Think about it—those smooth animations and easy-to-use designs in apps aren't just fancy extras anymore. People expect them now. You've only got a few seconds to impress someone when they first open your app. If it feels slow, clunky, or outdated, they'll likely just close it and might never try it again.

According to a Google UX study, 53% of mobile users will abandon a website (or app) that takes longer than three seconds to load or feels unresponsive. Responsive UI components and smooth animations are not fluff; they are useful and immediately affect user retention and perception.

The tools you use could either improve your product or create a bottleneck if, in 2025, you are developing mobile apps with React Native. Choosing the correct ones from so many libraries—many of which are obsolete, bloated, or poorly documented—can seem like a minefield. But with so many libraries out there — many of them outdated, bloated, or poorly documented — picking the right ones can feel like a minefield.

That’s where this guide comes in.

You're about to get a curated list of the best React Native animation and UI component libraries to use in 2025 — the ones that are actively maintained, lightweight, performant, and developer-friendly. Whether you're crafting onboarding flows, adding delightful micro-interactions, or building a clean design system, this guide will show you exactly what to use — and why.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Just Any Library in 2025

It’s tempting to install the first React Native library you find on GitHub that promises cool animations or a clean UI. It might have a lot of stars, a decent demo, or even a Medium article from 2022 hyping it up. But here’s the thing — not every library is built to last.

In 2025, using the wrong library can quietly wreck your app in the background. You won’t always notice the damage right away, but here’s what can happen:

1. Outdated dependencies that don’t play nicely with the latest React Native versions.
2. The sluggish performance caused by animations that aren't hardware-accelerated.
3. Inconsistent behaviour across platforms (what works on Android might break on iOS).
4. Poor documentation and community support make it hard to debug or customize.
5. Bloated bundle sizes, slowing down your app and making users bounce.

Just because a library is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your project. Some are unmaintained. Others were built for one-off use cases that don’t scale well. And many don’t follow best practices around performance or accessibility — two things that matter more than ever as mobile apps grow more complex and users get pickier.

Choosing a library in 2025 shouldn’t be about what looks good in a demo — it should be about long-term reliability, performance, and support.

In the next section, you’ll see which animation libraries actually cut this year.

Top React Native Animation Libraries for 2025

Animation does more than just “make it look pretty.” It guides users, shows intent, and adds delight. In today’s mobile world, it’s a key part of user experience — not an extra.

According to a study by the Nielsen Norman Group, well-executed motion design can improve task performance by up to 50% by helping users understand spatial relationships and app flow.

That stat alone makes one thing clear: the animation library you choose directly impacts how users experience your app.

Here are the top libraries you should consider in 2025 — chosen for performance, flexibility, community support, and long-term stability:

1. Reanimated 3.0

If you want power and precision, this is the one.

1. Built for high-performance animations using the native thread.
2. Great for gestures, transitions, and complex sequences.
3. The steeper learning curve but worth it for larger projects.
4. Actively maintained by the community behind Expo and Software Mansion.

Best for: Production-level apps, advanced animations, performance-sensitive features.

2. Lottie for React Native

Lightweight and perfect for icon animations, loaders, and branding flourishes.

1. Uses JSON-based animations from After Effects.
2. Easily customizable and widely used for onboarding flows.
3. It doesn’t support all types of interactions but excels at what it does.

Best for: Onboarding screens, loading states, brand animations.

3. React Native Animatable

It is super easy to get started with — a plug-and-play solution.

1. Includes pre-built animations like fadeIn, bounce, slide.
2. Great for simple interactions without much overhead.
3. Limited flexibility, but perfect for quick wins.

Best for: Landing pages, splash screens, basic effects.

4. React Native Animated API (built-in)

Comes with React Native itself — no installs needed.

1. Good for basic animations (opacity, scale, position).
2. Reliable, but verbose — not ideal for complex flows.
3. It can be combined with other libraries like Reanimated.

Best for: Lightweight animations, developers who want more control.

Choosing the right animation library isn’t just about features — it’s about using the right tool for the job. Up next, we’ll break down exactly how to use these libraries in real-world scenarios with text, images, and more.

5. Moti

A wrapper around Reanimated that simplifies animation syntax.

1. Great for beginners or teams who want Reanimated’s power with less boilerplate.
2. Easy to chain animations and control delays.

Best for: Startups, rapid development, simple transitions.

6. Framer Motion for React Native (Unofficial Ports)

While not officially supported yet, several ports are gaining traction.

1. Familiar if you’ve used Framer Motion on the web.
2. Still experimental but powerful for declarative animation.

Best for: Teams familiar with Framer, forward-leaning devs.

7. Gesture Handler + Reanimated Combo

Technically two libraries, but they are often used together for fluid gesture animations.

