Which free animation and design tools can you use on a website you sell from?
checked 2026-10-08 7 entries from the Tools Atlas
By Tori, last checked 2026-10-08. Each entry below was read against its own page or licence. The verdicts are written for someone who wants to use a tool in something they sell or publish; a skip is often about a licence or a heavy setup, not about quality.
At a glance
| Name | Licence | Cost | Rules check | Atlas verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion | MIT | Free. The Motion+ add-on is paid and optional. | Allowed | Use it |
| Lenis | MIT | Free software. | Allowed | Use it |
| Paper Shaders | Apache-2.0 | Free software. | Allowed | Use it |
| Magic UI | MIT | Free. The Pro templates are paid. | Allowed | Use it |
| Free fonts via Fontsource | SIL OFL 1.1 (fonts); MIT (Fontsource) | Free software. | Allowed | Use it |
| Frontend-design instruction file | Apache-2.0 | Free software. | Allowed | Use it |
| UI UX Pro Max instruction file | MIT | Free software. | Allowed | Use it |
One by one
Motion Use it
An animation library with a plain JavaScript version: scroll reveals, springs and triggers when something comes into view. MIT. A few lines fix a page with no motion at all. Prefer it over GSAP, whose no-charge licence is proprietary, not open source. The paid Motion+ is optional.
Licence. MIT. Cost. Free. The Motion+ add-on is paid and optional.
- Source page, read 2026-10-08
Lenis Use it
One script tag for a polished scroll feel, pairs well with scroll reveals. MIT. Use it sparingly and respect the visitor's reduced-motion setting.
Licence. MIT. Cost. Free software.
- Source page, read 2026-10-08
Paper Shaders Use it
Animated gradient, grain and noise backgrounds, as plain JavaScript or React. Apache-2.0. It gives a page top real depth without photography. It is version 0.0.x, so pin the version and check performance on phones.
Licence. Apache-2.0. Cost. Free software.
- Source page, read 2026-10-08
Magic UI Use it
Copy-paste React and Tailwind pieces: device mockups, grids, marquees, animated text and backgrounds. MIT. Good for React and Next builds, not for plain HTML pages. The Pro templates are paid.
Licence. MIT. Cost. Free. The Pro templates are paid.
- Source page, read 2026-10-08
Free fonts via Fontsource Use it
Open fonts you host yourself, so the page has a face other than Inter and makes no call to Google's font servers. SIL OFL 1.1 for the fonts, MIT for Fontsource.
Licence. SIL OFL 1.1 (fonts); MIT (Fontsource). Cost. Free software.
- Source page, read 2026-10-08
Frontend-design instruction file Use it
An instruction file for an AI coding assistant that steers it away from template defaults: deliberate type, one planned motion moment, a distinctive top-of-page element. Apache-2.0. Its list of the “tells of a generated page” (one accented headline word, all-caps labels, needless labels above content) is a useful checklist for your own pages.
Licence. Apache-2.0. Cost. Free software.
- Read 2026-10-08; no single source page.
UI UX Pro Max instruction file Use it
An instruction file with a searchable set of design choices for an AI coding assistant: 79 styles, 192 palettes, 74 font pairings across 22 stacks. MIT. Gives concrete palettes so your next page can leave “Inter plus one green” behind. A Premium version exists; you do not need it.
Licence. MIT. Cost. Free software.
- Source page, read 2026-10-08
A light-touch way to use them
One motion moment per page is enough. Respect reduced-motion settings. Test on a real phone, since animated backgrounds can be slow there.
Keep the licence files that come with fonts and libraries, and credit where a licence asks you to.
Questions
Is Framer Motion free for commercial use?
Yes. Motion, formerly Framer Motion, is MIT-licensed. The Motion+ add-on is paid and optional.
Why prefer Motion over GSAP?
GSAP's no-charge licence is proprietary, not an open-source licence like MIT.
Can I use Instrument Serif and Geist on a commercial site?
Both are SIL OFL 1.1 fonts, which allow commercial use. Hosting them yourself through Fontsource avoids a call to Google's font servers.
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