Flutter Compositions vs flutter_hooks

Both libraries aim to reduce boilerplate from classic StatefulWidget patterns, but they make different trade-offs. Use this summary to decide which suits your project.

API Shape

Topic	Flutter Compositions	flutter_hooks
Entry point	CompositionWidget.setup() (or CompositionBuilder) declares state once and returns a builder	HookWidget / HookConsumerWidget call useState, useEffect, … directly in build
Mental model	Inspired by Vue Composition API – state, computed values, and lifecycle hooks live in setup()	Inspired by React Hooks – hooks must be called in a consistent order on every build
Restrictions	setup() runs only once; lifecycle hooks must register inside it	Hooks cannot be called conditionally; violations throw at runtime

Reactivity Model

• Flutter Compositions uses alien_signals to drive fine-grained updates. Builders re-run only when the refs they read change.
• flutter_hooks wraps Flutter’s existing State classes. Updating a hook usually re-runs the entire build method, so you still need to split widgets manually for performance.

Lifecycle Handling

• Compositions offers onMounted, onUnmounted, onBuild, plus helpers like useAnimationController that auto-dispose resources.
• Hooks rely on useEffect or useMemoized clean-up callbacks; controller disposal is manual unless you wrap it yourself.

Dependency Injection

• Compositions ships provide / inject with InjectionKey<T> for type-safe DI.
• flutter_hooks delegates DI to external packages (Provider, Riverpod, GetIt, …).

Hot Reload

Compositions re-runs setup() during hot reload and preserves ref state by position—adjust declarations carefully or hot-restart. Hooks rely on Flutter’s default behavior; state remains unless you change hook order.

When to Choose Each

Choose Flutter Compositions when:

• You want Vue-style composition and fine-grained reactivity.
• Auto-managed controllers and DI are important.
• You plan to build a composable library of reusable use* helpers.

Choose flutter_hooks when:

• Your team already embraces HookWidget patterns.
• You prefer to stay closer to Flutter’s traditional build flow.
• You need the maturity and ecosystem around flutter_hooks.

For a deeper dive, check the Design Trade-offs.