1. Powerhouse duo for swipe, pan, drag, and spring physics.
2. Fully native performance.

Best for: Interactive UIs, drag-and-drop, gestures.

8. React Spring (Experimental for RN)

Popular in web dev circles — now being explored in RN via custom bridges.

1. Physics-based animations with natural motion.
2. It is still early days, so use it cautiously in production.

Best for: Prototyping, physics-style animations, devs already using it on the web.

React Native Animation Examples: Text, Images & More

It’s one thing to know which animation libraries to use — it’s another to understand how they fit into real app experiences.

So, let’s look at some simple, real-world examples where animation makes your UI feel polished, intuitive, and modern. These aren’t just for show — they guide user behaviour and boost usability.

Text Animations

1. Fade in headlines or subheaders when a screen loads using React Native Animatable or Animated API.
2. Typing effect animations for chatbot interfaces using Reanimated or Lottie sequences.
3. Text that shifts or highlights on tap or focus (e.g., animated form labels).

Best Libraries: Animatable, Animated API, Moti.

Image Animations

1. Zoom in/out product images on scroll or pinch gestures using Reanimated + Gesture Handler.
2. Parallax effects for hero images in onboarding flows.
3. Image loaders with bounce or fade effects using Lottie.

Best Libraries: Lottie, Reanimated, Gesture Handler.

Component Transitions

1. Cards slide into view when you open a screen.
2. Tab switches or page swipes with smooth transitions.
3. Modal pop-ups with easing and backdrop fades.

Best Libraries: Reanimated, Moti, Animated API.

Micro-Interactions

These are the subtle animations that make your app feel alive.

1. Button presses with bounce or ripple effects.
2. Checkmark animations after a form submission.
3. Hover-like effects on pressable items (even on mobile).

Best Libraries: Moti, Reanimated, Lottie.

Screen Transitions & Navigation Animations

1. Slide or fade between screens using custom transitions in the navigation.
2. The bottom sheet reveals or collapses with spring animations.
3. Dynamic headers that animate on scroll.

Best Libraries: Reanimated 3.0, Gesture Handler, React Navigation + Reanimated.

Whether you're building a lightweight MVP or a premium mobile experience, these kinds of animations help users feel engaged and in control — without overwhelming them.

Best React Native UI Component Libraries to Build Beautiful Interfaces

According to a report by Forrester, design-led companies outperform their competitors by over 200%. Why? Because clean, intuitive UIs don’t just look better — they convert better, retain users longer, and build trust from the first tap.

In mobile development, using a UI component library isn't a shortcut — it's a smart choice. It helps you stay consistent, save time, and scale faster. Below are six of the best UI libraries to use in React Native apps in 2025, each one known for its unique strengths.

1. gluestack UI

gluestack UI is a powerful, design-system-first component library that focuses on accessibility, responsiveness, and full theme customization using utility-based styling.

It’s ideal for teams that want design consistency across large-scale apps and prefer a system that feels like Tailwind for React Native.

1. Based on utility-first styling (think Tailwind).
2. Fully customizable design tokens and themes.
3. Built with accessibility and responsiveness in mind.

Best for: Design system-driven apps, consistent brand styling, accessibility-first teams.

2. Tamagui

Tamagui is a high-performance UI kit and styling framework built for both React Native and the web.

It supports cross-platform development with atomic styling, which is great for apps that need fast rendering, custom themes, and tight control over UI responsiveness.

1. Great cross-platform support (web + native).
2. Tree-shaking and platform-aware optimizations.
3. Scalable styling system for large teams.

Best for: Cross-platform apps, performance-focused devs, apps with complex theming needs.

3. React Native Paper

React Native Paper is a Material Design-compliant UI kit with a wide set of ready-to-use components like buttons, cards, and inputs.

It’s stable, easy to use, and integrates well with React Navigation, making it perfect for production apps — especially Android-heavy ones.

1. Pre-built components with built-in theming.
2. Highly stable, actively maintained.
3. Smooth integration with React Navigation.

Best for: Material-style apps, Android-heavy projects, simple dashboards.

4. UI Kitten

UI Kitten offers a full set of customizable UI components built on top of the Eva Design System.

It includes support for themes and dark mode out of the box, letting you quickly build good-looking apps with minimal configuration.

1. Full theming support.
2. Built-in support for dark mode.
3. Components include inputs, buttons, modals, etc.

Best for: Customisable apps, teams who want a clean starting point without building from scratch.

5. NativeBase

NativeBase is a robust UI library packed with components like forms, modals, and layout grids, all optimized for native mobile development.

It’s been rebuilt for modern accessibility standards and integrates smoothly with custom design systems for enterprise-level apps.

1. Strong community backing and documentation.
2. Recently rewritten with accessibility and performance in mind.
3. Integrates well with popular design systems.

Best for: Enterprise apps, MVPs, teams with tight deadlines.

