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Noor ul hassan
Noor ul hassan

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Building Free, High-Performance GSAP Components for the Community

#gsap #animation #react #tailwindcss

Picture of custom cursor component

As developers, we’re surrounded by component libraries tailored to frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular. They’re great, but they often prioritize functionality over performance, interactivity, or visual flair. That’s why I’ve set out on a mission: to build unique, highly performant, and visually engaging components using GSAP—and provide them free for the community.

GSAP (GreenSock Animation Platform) is an incredibly powerful animation library, but surprisingly few developers leverage it for reusable UI components. My goal is to change that: to craft components that aren’t just visually impressive, but also optimized for real-world performance.

Why GSAP Components?

  • Performance-First: GSAP’s quickTo() and gsap.ticker allow near-zero per-frame overhead, keeping animations buttery smooth, even in complex UIs.
  • Unique Interactivity: Components can respond in rich, tactile ways—hover states, click states, magnetic effects, and more.
  • Framework-Agnostic: While many components are framework-specific, GSAP’s animation engine allows me to create truly reusable, high-performance elements.
  • Community-Focused: Every component will be open-source and free, ready to plug into your projects.

My First Component: A Custom Cursor

I kicked things off with a high-performance Custom Cursor. Instead of the default browser cursor, this component introduces a fluid, dual-element pointer—a small dot and a ring—that reacts dynamically to user interactions.

Key Features:

  • Performance-Optimized: Uses gsap.quickTo() for instant response without taxing the frame budget.
  • State Machine: Handles default, hover, click, hover-click, and hidden states.
  • Smart Delegation: A single document-level listener manages hover detection, avoiding dozens of individual event listeners.
  • Touch-Friendly: Automatically disables on touch devices.
  • Always Visible: Uses mix-blend-difference so the cursor stands out against any background.

You can try it live here: Custom Cursor Demo

Implementation Overview

  1. Install Dependencies 
npm install gsap tailwindcss
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  1. Create the Component
  • Place logic in components/ui/CustomCursor.tsx.
  • Disable the native cursor globally in CSS: 
html { cursor: none !important; }
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  • Use gsap.quickTo() for smooth motion and gsap.ticker to update the cursor position efficiently.
  1. Use Globally
  • Import <CustomCursor /> in your root layout: 
import CustomCursor from "@/components/ui/CustomCursor";

export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>
        <CustomCursor />
        {children}
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}
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  1. Make Elements Interactive
  • Add data-cursor="hover" to trigger the hover state: 
<button data-cursor="hover" className="px-6 py-2 bg-white text-black rounded-full">
  Hover Me
</button>
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Performance Notes

  • Ref-based positioning: Mouse coordinates and GSAP quickTo functions are stored in refs to prevent unnecessary React re-renders.
  • GPU-Accelerated Animations: Using will-change: transform ensures smooth, hardware-accelerated movement.
  • Ticker Sync: GSAP ticker avoids conflicts with React render cycles, keeping animations fluid.

This is just the beginning. My plan is to build a library of free GSAP components that are not only visually stunning but also lightweight, interactive, and easy to integrate. From dynamic cursors to scroll-triggered animations and beyond, my goal is to give developers tools they won’t find anywhere else—without charging a cent.

If you’re curious or want to contribute, check out the first demo here: Custom Cursor Live

Stay tuned—more components are coming soon!

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