When it comes to modern web development, simplicity, speed, and adaptability are the new cornerstones. Enter Hono.js, a minimalist yet powerful framework designed to thrive in cutting-edge environments like Cloudflare Workers, Deno, and Bun. While still relatively under the radar, Hono.js is quickly carving out a niche for developers who want a no-nonsense, high-performance solution for building web apps and APIs.
Why Hono.js Stands Out
Blazing Fast and Lightweight:
Hono.js prioritizes speed and efficiency. Its ultra-small size means it doesnβt bog down your application with unnecessary overhead, making it ideal for performance-critical projects.Modern by Design:
Hono.js embraces environments that define the future of web development, such as edge computing platforms like Cloudflare Workers. This makes it an excellent choice for developers looking to push their apps closer to users for lightning-fast responses.Familiar Yet Innovative:
If youβve worked with Express.js, Hono.js will feel like a familiar friend with a sharper edge. It retains the simplicity of Express but introduces more modern concepts, all while staying highly modular.TypeScript First:
Say goodbye to guesswork! Hono.js comes with full TypeScript support, ensuring you can write maintainable and robust code without sacrificing developer experience.A Growing Ecosystem:
With a solid foundation for middleware and plugin support, Hono.js is steadily growing an ecosystem that meets real-world demands. From authentication to caching, developers can extend functionality without friction.
Why Hono.js Has a Bright Future π
The development landscape is evolving rapidly, with increasing demand for tools that deliver efficiency, scalability, and modernity. Hono.js checks all these boxes while remaining refreshingly straightforward.
Its focus on edge-native environments positions it perfectly for the rise of serverless computing, microservices, and distributed architectures. With more developers experimenting with platforms like Deno and Bun, Hono.js is likely to see significant adoption in the coming years.
Moreover, its lightweight nature makes it a great fit for startups and solo developers who want speed without sacrificing quality.
When Should You Try Hono.js?
- Youβre building an API or web app that needs to be lean and fast.
- You want to deploy on modern platforms like Cloudflare Workers, Deno, or Bun.
- You love Express.js, but youβre ready for something lighter and more future-proof.
Closing Thoughts
Hono.js might not have the massive community of giants like Express or Next.jsβyetβbut its potential is undeniable. It offers developers a chance to explore cutting-edge tools while staying productive and efficient. Whether you're building the next big thing or a small side project, Hono.js is worth a look.
The web development world moves fast. Hono.js ensures you stay ahead. π οΈ
Top comments (37)
Looks like 1000 things before, a clone of a pure node based api wrapper. Seems like a pretty basic implementation, doesn't seem to allow enforced hierarchical routing, routes are burried in a func. Not sure why anyone would pick this over express, if nothing more than by comparing documentation and proven use cases. What does it have to offer over the other clones, hard objective numbers... the words in bold in the article are marketing terms... unless you can prove it has better "efficiency, scalability, and modernity" than all others... good luck π€£.
I used hono like a year ago and I think if all you want is to target a Node.js server you are indeed better off with express (or even better something like Fastify).
Hono shines when you want to decouple from the runtime. For instance, if you want to run today on Cloudflare Worker, tomorrow on AWS Lambda and next week on some other platform that may not have a full Node.js runtime then hono is useful. It brings those platforms into a common API. You build once and the adapters guarantee that it can be shipped to those.
That's also why it is being used by many frameworks as the working horse underneath. It is an abstraction over the potential deployment targets.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Totally agreeβHonoβs real strength is its flexibility across runtimes and platforms. For Node.js-specific projects, Express or Fastify can definitely be great picks, but Honoβs abstraction makes it shine in edge-native and multi-platform setups. Appreciate your insights! βοΈ
Maybe you guys are correct... but I didn't get that from the article. Again, I know nothing of hono outside this article, so when I read this kind of stuff sort of advert-introducing (new word) me to it, I sort of assume I'm the target audience, someone that doesn't already know the tool.
So its cloud centric while express and the like are server centric. That makes sense, next question is how does it work under the hood and in place with the huge range of proprietary cloud systems, what integration looks like, etc... I don't see the need to show route code that looks like many others that aren't great, need to see integration cleanup with docker and K8s as a result of switching for example, as well as cloudfare and bun and such. Performance comparisons would close the deal.
I find myself in a position were I can write any code fast, but getting it deployed affordably, reliably, extendably, and CI/CD-ably is another story, almost a nightmare of proprietary and environment dependent ugly configs that don't play well together. If some effectively wrapped each vendors proprietary nonsense, found the common ground, and created a common system to deploy anything to anywhere, hell yeah I would bite... if that's what this is, I thought it was just an API.
True (the article did not go into those details) - that's why I wrote the comment.
I used it because it is only framework that worked with ssr jsx out of the box.
Thatβs awesome to hear! Out of curiosity, what kind of project were you working on where Honoβs SSR and JSX support made a big difference? Would love to know more about your experience!
Hey, thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! I totally get where youβre coming from, and I really appreciate your feedback. Let me address a couple of the points you raised:
About routing: Hono.js is designed to be super lightweight and minimalist. It might not enforce "hierarchical routing" out of the box, but itβs got simplicity and flexibility that many developers really value.
