Head to head
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Up to 4 tools, same rows for each: what it is, what it really costs, the trap, and how to wire it up. The URL carries your picks — send it to anyone.
GSAP + ScrollTriggerWebGL
Quick read
- Editor's pick: GSAP + ScrollTrigger.
| Field | GSAP + ScrollTriggergsap.com | WebGLdeveloper.mozilla.org |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Framework-agnostic animation engine whose differentiator is the timeline model: sequence, offset, nest, reverse and scrub complex choreography with precise control. ScrollTrigger handles scroll-driven and pinned animation; SplitText does per-character reveals. | The native JavaScript API underneath everything above: GPU-accelerated rendering in a canvas, programmed with GLSL shaders and manual buffer management. Zero bundle cost, nothing to install. |
| Category | Animation & motion | Animation & motion |
| Cost tier | free | free |
| Pricing | Free — all plugins, since 2025 | Free — a browser standard |
| Why builders pick it | This is the scrolled-feature-article tool. Pinned photo sequences, a headline that assembles as you scroll, a timeline piece that scrubs — that is ScrollTrigger, and nothing else comes close. Webflow acquired GreenSock and made every formerly-paid plugin free in 2025. Core + ScrollTrigger + SplitText is ~49 kB gz. | Worth knowing as a term, not as a thing you write. A spinning cube is ~300 lines of raw WebGL versus ~20 of Three.js. Reach for it only when you need a custom shader no library exposes. |
| Watch out for | Free but not OSI open source — a custom Webflow-owned licence that bars using GSAP inside competing no-code animation builders. Building scroll-driven features with it is squarely permitted. Release cadence has slowed to 2–3/year under Webflow. | Each live WebGL canvas holds GPU memory, browsers cap concurrent contexts around 8–16, and an always-running rAF loop drains laptop batteries and pins mid-range Android. |
| How to wire it up | npm install gsap @gsap/react | not logged |
| Editor's pick | Yes | No |
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# Tool comparison — GSAP + ScrollTrigger vs WebGL Source: Kbaise, a directory of tools that work with Lovable projects. Pick one and tell me why before writing any integration code. ## GSAP + ScrollTrigger (gsap-scrolltrigger) - URL: https://gsap.com/docs/v3/ - Category: Animation & motion - Cost: free — Free — all plugins, since 2025 - What it is: Framework-agnostic animation engine whose differentiator is the timeline model: sequence, offset, nest, reverse and scrub complex choreography with precise control. ScrollTrigger handles scroll-driven and pinned animation; SplitText does per-character reveals. - Why builders pick it: This is the scrolled-feature-article tool. Pinned photo sequences, a headline that assembles as you scroll, a timeline piece that scrubs — that is ScrollTrigger, and nothing else comes close. Webflow acquired GreenSock and made every formerly-paid plugin free in 2025. Core + ScrollTrigger + SplitText is ~49 kB gz. - Trap: Free but not OSI open source — a custom Webflow-owned licence that bars using GSAP inside competing no-code animation builders. Building scroll-driven features with it is squarely permitted. Release cadence has slowed to 2–3/year under Webflow. - Wiring: npm install gsap @gsap/react - Full dossier: /api/public/tools/gsap-scrolltrigger ## WebGL (webgl) - URL: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebGL_API - Category: Animation & motion - Cost: free — Free — a browser standard - What it is: The native JavaScript API underneath everything above: GPU-accelerated rendering in a canvas, programmed with GLSL shaders and manual buffer management. Zero bundle cost, nothing to install. - Why builders pick it: Worth knowing as a term, not as a thing you write. A spinning cube is ~300 lines of raw WebGL versus ~20 of Three.js. Reach for it only when you need a custom shader no library exposes. - Trap: Each live WebGL canvas holds GPU memory, browsers cap concurrent contexts around 8–16, and an always-running rAF loop drains laptop batteries and pins mid-range Android. - Full dossier: /api/public/tools/webgl ## Quick read - Editor's pick: GSAP + ScrollTrigger. ## Rules 1. Prefer the free tier when no budget was stated, and say what the ceiling is. 2. Read the full dossier before integrating. 3. Fetch /api/public/models before writing any AI model ID.
Agents can fetch the same thing: GET /api/public/compare?slugs=gsap-scrolltrigger,webgl