GSAP vs Framer Motion: which should you use?
Updated July 18, 2026
Use Framer Motion for component/UI animation in React — enter/exit transitions, gestures, layout animations — where its declarative, component-first API is a joy. Use GSAP for scroll-driven storytelling — pinned sections, scrubbed timelines, character reveals and video scrubbing — where ScrollTrigger has no real equal.
They aren't mutually exclusive: plenty of production sites use Framer Motion for interface motion and GSAP ScrollTrigger for the scroll narrative. Both are free for commercial use as of 2025.
Where GSAP wins
Scroll choreography. ScrollTrigger's pinning, scrubbing and precise start/end control are purpose-built for scroll storytelling, and it drives non-React targets (canvas, video currentTime, WebGL cameras) as easily as DOM. SplitText handles text reveals. It's framework-agnostic, so the same code moves between projects.
Where Framer Motion wins
React UI. Declarative `animate`/`variants`, automatic enter/exit with AnimatePresence, layout animations and drag gestures make everyday interface motion fast to build and easy to read. If your animation lives inside component state, Framer Motion is the natural fit.
Bundle size & licensing
Framer Motion is React-only and tree-shakes well for UI work. GSAP's core is lean; you add only the plugins you use. As of 2025 the full GSAP toolkit, including ScrollTrigger and SplitText, is free — including commercially — which removed the historical cost argument against it.
Frequently asked
Can I use GSAP and Framer Motion together?
Yes, and many production sites do — Framer Motion for component/UI animation and GSAP ScrollTrigger for the scroll narrative. They don't conflict.
Is GSAP free now?
Yes. Since 2025 the entire GSAP toolkit, including previously-paid plugins like ScrollTrigger and SplitText, is free for commercial use.
Which is better for scroll animations?
GSAP ScrollTrigger, clearly — pinning, scrubbing, and precise scroll ranges are its home turf, and it can drive video and WebGL as well as the DOM.