juniorReact

What is the difference between state and props?

Updated Apr 23, 2026

Short answer

Short Answer

In React:

  • State is data managed inside a component that can change over time.
  • Props are data passed from a parent component to a child component and are read-only.

In simple terms:

State = internal, mutable data Props = external, read-only data

Deep explanation

Deep Explanation

What is State?

State represents data that belongs to a component and can change during its lifecycle.

Example:

JSX
import { useState } from "react";


function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);


  return (
    <button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>
      Count: {count}
    </button>
  );
}

Key points:

  • Managed inside the component
  • Can be updated using setState / useState
  • Triggers re-render when changed

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What are Props?…

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