Framer Motion vs GSAP: Which Animation Library Should You Pick?
Both are powerful animation libraries with different philosophies. Here's when to use Framer Motion and when GSAP is the better choice.
Mahi A.
THE X STUDIO
Two animation libraries dominate the React ecosystem: Framer Motion and GSAP. Both can create stunning animations — but they excel in different areas.
Framer Motion
Framer Motion is built for React. Declarative API, layout animations, AnimatePresence for exit animations, gesture handling (drag, hover, tap). Tight integration with React's component model — you write animations the same way you write components. Best for UI animations, micro-interactions, and page transitions.
GSAP (GreenSock)
GSAP is framework-agnostic and timeline-based. You control every millisecond of an animation sequence. Better for scroll-driven animations (ScrollTrigger), complex timelines, SVG animation, and cross-browser consistency. GSAP's performance is unmatched — it runs at 60fps even on low-end devices.
Our Usage
We use both. Framer Motion for page transitions, UI micro-interactions, and layout animations. GSAP for scroll reveals, hero sequences, and complex orchestrated animations. They complement each other — Framer Motion for React-native motion, GSAP for cinematic animation.
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