State management in Flutter with aqueduct: a practical guide

Dart HTTP server framework for building REST APIs. Includes PostgreSQL ORM and OAuth2 provider.

CategoryState management
Stars★ 2,386
Last update2021-03-26
PriorityMedium

aqueduct is an open-source state-management library for Flutter mobile app development, with 2,386★ on GitHub and last updated on 2021-03-26. This guide covers what aqueduct does, why it matters in 2026, how to add it to your project, when to reach for it, and how it compares to the alternatives — plus a quick FAQ.

What is aqueduct?

Dart HTTP server framework for building REST APIs. Includes PostgreSQL ORM and OAuth2 provider. It focuses on keeping your UI in sync with your app state as it changes. The project lives at stablekernel/aqueduct and is maintained by stablekernel.

Why aqueduct is worth knowing in 2026

aqueduct carries 2,386 GitHub stars, 271 forks, 176 open issues. It has been around since 2015, and is mature and stable. For a State management option, that combination of adoption and upkeep usually means a healthy community, production usage, and plenty of examples to learn from — the things that make a dependency safe to build on.

Installing aqueduct

Add the package to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  aqueduct: ^latest

Then fetch it and import it in your Dart code:

flutter pub get
import 'package:aqueduct/aqueduct.dart';

Check the package’s example/ directory and its GitHub repo for the exact API — aqueduct is versioned there with full docs so you always integrate against the current release.

When should you use aqueduct?

Reach for aqueduct when:

  • your widget tree needs to react to shared, changing data
  • you want to separate business logic from presentation
  • you’re scaling past setState and need predictable rebuilds

It’s especially relevant if your project touches dart, framework, http, oauth2, orm, rest.

aqueduct vs. the alternatives

If you’re weighing options in the State management space, these are the other projects developers most often compare aqueduct against:

There’s no single winner — the right pick depends on your app’s size, your team’s familiarity, and your performance budget. Browse the full State management collection to compare them side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Is aqueduct free to use?

Yes. aqueduct is open source and free to use in your Flutter projects. You can view the source, report issues, and contribute on GitHub.

Does aqueduct work on both iOS and Android?

aqueduct is built for Flutter, so it targets iOS and Android from a single codebase, and typically web and desktop too depending on the project’s platform support.

As of 2026, aqueduct has around 2,386 stars and 271 forks on GitHub, which puts it among the more widely used options in the State management space.

What are good alternatives to aqueduct?

Popular alternatives in the State management category include bloc, getx, flutter-architecture-samples. The best choice depends on your app’s size, team, and performance needs.

Resources & links

Part of FlutterCook — 500 hands-on guides to the best open-source Flutter libraries, UI kits, and apps. Explore the live GitHub trends or browse YouTube guides.

#dart#framework#http#oauth2#orm#rest