Lenis is an open-source smooth scrolling library designed to enhance how users interact with web pages by replacing the browser’s default scrolling behavior with a more fluid and controlled system. Built for modern browsers, it enables developers to create visually seamless scrolling effects such as parallax animations, WebGL synchronization, and motion-based interactions.

The library works by intercepting native scroll inputs (like mouse wheel and touch events), preventing the default browser behavior, and then animating the scroll position using a custom interpolation system. This approach gives developers precise control over scroll speed, easing, and synchronization with animations, resulting in a more polished and immersive user experience.

Lenis is designed to be simple to integrate and framework-agnostic, with dedicated packages for environments like React and Vue. It is optimized for performance using requestAnimationFrame loops and efficient event handling, ensuring smooth motion even in complex interfaces. While it offers strong visual capabilities, it requires careful implementation to maintain accessibility and usability.

Positioned as a modern alternative to native scrolling and older scroll libraries, Lenis is particularly useful for developers building interactive websites, creative portfolios, and animation-heavy interfaces where smooth motion is a priority.

Key features include:

• Smooth, customizable scrolling with interpolation-based animation
• Support for advanced effects like parallax and WebGL scroll synchronization
• Framework integrations for React, Vue, and other environments
• Event system for syncing scroll position with animations
• Cross-device support for mouse, touch, and horizontal scrolling

Common use cases include:

• Building interactive marketing websites
• Creating animation-driven landing pages
• Synchronizing scroll with WebGL or canvas elements
• Enhancing portfolio sites with smooth motion
• Improving perceived performance and user experience in modern web interfaces

Lenis is developed and maintained by the Darkroom Engineering team as an open-source project.