How do you decide which state management library, if any, is right for a specific React project?

For most small to medium apps, useState and Context together are often perfectly sufficient. Zustand is a good lightweight choice when a bit more shared global state organization is needed without much setup. Redux fits very large apps with complex state logic and a need for strict predictability, often across a large team. The right choice depends on the app's actual size and complexity, not just personal preference.

// Small app, Context and useState are enough
const ThemeContext = React.createContext('light');

// Larger app, needing more structure
const useAppStore = create((set) => ({ /* shared state and actions */ }));