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.

Best of

Best Web Animation Libraries in 2026

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.

Tool

GSAPThe professional-grade animation toolkit, now completely free.

Free

Tool

MotionThe animation library formerly known as Framer Motion.

Open source

Tool

LenisSmooth scroll library built for pairing with GSAP ScrollTrigger, popular for buttery scroll-driven animation.

Open sourceFree

Tool

React SpringSpring physics-based animation library for React, from the pmndrs ecosystem behind React Three Fiber.

Open sourceFree

Tool

anime.jsA lightweight, battle-tested JavaScript animation library.

Open source

Tool

RiveInteractive motion graphics with a real runtime and state machines.

Freemium

Tool

LottieFilesThe home of Lottie animations: create, edit, and ship vector motion.

Freemium

Tool

Theatre.jsA motion design editor for the web with a visual timeline, for animating DOM, Three.js, or any JS variable.

Open sourceFree

Tool

Auto-AnimateZero-config drop-in animation utility that adds smooth transitions with a single line of code.

Open sourceFree

Tool

Animate.cssA ready-to-use, cross-browser library of CSS animations, just add a class name.

Open sourceFree

Tool

Aceternity UIFlashy, motion-heavy React components for landing pages that pop.

Freemium

Tool

Magic UIAnimated React components in the shadcn style, built for marketing sites.

Open source

What you can do with these tools here

Timace is not only a directory. Every tool it tracks can be dropped into something you are building. A free account keeps what you make.

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.

All animation libraries →More best-of lists →Replacing a tool? →

Best Web Animation Libraries in 2026

Tool

GSAPThe professional-grade animation toolkit, now completely free.

Free

Tool

MotionThe animation library formerly known as Framer Motion.

Open source

Tool

LenisSmooth scroll library built for pairing with GSAP ScrollTrigger, popular for buttery scroll-driven animation.

Open sourceFree

Tool

React SpringSpring physics-based animation library for React, from the pmndrs ecosystem behind React Three Fiber.

Open sourceFree

Tool

anime.jsA lightweight, battle-tested JavaScript animation library.

Open source

Tool

RiveInteractive motion graphics with a real runtime and state machines.

Freemium

Tool

LottieFilesThe home of Lottie animations: create, edit, and ship vector motion.

Freemium

Tool

Theatre.jsA motion design editor for the web with a visual timeline, for animating DOM, Three.js, or any JS variable.

Open sourceFree

Tool

Auto-AnimateZero-config drop-in animation utility that adds smooth transitions with a single line of code.

Open sourceFree

Tool

Animate.cssA ready-to-use, cross-browser library of CSS animations, just add a class name.

Open sourceFree

Tool

Aceternity UIFlashy, motion-heavy React components for landing pages that pop.

Freemium

Tool

Magic UIAnimated React components in the shadcn style, built for marketing sites.

Open source

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.