SVG vs Lottie for Loading Spinners
When a simple SVG/CSS spinner suffices and when Lottie's richer animation is worth the overhead.
Simplicity vs Animation Richness
A plain SVG spinner animated with CSS handles simple rotating or pulsing indicators with minimal code and no dependencies. Lottie, built on After Effects exports, suits more elaborate, designer-crafted loading animations.
- SVG/CSS: simple, no dependency, tiny footprint
- Lottie: rich, designer-animated sequences
- Lottie needs a runtime library; plain SVG doesn't
Choosing for Your Project
Use plain SVG/CSS for a standard spin or pulse indicator. Reach for Lottie when your design team delivers a complex multi-shape animation that would be hard to hand-code in CSS or SMIL.
- Standard spin/pulse → SVG + CSS
- Complex multi-shape sequences → Lottie
- Lottie adds a small runtime dependency
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lottie need extra dependencies that plain SVG doesn't?
Yes — Lottie requires a small JS runtime library to play its JSON animation data, while a CSS-animated SVG needs no extra dependency.
When is plain SVG/CSS enough for a spinner?
For simple rotation, pulsing, or dash-offset effects, plain SVG with CSS animation is lighter and simpler than pulling in Lottie.
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