5 Essential libraries every React Developers should know.

These tools & libraries are very powerful which can help you in your future projects or developments. 1. Video.js It is most popular open-source JavaScript library for embedding and controlling HTML5 video. It provide customizable and extendable feature. It works cross all browser. Features of Video.js Cross Browser Support - It works across all browser Customizable UI - Player can be styled with your regular css or you can use plugin with already someone has created. Support Multiple Video Format - It works with MP4, WebM, HLS, and DASH. Playback Controls - It has built in Play, Pause, Full screen, volumn and Speed adjustment. Plugins & Extension - It supports wide range of plugin for analytics, subtiles and more. Subtitles & Caption - It supports WebVTT and other caption formats. Live Streaming - It can be used for streaming via HLS or DASH 2. useWorker This is custom hook that allows you to use Web Worker more easily. Web worker runs in separate thread to prevent the UI lag when you are doing expensive tasks. Features of useWorker Runs expensive task without blocking UI. Light weight library and improve performance and bundle size (Less than 3 KB) lets you use Promise-Based API instead of event-messages. instead of creating and managing worker manually you can just use hook only. It support TypeScript. Timeout options - you can set a timeout option so that worker can stop when exceeds the limits. It automatically cleans up workers when they are no longer needed and free up the space. Without using useWorker webworker.js index.js Using useWorker Test.js 3. React-Virtual It is lightweight library efficiently render large list and table by using virtualization What is virtualization? Normally, when you have 10000+ items in the list or grid. React renders all of them in DOM (UI) that leads to slow performance and lag. So virtualization solves this problem by showing only those items which are visible in the UI and dynamically loading/unloading the elements as user scrolls. using useVirtualizer VirtulizedList.Jsx 4. React Query It is powerful data fetching and state management library for React app. It helps API calls, pagination, cache, and background updates. Features of React Query Simplifies API calls - No need of useEffect or useState. Automatic Caching - It avoids uneccessary API calls. Background updates - It keeps data fetching without manual refetching Error handling - Builtin error handling and retries. Here are some examples of react-query hooks using useQuery UserList.jsx using useMutation AddUser.jsx using useInfiniteQuery InfiniteUsersList.jsx 5. Comressor.js It is powerful image compressor library. It uses the browser HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob() method for compresson work. you can compress the images before uploading them and it make upload faster Here is a demo using CompressorJS compressImage.js ImageUploader.jsx Thanks for reading.I hope you found these libraries helpful for your projects. Which of these library do you think would be most helpful for you next project.

Mar 19, 2025 - 19:42

5 Essential libraries every React Developers should know.

These tools & libraries are very powerful which can help you in your future projects or developments.

1. Video.js

It is most popular open-source JavaScript library for embedding and controlling HTML5 video. It provide customizable and extendable feature. It works cross all browser.

Features of Video.js

Cross Browser Support - It works across all browser
Customizable UI - Player can be styled with your regular css or you can use plugin with already someone has created.
Support Multiple Video Format - It works with MP4, WebM, HLS, and DASH.
Playback Controls - It has built in Play, Pause, Full screen, volumn and Speed adjustment.
Plugins & Extension - It supports wide range of plugin for analytics, subtiles and more.
Subtitles & Caption - It supports WebVTT and other caption formats.
Live Streaming - It can be used for streaming via HLS or DASH

2. useWorker

This is custom hook that allows you to use Web Worker more easily.
Web worker runs in separate thread to prevent the UI lag when you are doing expensive tasks.

Features of useWorker

Runs expensive task without blocking UI.
Light weight library and improve performance and bundle size (Less than 3 KB)
lets you use Promise-Based API instead of event-messages.
instead of creating and managing worker manually you can just use hook only.
It support TypeScript.
Timeout options - you can set a timeout option so that worker can stop when exceeds the limits.
It automatically cleans up workers when they are no longer needed and free up the space.

Without using useWorker

webworker.js

index.js

Using useWorker

Test.js

3. React-Virtual

It is lightweight library efficiently render large list and table by using virtualization

What is virtualization?

Normally, when you have 10000+ items in the list or grid. React renders all of them in DOM (UI) that leads to slow performance and lag.
So virtualization solves this problem by showing only those items which are visible in the UI and dynamically loading/unloading the elements as user scrolls.

using useVirtualizer

VirtulizedList.Jsx

4. React Query

It is powerful data fetching and state management library for React app. It helps API calls, pagination, cache, and background updates.

Features of React Query

Simplifies API calls - No need of useEffect or useState.
Automatic Caching - It avoids uneccessary API calls.
Background updates - It keeps data fetching without manual refetching
Error handling - Builtin error handling and retries.

Here are some examples of react-query hooks

using useQuery

UserList.jsx

using useMutation

AddUser.jsx

using useInfiniteQuery

InfiniteUsersList.jsx

5. Comressor.js

It is powerful image compressor library. It uses the browser HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob() method for compresson work. you can compress the images before uploading them and it make upload faster

Here is a demo

using CompressorJS

compressImage.js

ImageUploader.jsx

Thanks for reading.I hope you found these libraries helpful for your projects. Which of these library do you think would be most helpful for you next project.