For most projects, reach for GSAP if you need complex, timeline-based, or scroll-triggered animation, paired with Lenis for smooth scroll. Reach for Motion or React Spring if you're already in React. If a designer is building the animation rather than a developer coding it, Rive supports real interactivity, Theatre.js adds a visual timeline editor, and LottieFiles handles simple play-once animations. Animate.css and Auto-Animate need no animation code at all.
FAQ
- What's the difference between GSAP and Motion?
- Both are JavaScript animation libraries. GSAP is a long-established, professional-grade toolkit now free, while Motion (formerly Framer Motion) is more tightly built for React's component model.
- What is Lottie used for?
- Lottie is a format for exporting vector animations (typically from After Effects) that play back efficiently on web and mobile via LottieFiles' tooling.
- What's Rive best for?
- Rive supports interactive animations with real state machines, useful for animations that need to respond to user input, not just play once.
- What's the best animation library for React?
- Motion and React Spring are both built specifically for React. Motion focuses on simple, declarative animation, while React Spring uses physics-based spring dynamics instead of easing curves.
- Do I need design software to use Lottie animations?
- No. You can browse and use pre-made Lottie animations for free on LottieFiles without any design software. You only need After Effects with the Bodymovin plugin if you're creating original Lottie animations yourself.
- What is Lenis used for?
- Lenis handles smooth scrolling specifically, and is commonly paired with GSAP's ScrollTrigger plugin to drive animations off scroll position without janky native scroll behavior.
