Learn React 19: The Complete Guide to Modern Web Apps/

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Choosing Between useTransition and useDeferredValue

Choosing Between useTransition and useDeferredValue

Learn when to use useTransition and when to use useDeferredValue by understanding how each manages concurrency and performance in React. Further, learn how they can work together in complex interfaces.

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React gives us two tools: useTransition and useDeferredValue. Together, they form the backbone of React’s concurrency model, keeping our UIs both powerful and delightfully smooth even when the app is busy rendering. Both seem to solve the same problem:

“Keeping the interface responsive.”

Understanding the key difference

Although both Hooks aim to improve responsiveness in React apps, they do so in distinct ways.

The table below compares useTransition and useDeferredValue across different dimensions to help us decide which one fits a given scenario.

Comparison Angle

useTransition

useDefferredValue

What it defers

A state update function

A changing value

Primary purpose

To delay expensive updates that are triggered by user actions (e.g., filtering, navigation)

To delay re-renders caused by rapidly changing inputs or props

Typical use case

When an action (like typing or clicking) triggers a heavy computation or re-render

When the app re-renders too frequently due to fast-changing input data

API signature

[isPending, startTransition] = useTransition()

const deferredValue = useDeferredValue(value)

Feedback mechanism

isPending flag — lets you show a loading state during the transition

Compare value !== deferredValue to show that deferred updates are in progress

When it’s triggered

You manually wrap a state update function inside startTransition()

React automatically manages timing when the deferred value changes

Analogy

Delay when the update happens.

Delay what data the update uses.

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