Comparison with Express: 100% agree that Express is a rock-solid tool with amazing documentation and proven reliability. But Hono.js is built with modern environments like Cloudflare Workers in mind, where speed and a small footprint really make a difference.
On "efficiency and scalability": I get that these words might sound like marketing buzzwords, but they genuinely reflect what Hono.js aims to achieveβespecially in edge-native platforms like Deno or Bun. I promise Iβll include benchmarks and real-world examples in future posts to back this up!
Thanks again for bringing this upβitβs feedback like yours that sparks great discussions and helps improve things! Looking forward to hearing more from you. π
Let me tell you what friend. Nothing is taking on expressjs anytime soon. Especially with v5 out and in active development and v4 getting infinite support cycle.
Only thing that competes with expressjs's pros are frameworks like NestJs and Fastify. Or just go with GoLang.
You're absolutely right Express.js is a powerhouse, especially with v5 and its strong community support. Hono.js isnβt here to replace Express but to offer a lightweight, edge-native solution for platforms like Cloudflare Workers and Deno.
Frameworks like NestJS and Fastify are fantastic too, but Hono.js shines for performance-critical, modern environments. Itβs all about the right tool for the job!
alternatif expres.js fast get resfull api , like this
Exactly! Hono.js is indeed a lightweight and super-fast framework that works great for building RESTful APIs, especially when performance and speed are critical. I'd love to hear about your experience with Hono.js if you've used it!
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Puny sales. No one gonna buy/subscribe your product if your approach is not natural
Got it, thanks for the feedback! π
Looks promising. Let's see
Totally! π
One year ago, I developed Scrum Planning Poker using Hono, deploying the backend on Cloudflare Workers and it worked flawlessly!
Awesome! It's great that you shared your experience with us. π
I'm currently working on a project with Hono.js on Bun.js. So far, so good, no unpleasant surprises. I'm happy with Hono :)
The error handling, I prefer the Express 5 way. Not a fan of Exception everywhere for error handling. But no big deal, it's still efficient and practical for catching different types of error.
That's great to hear you're having a smooth experience with Hono.js on Bun.js! I totally get your preference for the Express 5 error handling styleβit does feel more structured. But it's good to know that Hono's approach is still practical and efficient. Do you think Bun.js adds any significant benefits compared to Node.js?
GOOD! Soon, we are going to work with Deno 2 and the framework to run will be HonoJS, is a new thing and the new and MODERN workfload is the way to go ;). Here we work with C# (Razor Pages / MVC for enterprise level / client's poject "), the most workfload to almost all withgs is a combination that has AstroJS in everything because the simple and optimized way from it:
Astro + Alpine (all static and basic things where CSS + Alpine can afford with basic integrations)
Astro + HTMX + Alpine (when simple server is needed for a determined project)
Astro + HTMX + Svelte / Qwik "in Astro Island " (when the bigger need of interactivity by JS is really needed)
Deno 2 + Honor will be a grreat tool to add to our workfload and I can't wait to try it for the next weeks.
Obs.: for all those like us that settled up Astro like "the" framework tool, with Deno 2 you can go with the Astro Projects without need to touch Node ;) I hope Honor focus in Deno 2 because developers that appreciate a modern workfload will go with Hono to work with Deno 2 ... We are searching and analysing all frameworks to choose the best to work with Deno 2, Typescript is our way to go, there's no JavaScript thinking in the company, Hono and Deno seems like the obvious couple, Deno righ now is getting a new way to play Tyepescript, but now is too late, the company is now focusing in modern web development tools. Even with the .NET workload the modern Razor Pages is the standard way for us to begin project, MVC is only used to specific's project, like with Astro when interactivity (massive dynamic) is need the company way is Svelte in Astro Island and now we are training to use Qwik, a steeper learning courve instead React(I always preffered Svelte instead react), I used to work with sveltekit and love it until I met Astro that "if" need, I can use Svelte in Island, only what is need to accomplish the job), but I am impressed with Qwik, but was my first touch with it, I am still reading the specs, next three weeks before ending the month (december) I already will have a deeper undestanding about Qwik in truth.
Cheers up! To modern Develop \o/
Cheers up! To Deno 2 that really deserves in version 2, must continue focus on modern workload
Cheers up! To Hono, to make a perfect couple with Deno (continuing to work hard with DENO 2)
obs.: a possible Cheers up! for Astro Team (I guess maybe if they don't, some others can create soon one likely to benefit the modern technology, where a JS world with frontend frameworks change constantly, we need to get updated in our skills) to rebuild Astro using Deno 2 instead Node lol ....
Interesting perspective! I'm currently working with Next.js and really appreciate its versatility for SSR and SSG. While I don't have much experience with Deno or Astro, this has definitely piqued my curiosity about exploring modern tools like HonoJS and Qwik. Thanks for sharing your insights! β¨π
Hono.js is like fastapi in pythons
Correct?
Yes, Hono.js is similar to FastAPI in Python; both are lightweight, high-performance frameworks focused on building APIs quickly and efficiently. Hono.js is for JavaScript/TypeScript, while FastAPI is designed for Python.
Expressjs clone l