React Motion vs react-spring
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A React animation library that drives motion with spring physics instead of fixed durations.
Open source · MIT
A React animation library built on spring physics for smooth, natural motion.
The short answer
Choose React Motion if you need…
- React developers who want smooth, physics-based UI animations
- Developers animating a value from one number to another, such as a counter or position
- Teams building staggered list or chat-head style effects
- Developers who need mount and unmount transitions similar to React's TransitionGroup
Choose react-spring if you need…
- React developers who want fluid, physics-based animations
- Developers building interactive UIs that respond to user input
- Projects that need animations in both web (react-dom) and react-three-fiber 3D scenes
- Developers who prefer declarative animation code but sometimes need imperative control
Side-by-side
| React Motion | react-spring | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 21.9k | 29.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 3 years ago | 5 days ago |
What each one is
React Motion
React-Motion is a JavaScript library for animating components in React. Instead of setting a fixed duration and easing curve, you describe a spring with stiffness and damping values, and the animation follows physics, which the README says handles interrupted animations more gracefully. It exports components such as Motion, StaggeredMotion and TransitionMotion for mounting and unmounting animations.
react-spring
react-spring is a JavaScript library for adding animations to React user interfaces. Instead of fixed durations, it mainly uses spring physics, so elements move in a fluid, natural way. Developers use it to animate things like fading or sliding elements in response to state changes.
Best for
React Motion
- React developers who want smooth, physics-based UI animations
- Developers animating a value from one number to another, such as a counter or position
- Teams building staggered list or chat-head style effects
- Developers who need mount and unmount transitions similar to React's TransitionGroup
react-spring
- React developers who want fluid, physics-based animations
- Developers building interactive UIs that respond to user input
- Projects that need animations in both web (react-dom) and react-three-fiber 3D scenes
- Developers who prefer declarative animation code but sometimes need imperative control
Strengths
React Motion
- Animations are driven by stiffness and damping values, so you rarely tune durations by hand
- Includes an API for list mount and unmount transitions and staggered effects
- Typed definitions are available for Flow, and the README links TypeScript definitions
react-spring
- Spring physics is the default, giving motion a natural feel
- Supports both web (react-dom) and react-three-fiber targets
- Offers both declarative and imperative APIs
Not ideal for
React Motion
- Developers who need exact fixed-duration or custom easing curves, since the library is built around springs rather than durations
- Projects not using React, because the API is built around React components
- Anyone starting a new project who wants the most actively maintained option, since the last push in the provided metadata is from January 2024
react-spring
- Non-React projects, since the library is built specifically for React
- People who only need simple CSS transitions, which may be easier to write directly
- Beginners with no React experience, since the examples assume working knowledge of React hooks
Trade-offs
React Motion
- The last push shown in the metadata is January 2024, so maintenance activity may be limited
- Spring parameters are hard to predict by feel; the README suggests using the demo tool to experiment
- The README is truncated, so details of TransitionMotion and other APIs are not fully covered here
react-spring
- Its README is brief, so deeper usage relies on the external documentation site
- Requires familiarity with React hooks to use effectively
Getting started
React Motion
Install from npm
npm install --save react-motionreact-spring
Install for web (react-dom)
npm install @react-spring/webInstall for react-three-fiber
npm install @react-spring/threeFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between React Motion and react-spring?
React Motion: A React animation library that drives motion with spring physics instead of fixed durations. react-spring: A React animation library built on spring physics for smooth, natural motion. React Motion suits react developers who want smooth, physics-based ui animations, while react-spring suits react developers who want fluid, physics-based animations.
Are React Motion and react-spring free?
React Motion: Free and open source. react-spring: Free and open source.
Is React Motion or react-spring more popular?
react-spring has more GitHub stars (29.3k) than React Motion (21.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.