DevTools VS

Express vs Hono

Updated Apr 26, 2026

Quick Verdict

Express has 2.3x more GitHub stars, while Express has 2.7x more weekly downloads.

GitHub Stars
Express 69.0K
vs
Hono 30.1K
Downloads/wk
Express 93.0M
vs
Hono 34.2M
Contributors
Express 380
vs
Hono 313
Bundle Size
Express 241.8 KB
vs
Hono 7.4 KB

Express

Website

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js

nodejshttpmiddlewareminimal

Ultrafast web framework for the Edges

edgefastmulti-runtimelightweight

Detailed Comparison

Side-by-side metrics from GitHub and npm

Metric
Express
Hono
GitHub Stars
69.0K
30.1K
Weekly Downloads
93.0M
34.2M
Forks
23.2K
1.0K
Open Issues
208
348
Contributors
380
313
Bundle Size (gzip)
241.8 KB
7.4 KB
Dependencies
28
0
Latest Version
5.2.1
4.12.15
Last Commit
Apr 23, 2026
Apr 25, 2026
License
MIT
MIT
First Published
Dec 29, 2010
Dec 14, 2021

Download Trends

Weekly npm downloads over the past 52 weeks

Feature Comparison

Framework capabilities at a glance

Feature
Express
Hono
Typescript
Middleware
Websockets
Validation
Openapi
Edge Runtime
Decorators

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Express vs Hono

Is Express better than Hono?

It depends on your use case. Express is fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for node.js, while Hono is ultrafast web framework for the edges. Compare the stats and features above to decide which fits your needs.

Is Express still maintained in 2026?

Yes, Express was last updated on April 23, 2026 and has 380 contributors.

Can I migrate from Express to Hono?

Migration complexity depends on how deeply Express is integrated into your project. Both tools serve similar purposes in the Backend Frameworks space, so migration is generally feasible with proper planning.

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