greensock/GSAP

What GSAP does

GSAP is a dependency-free JavaScript animation library. Its core is a high-speed property manipulator that updates values over time, so it can animate CSS properties and attributes, SVG, canvas, WebGL, colors, strings, motion paths and plain JavaScript objects. It is framework-agnostic and works in every major browser. It is aimed at front-end developers and designers building UI motion, scroll effects and interactive web pages.

Optional plugins extend it for scroll-driven animation (ScrollTrigger, ScrollSmoother), SVG morphing (MorphSVGPlugin), text splitting (SplitText), motion paths (MotionPathPlugin), FLIP transitions (Flip), and normalized cross-browser event handling (Observer). gsap.matchMedia() helps build responsive, accessibility-aware animations. A separate @gsap/react package provides a useGSAP() hook for React.

Quick start

Pick one of the two installation routes below.

CDN (browser page): add the script tag before your own animation code:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/gsap@3.15/dist/gsap.min.js"></script>

The JSDelivr GSAP page lists core files and plugins.

npm (bundled app):

npm install gsap

Then import the core and any plugins you need, and register plugins before use:

import gsap from "gsap";
import ScrollTrigger from "gsap/ScrollTrigger";
import Flip from "gsap/Flip";
import Draggable from "gsap/Draggable";

gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger, Draggable, Flip);

The README also shows an gsap/all import that re-exports all tools except members-only plugins. Plugins must be registered before they are used. Once loaded, call animation methods such as gsap.to(...) on targets; the getting started guide, demos and cheat sheet show complete animations.

Constraints

• The npm package uses ES modules; a /dist/ directory contains UMD builds for extra compatibility.
• GSAP itself has zero dependencies, but plugins must be imported and registered separately.
• React users need the separate @gsap/react package and should follow the React guide.
• The repository does not declare a license in the provided metadata. The README instead points to GreenSock's standard "no charge" license; check it before commercial use.
• Plugin documentation, forums and bug reporting live on gsap.com and GitHub Issues.

HotRepo's take

GSAP recorded 1,307 new stars in the monthly JavaScript list snapshot dated 2026-11-01, reaching position 14 on that list, with 30,007 total stars. That single monthly record supports the read that a long-established (created 2012) animation library still attracts a meaningful monthly audience in the JavaScript ecosystem. The data covers one monthly period only, so it does not indicate a sustained trend, and the monthly JavaScript rank is not an all-language daily rank. The README's own framing — 12 million sites and a free full toolset since Webflow's acquisition — explains why the library remains a default choice for scroll and SVG animation rather than a new entrant.