness, and stability, including fast page navigation, polling, data dependency management, revalidation on focus/network recovery, local mutation (Optimistic UI), smart error retry, pagination, and scroll position recovery. It is lightweight and agnostic, supporting any data source like REST, GraphQL, or custom fetchers. Built with native React ergonomics, it's compatible with Suspense, SSR, and SSG, and is fully typed, making it suitable for modern React applications.
Available on: Web
Pros & Cons
Pros
- React data fetching
- Good caching
- Vercel backed
- Active development
- Simple API
Cons
- React only
- TanStack Query alternative
- Learning curve
- Limited vs full solutions
- Feature gaps
Key Features
Data fetchingStale-while-revalidateCache managementRevalidation strategiesSuspense supportReal-time updates
Pricing Plans
Pricing checked Jul 7, 2026
Free
Free
- Open source (MIT)
- React Hooks for data fetching
- 5.3KB minified+gzipped
- Vercel/Next.js integration
Reviews
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SWR FAQ
How does SWR ensure data consistency and freshness in React applications?
SWR achieves data consistency and freshness through built-in caching, automatic revalidation on focus or network recovery, and request deduplication. It also supports polling and data dependency management to keep the UI synchronized with the backend.
Which teams would benefit most from using SWR?
Teams building modern React applications that require efficient data fetching, caching, and real-time UI updates would benefit from SWR. It is particularly useful for projects needing fast page navigation, optimistic UI, and robust error handling.
How does SWR compare to Redux for data management?
SWR focuses specifically on data fetching, caching, and revalidation within React components, providing a minimal API for these tasks. Redux, in contrast, is a more general-purpose state management library that can manage application-wide state beyond just data fetching.
What kind of data sources can SWR integrate with?
SWR is agnostic to the data source and can integrate with any backend, including REST APIs, GraphQL endpoints, or custom fetchers. It provides flexibility for developers to use their preferred data fetching methods.
What are the main limitations to consider when adopting SWR?
A main limitation of SWR is that it is designed exclusively for React applications. While powerful for data fetching, it may have a learning curve and offers a more focused solution compared to full-fledged state management libraries, potentially having feature gaps for broader state needs.
Does SWR include a free tier?
SWR is free to use and does not require any paid plans. It is an open-source library available for all developers.
Can SWR be used with server-side rendering (SSR) or static site generation (SSG)?
Yes, SWR is compatible with both server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG). It is built with native React ergonomics, making it suitable for various rendering environments.
Source: swr.vercel.app