6. React Native Elements

Think of React Native Elements as a helpful starter kit for your app's look and feel. It gives you simple, ready-made UI pieces (like buttons, lists, etc.) designed to get your project moving quickly.

The great thing is it doesn't force you into a specific design – you have the freedom to make it your own. You get consistent building blocks that you can fully tweak to match your brand or the unique style you need.

1. Straightforward API.
2. Built-in icons and themes.
3. Flexible enough to be styled from scratch or themed globally.

Best for: Quick prototyping, developers who like minimal setups.

Whether you're building something clean and modern or highly branded and interactive, these UI kits let you build fast and maintain consistency across devices — without wrestling with styles on every screen.

Performance Tips When Using Animation and UI Libraries

Animations and UI libraries can seriously level up your app — but they can also quietly kill performance if you’re not paying attention.

It’s easy to get caught up adding slick transitions, scroll effects, and polished pre-built components until you realize your app’s frame rate is tanking on older Android devices. Or that your splash screen lags instead of impressing.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to ditch these libraries — you just need to use them smartly.

One Simple Rule: Keep Heavy Lifting Off the JS Thread

A lot of performance issues in React Native come from animations or UI updates running on the JavaScript thread instead of the native one. When that happens, even small delays in logic or rendering can make your animations feel choppy.

The fix?

Use libraries like Reanimated 3.0, which are built to run animations on the native thread by default.

If you're using the built-in Animated API, make sure you're passing useNativeDriver: true wherever possible.

4 More Quick Tips for Smoother UI + Animations

1. Avoid animating layout-heavy components like FlatLists unless necessary. Use placeholders or skeleton loaders instead.
2. Limit how many libraries you import. If you're only using one button from a massive UI kit, you're adding weight for no reason.
3. Memoise animated components — especially those that re-render often. Use React.memo() or useMemo() wisely.
4. Test on low-end devices. Don’t just run it on your shiny iPhone — test performance on a mid-range Android to catch real issues early.

Which Libraries to Choose Based on Your Use Case

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to React Native libraries. The right one depends on what you’re building, who it’s for, and how fast you need to ship.

Below are answers to real questions developers search — with library recommendations tailored to each scenario.

What is the best UI and animation library for design-heavy apps?

You require adaptability and refinement if your software emphasizes visuals—consider wellness, lifestyle, or eCommerce.

1. Use gluestack UI or Tamagui for a strong design system and consistent branding across components.
2. Pair with Lottie for slick, lightweight animations like loaders, icons, or branded motion graphics.

Ideal for: High-end design, onboarding screens, stylish brand experiences.

Which React Native libraries are best for gesture-based interactions?

Apps with swiping, dragging, or scroll-triggered animations need libraries built for performance and control.

1. Use Reanimated 3.0 and Gesture Handler together — they’re optimized for native thread animation and low-lag gesture response.
2. Skip heavy UI kits — go lighter with React Native Elements if you still need components.

Ideal for: Swipe cards, carousels, drag-and-drop, scroll reveals.

What libraries are best for building MVPs or launching fast?

If you're prototyping or validating an idea, speed is everything — and so is simplicity.

1. Go with React Native Paper or UI Kitten for pre-styled, ready-to-use components.
2. Add React Native Animatable to quickly apply simple effects like fadeIn, bounce, or slide.

Ideal for: MVPs, hackathons, internal tools.

Which React Native libraries work best for cross-platform apps?

Planning to run your app on the web and native? You need tools that support both — without rewriting your styles twice.

1. Use Tamagui, which supports responsive styling across platforms.
2. Use Moti or an unofficial Framer Motion for React Native port if you want web-style animation syntax.

Ideal for: SaaS apps, admin dashboards, responsive layouts.

What libraries should I use to keep my React Native app lightweight?

When performance is the priority, go lean. Avoid bloated libraries and keep everything tight.

1. Use React Native Elements — a small, flexible UI kit that doesn’t force styling rules.
2. Stick with the built-in Animated API or Moti for simple, performant animations.

Ideal for: Performance-first apps, limited-resource devices, lightweight builds.

Need expert React Native development services to help build a fast and intuitive React Native app with smooth UI and animations? Let’s talk — we’ll help you make it right.

Conclusion

Building a remarkable React Native project in 2025 is about selecting the appropriate tools, not only about writing good code. Your choice of UI and animation libraries directly influences how quickly your application runs, how refined it seems, and how users interact with it.

While UI frameworks like gluestack UI, Tamagui, and React Native Paper assist you in creating uniform, scalable interfaces without beginning from scratch, libraries like Reanimated, Lottie, and Moti bring smooth, interesting animations to life.

Working with a seasoned React Native development company can help you create something that looks amazing and works effectively. The correct stack and professional advice can help you to ship quicker, cut mistakes, and design mobile experiences your consumers will like.