motionvsGSAP
Motion (formerly Framer Motion) is React-first, declarative, smaller bundle. GSAP is framework-agnostic, more powerful timeline control, larger ecosystem.
motion
github.com/motiondivision/motionFormerly Framer Motion. The default React animation library in 2026. Declarative, gesture support, layout animations, scroll, presence. ~31k stars and 3.6M weekly downloads. Trusted by Framer and Figma. Now a hybrid engine targeting 120fps GPU-accelerated animations.
Full review →GSAP
github.com/greensock/GSAPThe industry standard for advanced web animation since forever. Framework-agnostic — works with React, Vue, vanilla JS, anywhere. Strongest tool for complex timelines, scroll-driven animation, and SVG morphing. Free core, paid plugins for the fanciest stuff.
Full review →Which should you pick?
Pick motion if…
You are doing any non-trivial React animation — page transitions, gestures, layout animations.
Skip motion if…
You are doing only static fades — CSS transitions are enough and ship zero JS.
Pick GSAP if…
You are building marketing sites with award-show-worthy animation, complex scroll narratives, or SVG art.
Skip GSAP if…
You are doing standard React UI animation — Motion is more idiomatic.
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