Top 10 JavaScript Animation Libraries
Tags: webdev, javascript, beginners, css
Published: 2024-05-09 14:19:43

Animation in JavaScript has advanced drastically in all directions you can imagine, from animating text or an image to full-fledged 3D animation with tools like WebGL. There are many libraries that work with the canvas and WebGL to create interactive experiences.

When implementing animations, it is essential to consider performance, user experience, and the purpose of the animation. Too many or overly complex animations can negatively impact performance and distract users. It's important to strike a balance and ensure that animations enhance the overall user experience.

- [**Three.js**](https://threejs.org/) ([99.1k](https://github.com/mrdoob/three.js/) ⭐) — A popular JavaScript library used for creating and displaying 3D computer graphics on the web. It provides a high-level API that abstracts away the complexities of WebGL, a low-level graphics API, making it easier for developers to work with 3D graphics in the browser.

- [**Anime.js**](https://animejs.com/) ([48.8k](https://github.com/juliangarnier/anime/) ⭐) — A lightweight library with a simple API that can animate HTML, CSS, JS, SVG and DOM attributes. It has a built-in staggering system, callbacks and controls, and various easing and animation effects.

- [**Lottie**](http://airbnb.io/lottie/) ([29.7k](https://github.com/airbnb/lottie-web) ⭐) — A library that renders Adobe After Effects animations exported as JSON with the Bodymovin plugin. It allows you to use complex animations created by designers without coding them manually.

- [**ScrollReveal**](https://scrollrevealjs.org/) ([22.1k](https://github.com/jlmakes/scrollreveal) ⭐) — A library for easily animating elements as they enter/leave the viewport. It was designed to be robust and flexible, but hopefully you’ll be surprised below at how easy it is to pick up.

- [**Popmotion**](https://popmotion.io/) ([19.8k](https://github.com/popmotion/popmotion) ⭐) — Tiny animator's toolbox supports keyframe and spring animations for numbers, colors and complex strings.

- [**Mo.js**](https://mojs.github.io/) ([18.3k](https://github.com/mojs/mojs) ⭐) — Motion graphics library provides built-in components to start animating from scratch like html, shape, swirl, burst and stagger, but also bring you tools to help craft your animation in a most natural way.

- [**Velocity.js**](http://velocityjs.org/) ([17.3k](https://github.com/julianshapiro/velocity) ⭐) — A library that combines the best of jQuery and CSS transitions. It can animate colors, transforms, loops, easings, SVGs and more. It can work with or without jQuery and has a high performance.

- [**GSAP**](https://greensock.com/) ([18.7k](https://github.com/greensock/GSAP) ⭐) — A library for building high-performance animations that work in every major browser. It can animate anything on the web, including CSS, SVG, canvas, React, Vue and more. It has advanced features like motion paths, physics, morphing and more.

- [**ScrollMagic**](https://scrollmagic.io/) ([14.8k](https://github.com/janpaepke/ScrollMagic) ⭐) — A library for creating scroll interactions with JavaScript and CSS. It can trigger animations based on scroll position and pin elements within the viewport. It has over 11K stars on GitHub.

- [**Typed.js**](https://github.com/mattboldt/typed.js) ([14.8k](https://github.com/mattboldt/typed.js) ⭐) — A library that types. Enter in any string, and watch it type at the speed you've set, backspace what it's typed, and begin a new sentence for however many strings you've set.

It's worth noting that different animation libraries may have additional features or specialize in certain types of animations, such as SVG animations, particle effects, or physics-based animations. When choosing a JavaScript animation library, it's important to consider the specific requirements and constraints of your project to find the library that best suits your needs.

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