Hono

hono.dev

Ultrafast web framework for the edge — works on Cloudflare, Deno, Bun, and Node.

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Framework

Overview

Hono is a small, simple, and ultrafast web framework built on Web Standards. It works on any JavaScript runtime including Cloudflare Workers, Fastly Compute, Deno, Bun, Vercel, Netlify, AWS Lambda, and Node.js—the same code runs across all platforms.

The framework prioritizes performance and developer experience. It features a fast RegExpRouter, weighs under 14KB with the hono/tiny preset, has zero dependencies, and uses only Web Standard APIs. Hono includes built-in middleware, helpers, and first-class TypeScript support with type-safe routing and RPC capabilities.

Use cases include building Web APIs, backend proxies, CDN edge applications, and full-stack applications. It's already used in production by projects like cdnjs, Cloudflare D1, BaseAI, Unkey, and OpenStatus.

Key features

  • Ultrafast RegExpRouter
  • Under 14KB minified (hono/tiny preset)
  • Multi-runtime support
  • Zero dependencies
  • Built-in middleware and helpers
  • First-class TypeScript support
  • Type-safe RPC mode
  • Web Standards only
Pros
  • Extremely fast routing performance
  • Minimal bundle size
  • Works across multiple JavaScript runtimes
  • Clean, intuitive API design
  • Comprehensive middleware ecosystem
  • Strong TypeScript integration
  • No external dependencies
Cons
  • Limited to JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystems
  • Smaller community compared to Express
  • Primarily focused on backend/API layer
Use this if
You need a lightweight, fast web framework that runs on multiple JavaScript runtimes, want minimal bundle size, or are building edge computing applications with TypeScript.
Skip this if
You need a full-stack framework with built-in frontend rendering, require a large established community, or are working outside the JavaScript ecosystem.

Best for

Building Web APIsEdge computing applicationsMulti-runtime deploymentsTypeScript projectsLightweight serverless functionsCDN edge applications

Alternatives

ExpressFastifyRemixNext.jsFresh

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