Hono vs Fastify

When you need to build a fast API, you'll likely come across two frameworks that seem similar on the surface but have fundamentally different priorities. Fastify focuses on getting maximum performance from Node.js, while Hono prioritizes running everywhere JavaScript can run.

Fastify is a Node.js-focused framework that optimizes heavily for the Node.js runtime. It uses advanced optimization techniques and a large plugin ecosystem to build fast APIs that can handle thousands of requests per second.

Hono is a modern lightweight framework designed for today's cloud-first world. It runs anywhere JavaScript runs - from edge functions to serverless platforms to traditional servers. You write your code once and deploy it everywhere.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about both frameworks to help you pick the right one for your next project.

What is Fastify?

Fastify changed how developers think about Node.js performance. Instead of accepting that frameworks are slow, Fastify's creators rebuilt everything from scratch to be as fast as possible.

Fastify shines because it optimizes every single operation. When you send JSON responses, Fastify pre-compiles the serialization. When you validate requests, it uses the fastest possible algorithms. When you handle routes, it uses an optimized tree structure that finds matches instantly.

The framework also gives you schema-based validation built right in. You define what your API expects and returns, and Fastify handles validation and serialization automatically. This makes your API both faster and more reliable.

What is Hono?

Hono represents the next generation of web frameworks. Instead of being tied to Node.js, Hono runs on any JavaScript runtime you can think of - Node.js, Deno, Bun, Cloudflare Workers, and more.

Hono follows the principle that your framework shouldn't lock you into one platform. You can start developing on Node.js, deploy to Cloudflare Workers for edge computing, and later move to AWS Lambda without changing a single line of code.

The framework stays incredibly lightweight while giving you modern features like built-in TypeScript support, middleware composition, and web standard APIs. It proves that you don't need to sacrifice simplicity for power.

Hono vs. Fastify: a quick comparison

Choosing between these frameworks shapes your entire development approach. Each one optimizes for different priorities and use cases.

Here's how they compare on the features that matter most:

Runtime philosophy and architecture

The biggest difference between Hono and Fastify is where they run and how they handle requests. This fundamental choice affects everything else about your application.

Fastify goes all-in on Node.js optimization. It uses Node.js-specific features that other runtimes don't have. This lets it achieve incredible performance, but it also means you're locked into Node.js:

import Fastify from 'fastify';

const fastify = Fastify({ logger: true });

// Schema-based validation
fastify.post('/users', {
  schema: {
    body: {
      type: 'object',
      properties: {
        name: { type: 'string' },
        email: { type: 'string', format: 'email' }
      }
    }
  }
}, async (request, reply) => {
  const user = await createUser(request.body);
  return reply.code(201).send(user);
});

This approach gives you maximum Node.js performance, but you can't easily switch to other runtimes later.

Hono takes the opposite approach - it works everywhere JavaScript runs. Instead of Node.js-specific optimizations, it uses web standards that work the same way across all runtimes:

import { Hono } from 'hono';

const app = new Hono();

app.post('/users', async (c) => {
  const userData = await c.req.json();
  const user = await createUser(userData);
  return c.json(user, 201);
});

// Works on Node.js, Deno, Bun, Cloudflare Workers
export default app;

This flexibility means you can deploy the same code to edge functions, serverless platforms, or traditional servers without any changes.

Performance characteristics

Both frameworks are fast, but they achieve performance in completely different ways.

Fastify pushes Node.js to its absolute limits. It pre-compiles JSON schemas, uses the fastest possible routing algorithms, and optimizes every operation for Node.js specifically:

// Precompiled JSON serialization
const fastify = Fastify({
  logger: true,
  jsonShorthand: false
});

fastify.get('/users/:id', {
  schema: {
    response: {
      200: {
        type: 'object',
        properties: {
          id: { type: 'string' },
          name: { type: 'string' }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}, async (request, reply) => {
  const user = await getUserById(request.params.id);
  return user;
});

With these optimizations, Fastify can handle 40,000+ requests per second on a single Node.js process.

Hono stays fast across all runtimes by using efficient algorithms that work everywhere. It can't use Node.js-specific tricks, but it makes up for it with a tiny bundle size and smart caching:

import { Hono } from 'hono';
import { cache } from 'hono/cache';

const app = new Hono();

app.use('*', cache({ cacheName: 'api-cache' }));

app.get('/users/:id', async (c) => {
  const userId = c.req.param('id');
  const user = await getUserById(userId);
  return c.json(user);
});

Hono's performance shines in edge environments where you need consistent speed across different regions and runtimes.

Type safety and developer experience

Modern development demands excellent TypeScript support and a smooth developer experience. Both frameworks deliver this, but in different ways.

