In this article, I’d like to share my thoughts and personal experience as a daily WordPress user and web creator, comparing two powerful animation tools: Motion Page and Next Bricks. While these plugins target a similar audience and aim to enhance the animation capabilities of WordPress sites, they each offer a unique approach—especially when it comes to GSAP-based animations, which is the main focus of this comparison.
First Impressions of Motion Page
I remember discovering Motion Page when it first launched. It immediately caught my attention and got me excited—it felt like a true game-changer in the WordPress ecosystem. While building a beautiful site with WordPress isn’t necessarily difficult nowadays, delivering that extra “wow factor” often depends on well-executed animations.
Sure, simple effects like fade-ins or slide-ins can be done with basic CSS. But if you want to tell a visual story through movement on your site, you need something more advanced—and that’s where Motion Page really shines.
Before Motion Page, I had experimented with tools like Slider Revolution and CSS Hero Animator (which was released around the same time), but none offered the same focused control over GSAP animations.
The Rise of Next Bricks
Enter Next Bricks, developed by Jose Tamu, who clearly put a lot of passion and creativity into building something unique for the WordPress and Bricks Builder community. I want to clarify upfront that this article reflects my personal opinion only—I have no affiliation or partnership with Next Bricks.
Update: I recently signed up for their affiliate program, so the links is now an affiliate. I still stand by everything I wrote in the article. If you found it helpful and feel like supporting me, feel free to use the link — it won’t cost you anything extra.
Motion Page – Built for GSAP
Motion Page is entirely focused on GSAP animations, and it does this exceptionally well—better than Next Bricks in many areas. Its interface is intuitive, featuring a clear timeline at the bottom and animation tools neatly organized on the left side, much like a traditional builder interface.
It also feels more stable and polished when it comes to previewing animations, and offers additional options like Exit animations that can even be used for page transitions.
Pros of Motion Page
- Clean and intuitive UI
- More advanced animation options
- Import/export timelines
- Copy/paste timelines
- Compatible with all WordPress builders
- Plenty of video tutorials
Cons of Motion Page
- Pricing – Personally, I find it expensive
- GSAP Smooth Scroll has known issues and many complaints
- Support – I’ve experienced long delays when asking for help
Next Bricks – Lean and Integrated
On the other hand, Next Bricks offers a similar animation experience, but it’s integrated directly inside Bricks Builder, which is both a strength and a limitation. Its animation UI is compact—everything is placed at the bottom, including the timeline and controls, which can feel cramped and hard to manage at times. That said, this layout also allows you to view and work within Bricks Builder more easily.
Pros of Next Bricks
- Faster animation creation process
- Built directly into Bricks Builder
- Lightweight with minimal impact on site speed
- Affordable pricing – includes a lifetime license (for now)
- Excellent customer support
Cons of Next Bricks
- Cramped UI at the bottom of the screen
- Works only with Bricks Builder
- Preview can freeze occasionally
- Limited tutorials and learning resources
Why I Switched from Motion Page to Next Bricks
About a year ago, I made the big move from Elementor to Bricks Builder. For a while, I continued using Motion Page with Bricks, which was a solid combo. But then I discovered Next Bricks and was genuinely impressed by how well-crafted it was.
Since I had already decided to stick with Bricks Builder for the long term, I took a chance and purchased Next Bricks. Not only did it cost significantly less compared to Motion Page (which I was subscribing to), but it also came with a lot of additional features beyond the animator: pre-made buttons, text effects, background animations, and even Lenis Smooth Scroll—which, in my experience, performs much better than GSAP’s native scroller.
Most importantly, the support and community around Next Bricks have been some of the best I’ve encountered in years within the WordPress space.
Final Thoughts
Motion Page remains a powerful tool, especially for freelancers or agencies who work across various builders. But if you’re committed to using only Bricks Builder, then Next Bricks might be a better and more cost-effective choice in the long run.
This is just my personal opinion, of course—I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. After all, it’s often through discussion and even disagreement that we find solutions and push the WordPress ecosystem forward.