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Animation does not have one required frame rate. For cinematic work, 24 frames per second (fps) is a familiar starting point; video delivery may call for 25 or 30 fps; and interface animation can range from about 20 fps for routine feedback to a steady 60 fps target when browser motion needs to feel especially responsive. The right choice depends on where the animation will play and how much motion the animator intends to create.
Which frame rate should you choose?
Start with the delivery medium and its requirements, not the assumption that more frames are always better. These figures are standards or guidance for particular contexts, not a survey of what every animator uses.
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- Cinematic work: 24 fps is a familiar film timing basis. Digital cinema distribution also permits other rates, so 24 fps is a useful baseline rather than a universal rule.
- Video: Follow the delivery specification. The cited animation text discusses 25 fps in a PAL context and 30 fps in an NTSC or some computer-program contexts; these labels should not be treated as a complete map of present-day broadcast formats.
- Routine interface feedback: Microsoft recommends 20 fps for most interface animations, and MIT course notes say 20 fps can be sufficient for feedback.
- Prominent interface motion: Microsoft suggests 24 or 30 fps for a special experience or motion central to the program.
- Responsive browser animation: MDN identifies 60 fps as a target when feasible, with a high, steady rate more important than a peak that cannot be maintained.
ISO’s ISO 26428-11:2011 digital-cinema distribution standard lists 24 and 48 fps as primary rates and 25, 30, 50, and 60 fps as additional rates. The ISO record says the 2011 edition was reviewed and confirmed in 2022 and remains current.
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What does “frames per second” mean in animation?
Playback rate and drawing rate are different
Playback fps tells you how many output frames are displayed each second. It does not tell you how many unique drawings or poses were made. An animator may hold a pose across multiple output frames, a normal timing choice that avoids creating a new drawing for every frame.
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Timing for Animation describes calculating on twos: for example, 60 fps playback with timing taken down to 30 fps. The output runs at 60 frames each second, while a pose can remain in place for two output frames.
Display refresh is a separate rate
An animation’s frame rate and a screen’s refresh rate are related but distinct. MIT’s lecture notes make this distinction explicitly. A higher-refresh display does not create additional unique poses in the animation; it can only show the available updates according to the animation and playback system.
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Why not make every animation 60 fps?
A higher playback target can require more frequent updates and more computing work, but it does not automatically improve every animation. For browser motion, MDN notes that 60 fps gives the browser about 16.7 milliseconds per frame for script execution, style and layout work, and painting. If the work takes longer, frames can be delayed and motion may look uneven.
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That is why 60 fps is best understood as a responsive-interface performance target when a device and implementation can sustain it—not as a blanket creative requirement. A steady lower rate can be more suitable for secondary feedback, while prominent motion may justify a higher target.
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How to decide for a specific project
- Check the destination. Use the required delivery rate for the cinema, video, or interface platform. For cinematic work without a stricter requirement, 24 fps is a familiar starting point.
- Decide how important the motion is. Microsoft and MIT guidance support 20 fps for routine interface feedback; Microsoft suggests 24 or 30 fps when animation is a special experience or central to the program.
- Set a realistic performance target. For browser animation where responsiveness is important, aim for a high, steady rate such as 60 fps if the implementation can maintain it. Consider the available frame budget and avoid work that causes jank.
- Plan the pose timing separately. Choose how often the animation needs a new pose or drawing. Holding poses over multiple output frames can reduce the number of unique drawings without changing the playback rate.
Sources and scope
- ISO 26428-11:2011 — Digital cinema distribution master, Part 11: Additional frame rates. ISO lists the standard as confirmed in 2022 and current.
- Microsoft Windows UX guidance: Animations and Transitions. It states: “Most animations should use a frame rate of 20 frames per second.” The page does not identify an individual speaker or establish a publication date.
- The Basic Unit of Time in Animation, Timing for Animation, 40th Anniversary Edition, 3rd Edition. The chapter discusses film timing, PAL and NTSC examples, and calculating on twos.
- MDN Web Docs: Animation performance and frame rate. Accessed October 7, 2026; the accessed page view does not establish a publication date.
- MIT OpenCourseWare, 6.831/6.813 Lecture 24 Notes: Animation, Spring 2011.
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