How Next.js 15 Is Reshaping State Management Away From Redux

Next.js 15 has prompted developers to rethink traditional state management by shifting data-fetching responsibilities to Server Components, reducing the need for client-side global stores like Redux. Data such as user profiles and post lists can now be fetched directly in Server Components and passed as props, eliminating the need for useEffect hooks or global state. React Context remains useful for low-frequency UI state like themes or sidebar toggles, but it causes unnecessary re-renders when used for frequently updated state such as search inputs. Zustand is recommended as a lightweight alternative when Context's re-render limitations become a bottleneck, particularly for state shared across non-nested components. The overall guidance is to default to server state first, use Context sparingly for stable shared UI state, and reach for Zustand only when performance or component structure demands it.