Animshelf Open the library

Open-source motion library · 86+ specimens · MIT

Animations you can take apart, free forever.

Animshelf is an open collection of animated effects, UI components, backgrounds and CSS tools — written in pure HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Canvas. Open any specimen, slow it down, read the source, and make it your own. Everything is free to use and free to edit. No build step, no dependencies, no signup.

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The idea

A workshop for web motion — open on the bench, ready to be taken apart.

§ 01

Most animation libraries hand you a black box: install a package, call a function, hope it fits. Animshelf does the opposite. Every effect is presented like a lab specimen — framed in a live preview, labelled, and accompanied by the exact HTML, CSS and JavaScript that makes it work. You can scrub the timing, swap the easing, toggle reduced motion, and watch the animation frame by frame.

Because each specimen is a single self-contained file with zero dependencies and no build step, taking one home is as simple as copy and paste. Drop it into any project — a static site, a React app, a landing page — change the props, and it just works. Animshelf is free to use and free to edit, today and forever, under the permissive MIT license.

Read the source

One file of HTML, CSS and JavaScript per specimen — no framework, no bundler, nothing hidden. What you see is what you ship.

Free & MIT licensed

Use it in personal and commercial work at no cost. Edit it, restyle it, remix it — attribution appreciated, never required.

Tweak everything live

Props panels, timing scrubbers and easing curves let you dial in the exact feel before you copy a single line of code.

Reduced-motion safe

Every specimen respects prefers-reduced-motion, so the motion you ship is accessible by default.

Real CSS tools

Generators for grids, gradients, glassmorphism and cubic-bézier easing — draw it, copy the code, paste it in.

Grown by the community

Anyone can submit new animations, components, backgrounds and tools — and every contributor is credited by name.

No catch

Free to use. Free to edit. Yours to keep.

Everything on Animshelf — every animation, component, background and tool — is completely free. Copy the code into any project, change it however you like, ship it to paying clients. There is no paywall, no premium tier, no signup wall, and no attribution requirement. It is open source under the MIT license, and it will stay that way.

$0 — forever MIT licensed Edit the source freely Commercial use allowed No signup No dependencies
Five shelves

A catalog you can open, read, and lift straight into your project.

§ 02
Loved by developers

Reactions from people building with Animshelf.

§ 03

Designers, indie hackers and engineers reach for Animshelf because it is fast, readable and free. Here is a fresh wall of reactions — it reshuffles every time you load the page.

Built together

The community keeps Animshelf growing — and gets the credit.

§ 04

Anyone can add to Animshelf. Built a slick text effect, a canvas field, a handy component or a new CSS tool? Submit it. Once it is merged it joins the catalog as a first-class specimen — open, editable and free for everyone.

And contributors are never buried in a changelog. Your name is shown prominently on the specimen you build and in the contributor wall below, so the work you give away still carries your signature.

Add your animation
Good to know

Frequently asked questions.

§ 05
Is Animshelf really free?
Yes — completely. Every specimen and every tool is free to use and free to edit, with no paywall and no premium tier. The whole library is MIT licensed, so you can use it in personal and commercial projects at no cost and without signing up.
Can I edit the code and use it commercially?
Absolutely. Copy any specimen, change the props, restyle it, refactor it into your framework of choice, and ship it to clients. Each specimen is one self-contained file of HTML, CSS and JavaScript with no build step and no dependencies, so there is nothing stopping you.
Do I have to credit Animshelf?
No. Attribution is appreciated but never required under the MIT license. If you do want to credit the original author of a specimen, their name is shown on the specimen page.
How do I contribute a new animation?
Head to the library, open Get Started, and follow the contribution guide. Build your effect as a single self-contained file, submit it, and once merged it joins the catalog with your name displayed prominently on it.
What technologies does Animshelf use?
Pure HTML, CSS, JavaScript, the Canvas 2D API and WebGL for shader backgrounds. There is no framework and no bundler — the entire site runs as plain static files, which is exactly what you copy when you take a specimen home.
Is the motion accessible?
Yes. Every specimen honors the prefers-reduced-motion setting, falling back to a static or calmer state for visitors who ask for reduced motion.