Hono for Express Developers: A Modern Alternative for Edge Computing

Express.js has long been the go-to choice for many developers when it comes to building web servers. With over 30 Million weekly installs, it's clear that Express has cemented itself as an industry standard. But as time has passed, so have the requirements of modern web applications. Developers are now seeking frameworks that are not only simple but also more robust, type-safe, and better suited for edge computing and serverless environments.

Over the years, frameworks like NestJS, Next.js, and Nuxt.js have tried to evolve and improve the developer experience. While these frameworks are powerful, they often come with significant complexity or a heavy setup process, which can feel overwhelming, especially for simpler use cases. Sometimes, developers need something that's just as simple and lightweight as Express but with modern features.

This is where Hono steps in.

Hono offers the simplicity of Express with the added benefits of higher performance, modern web standards, and better support for TypeScript. In this article, We’ll compare their core concepts, highlight differences, and show how Hono can boost your development experience, especially for edge and serverless deployments.

1. Setting Up: Simplicity at Its Core

Setting up a basic server with Express is straightforward, and Hono shares that simplicity. Here’s a quick look at initializing both frameworks:

Express -

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello from Express!');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server is running on http://localhost:3000');
});

Hono -

import { serve } from '@hono/node-server'
import { Hono } from 'hono';
const app = new Hono();

app.get('/', (c) => c.text('Hello from Hono!'));

serve(app);

As you can see, the code structure is similar. The key differences here are -

• An extra package @hono/node-server, which is used to serve the Hono app. This package is necessary to run Hono apps in Node.js environments. This is also what makes Hono different from Express, as you can have the same codebase for all the environments.

Hono Supports multiple environments like Node.js, Deno, and even the browser. This makes it a great choice for developers who want to build applications that can run on multiple platforms. You can see the full list of all the supported runtimes on the Hono docs

• And also in place of req and res, Hono uses a single context object c which contains all the information about the request and response. This makes it easier to work with the request and response objects. That's why we have c.text instead of res.send.

2. Routing: Chainable and Efficient

Just like Express, Hono also has an excellent routing system. Here’s how you can define routes in both frameworks:

Express -

app.get('/user', (req, res) => {
  res.send('User page');
});

Hono -

app.get('/user', (c) => c.text('User page'));

Other than having a single variable c (context) instead of req and res, the routing system in Hono is similar to Express. You can define routes using app.get, app.post, app.put, app.delete, etc.

Additionally, since Hono is optimized for performance, you can expect faster request handling compared to Express.

3. Middleware: Flexibility Meets Minimalism

Express is well-known for its middleware system, and Hono provides similar functionality. Here’s how you can use middleware in both frameworks:

Express -

app.use((req, res, next) => {
  console.log('Middleware in Express');
  next();
});

Hono -

app.use((c, next) => {
  console.log('Middleware in Hono');
  next();
});

4. Request and Response Handling: Web Standards at the Core

Express uses Node-specific APIs like req and res, which are well-known to most developers:

Express -

app.get('/data', (req, res) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Express response' });
});

Hono, in contrast, builds on top of Web APIs like the Fetch API, making it more future-proof and easier to adapt for edge environments.

Hono -

app.get('/data', (c) => c.json({ message: 'Hono response' }));

This difference might seem minor, but it highlights Hono’s commitment to leveraging modern web standards, which can result in more maintainable and portable code.

5. Error Handling: A Simple, Efficient System

Both frameworks offer straightforward ways to handle errors. In Express, you typically define an error-handling middleware:

Express -

app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
  res.status(500).send('Something went wrong');
});

Hono offers a similar approach, keeping things clean and lightweight:

Hono -

app.onError((err, c) => {
  return c.text('Something went wrong', 500);
});

In Hono, error handling is just as easy but comes with the added benefit of cleaner syntax and better performance.

6. Performance Comparison: The Edge Advantage

Performance is where Hono truly outshines Express. Built with speed and edge deployments in mind, Hono’s lightweight framework outperforms Express in most benchmarks. Here’s why:

• Hono uses modern Web APIs and doesn’t rely on Node.js specifics.
• Its minimalist design makes it faster, with fewer dependencies to manage.
• Hono can easily take advantage of edge computing environments, like Cloudflare's workers and pages or Deno.

In performance-critical applications, this makes Hono a compelling choice.

7. Deployments: Edge and Serverless First

Hono is designed from the ground up for edge and serverless environments. It seamlessly integrates with platforms like Cloudflare Workers, Vercel, and Deno Deploy. While Express is more traditional and often paired with Node.js servers, Hono thrives in modern, distributed environments.

If you’re building applications that need to run closer to the user, Hono APIs can easily run on the edge and will offer significant benefits over Express.

8. Ecosystem and Community: Growing Rapidly

Express boasts one of the largest ecosystems in the Node.js world. With thousands of middleware packages and a huge community, it's a familiar and reliable option. However, Hono’s ecosystem is growing fast. Its middleware collection is expanding, and with its focus on performance and modern web standards, more developers are adopting it for edge-first applications.

While you might miss some Express packages, the Hono community is active and building new tools every day.

You can find more about the Hono community and ecosystem on the Hono website.

9. Learning Curve: Express Devs Will Feel Right at Home

Hono’s API is designed to be intuitive, especially for developers coming from Express. With a similar routing and middleware pattern, the learning curve is minimal. Moreover, Hono builds on top of Web APIs like Fetch, which means that the skills you gain are portable beyond just server-side development, making it easier to work with modern platforms and environments.

Conclusion: Why You Should Try Hono

Hono brings a fresh approach to web development with its performance-first mindset and focus on edge computing. While Express has been a reliable framework for years, the web is changing, and tools like Hono are leading the way for the next generation of applications.

If you're an Express developer looking to explore edge computing and serverless architectures, or want a faster, more modern framework, try Hono. You’ll find that many concepts are familiar, but the performance gains and deployment flexibility will leave you impressed.

Ready to Get Started?

Try building your next project with Hono and experience the difference for yourself. You can find resources and starter templates to help you easily switch from Express.

npm create hono@latest my-app

That's it! You're ready to go. Happy coding with Hono! Do share with me your experience with Hono in the comments below, on Twitter or Github. I'd be glad to hear your thoughts!