Backend and APIs · Comparison
Express vs Fastify vs Hono
Three JavaScript web frameworks with a similar feel. Express is the long-standing default, Fastify focuses on throughput and structure, and Hono is built on web standards so it can run almost anywhere.
3 options · 7 questions side by side · updated
| Compare | Express | Fastify | Hono |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Node.js (and Bun) | Node.js | Workers, Deno, Bun, Node.js, Lambda |
| Speed | Slowest of the three, fine for most apps | High throughput on Node.js | High throughput, tiny footprint |
| Validation | Add a library such as Zod | JSON Schema built in | Validator middleware, works with Zod |
| TypeScript | Community type definitions | Types included, typed schemas | Written in TypeScript, typed RPC client |
| Ecosystem | Largest, thousands of middleware | Solid plugin ecosystem | Growing, with many built-in middleware |
| Learning curve | Lowest | Moderate (plugins, hooks) | Low, with an Express-like API |
| Best for | Familiar, simple Node.js APIs | Busy Node.js APIs | Edge and multi-runtime APIs |
How to choose between Express, Fastify and Hono
- Pick Express when familiarity and the size of its ecosystem matter more than speed.
- Pick Fastify for high-traffic Node.js APIs that benefit from schemas and a plugin structure.
- Pick Hono for Cloudflare Workers, Deno, Bun or any project that may move between runtimes.
The options
- ExpressThe classic minimal web framework for Node.js: it maps URLs to functions and passes each request through a chain of middleware.
- FastifyA Node.js web framework built for speed and structure, where each route can declare a schema that checks its input and shapes its output.
- HonoA small, fast web framework built on web standards, so the same code runs on Cloudflare Workers, Deno, Bun, Node.js and serverless platforms.
More comparisons
- Node.js vs Deno vs BunThree runtimes for JavaScript and TypeScript on the server. Much of the same code runs on all three; they differ in built-in tools, security defaults, speed and how long each has been used in production.
- FastAPI vs Django vs FlaskThree widely used Python web frameworks. Django includes almost everything, Flask includes almost nothing, and FastAPI focuses on typed, self-documenting APIs.
- REST vs GraphQL vs tRPC vs gRPCFour ways for apps and services to ask a backend for data. They differ in who can call them, how strictly the contract is typed, and what travels over the wire.
- WebSockets vs SSE vs webhooksThree ways to deliver news the moment it happens. WebSockets and SSE push updates to browsers and apps; webhooks push events from one server to another.
- Sessions vs JWTBoth keep a person signed in after they log in. A session keeps the facts on the server and gives the browser a random key; a JWT packs the facts into a signed token that the client carries around.
- Magic link vs OTP vs passkeys vs social loginFour ways to let people in without asking them to invent a password. They differ in how many steps they take, what they cost to run and how well they stand up to phishing.
Crafted in the dark. Shipped to the world.
Tell us what you are building. You get a private project space with a proposal and a line-by-line quote within a day.