Fastify gives you comprehensive TypeScript support through detailed type definitions. You get full type safety, but you need to set up the types yourself:

import { FastifyInstance } from 'fastify';

interface UserBody {
  name: string;
  email: string;
}

const userRoutes = async (fastify: FastifyInstance) => {
  fastify.post<{ Body: UserBody }>('/users', {
    schema: {
      body: {
        type: 'object',
        required: ['name', 'email'],
        properties: {
          name: { type: 'string' },
          email: { type: 'string', format: 'email' }
        }
      }
    }
  }, async (request, reply) => {
    const { name, email } = request.body;
    const user = await createUser({ name, email });
    return reply.code(201).send(user);
  });
};

You get both compile-time type checking and runtime validation, but you have to write the schema and types separately.

Hono builds TypeScript support right into the framework. You get automatic type inference with minimal setup:

import { Hono } from 'hono';
import { z } from 'zod';
import { zValidator } from '@hono/zod-validator';

const app = new Hono();

const userSchema = z.object({
  name: z.string().min(1),
  email: z.string().email()
});

app.post('/users', zValidator('json', userSchema), async (c) => {
  const userData = c.req.valid('json'); // Fully typed
  const user = await createUser(userData);
  return c.json(user, 201);
});

Hono automatically infers types from your validation schemas, so you write less code and get better IntelliSense.

Middleware and plugin systems

How you extend and organize your application differs significantly between these frameworks.

Fastify uses a sophisticated plugin system that handles dependency injection and lifecycle management:

// Custom plugin
const userPlugin = async (fastify, options) => {
  fastify.decorate('userService', new UserService(options.database));

  fastify.get('/users', async (request, reply) => {
    const users = await fastify.userService.getUsers();
    return users;
  });
};

await fastify.register(userPlugin, { database: db });
await fastify.register(require('@fastify/jwt'), { secret: 'secret' });

Fastify's plugin system handles complex scenarios like dependency injection and plugin isolation, but it requires learning Fastify-specific patterns.

Hono keeps things simple with standard middleware. You compose functionality using regular functions:

import { Hono } from 'hono';
import { jwt } from 'hono/jwt';
import { logger } from 'hono/logger';

const app = new Hono();

app.use('*', logger());
app.use('/api/*', jwt({ secret: 'secret' }));

// Custom middleware
const userMiddleware = async (c, next) => {
  const user = await getCurrentUser(c);
  c.set('user', user);
  await next();
};

app.use('/users/*', userMiddleware);

Hono's middleware system is easier to understand because it works like standard JavaScript functions.

Database integration

Both frameworks handle database integration differently, reflecting their overall philosophies.

Fastify provides rich database integration through its plugin ecosystem. You get connection pooling, transaction management, and ORM integration out of the box:

// Database plugin
await fastify.register(require('@fastify/postgres'), {
  connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL
});

fastify.get('/users', async (request, reply) => {
  const client = await fastify.pg.connect();
  const { rows } = await client.query('SELECT * FROM users');
  client.release();
  return rows;
});

Fastify's database plugins handle the complexity of connection management and give you optimized database access.

Hono takes a bring-your-own-database approach that works across all runtimes. You choose the database library that fits your deployment environment:

import { Hono } from 'hono';
import { drizzle } from 'drizzle-orm/postgres-js';
import postgres from 'postgres';

const app = new Hono();
const sql = postgres(process.env.DATABASE_URL!);
const db = drizzle(sql);

app.get('/users', async (c) => {
  const users = await db.select().from(usersTable);
  return c.json(users);
});

Hono's approach gives you more flexibility because you can use any database library that works with your chosen runtime.

Deployment strategies

How you deploy your application depends entirely on which framework you choose.

Fastify excels at traditional server deployments. You get clustering, process management, and all the tools you need for running on dedicated servers:

const fastify = Fastify({ logger: true });

fastify.get('/health', async () => ({ status: 'healthy' }));

const start = async () => {
  await fastify.listen({ port: 3000, host: '0.0.0.0' });
};

start();

Fastify applications work great on VPS servers, containers, and traditional hosting platforms where you control the Node.js runtime.

Hono deploys anywhere JavaScript runs. You can use the same code across completely different platforms:

import { Hono } from 'hono';

const app = new Hono();

// Edge deployment (Cloudflare Workers)
export default app;

// Serverless deployment (AWS Lambda)
import { handle } from 'hono/aws-lambda';
export const handler = handle(app);

// Traditional server
import { serve } from '@hono/node-server';
serve({ fetch: app.fetch, port: 3000 });

This flexibility means you can start with one deployment method and switch to another without rewriting your application.

Final thoughts

Fastify remains the best choice for high-performance Node.js applications that need sophisticated features and ecosystem integration.

Its optimization techniques and plugin system make it ideal for complex applications that require handling massive traffic.

Hono represents the future of runtime-agnostic development. Its ability to run anywhere JavaScript runs, combined with excellent TypeScript support and simple architecture, makes it perfect for modern cloud-first applications.

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