How to Use Bun with Hono - A Lightweight Web Framework

In this guide, you'll learn how to use Hono, a fast, minimal, and modern web framework for building APIs, with Bun, an all-in-one JavaScript runtime like Node.js but faster and more efficient.

We'll go through setting up a Hono project using Bun, creating endpoints, and understanding how to deploy or develop your app effectively.

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Why Hono and Bun?

• Bun is a blazing fast JavaScript runtime, bundler, transpiler, and package manager — all in one.
• Hono is an ultra-fast web framework that runs on various JavaScript runtimes including Bun, Cloudflare Workers, and more.

Combining Bun and Hono means you get the benefits of lightning-fast builds and executions along with a modern and minimal web framework.

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Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following installed:

• Bun: If not installed, you can install it using:

curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
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After installation, verify it:

bun -v
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Step 1: Initialize the Bun Project

First, create a new Bun project using:

bun init
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Follow the prompts to name your project, choose TypeScript (recommended), and other configurations.

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Step 2: Install Hono

Install the Hono package:

bun add hono
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Step 3: Create the Server

Now let’s create a basic Hono server.

// index.ts
import { Hono } from "hono";

const app = new Hono();

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

app.get("/json", (c) =>
  c.json({
    message: "This is a JSON response",
  })
);

export default {
  port: 3000,
  fetch: app.fetch,
};
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Here, we define two routes:

• A root route ("/") that returns plain text.
• A JSON route ("/json") that returns a JSON response.

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Step 4: Run the Server

Run the server using:

bun index.ts
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Your app will be live at http://localhost:3000

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Step 5: Add More Endpoints

You can easily add more routes using Hono's routing system:

app.get("/hello/:name", (c) => {
  const name = c.req.param("name");
  return c.text(`Hello, ${name}!`);
});
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Try accessing: http://localhost:3000/hello/sagar

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Step 6: Using Middleware

Hono supports middleware. You can log requests or handle authentication like this:

app.use("*", async (c, next) => {
  console.log(`${c.req.method} ${c.req.url}`);
  await next();
});
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Step 7: Project Structure (Optional)

For better scalability, you can organize your project like this:

/src
  /routes
    index.ts
    user.ts
  app.ts
  server.ts
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Additional Tips

• Hono works seamlessly with TypeScript.
• You can use environment variables with Bun like Node.js via '.env" files.
• Bun also includes a test runner ("bun test") if you want to write tests.

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Final Thoughts

Using Bun with Hono gives you an extremely fast and minimal backend setup that is ideal for modern APIs, microservices, or edge functions. It's perfect for developers who want performance and simplicity without sacrificing developer experience.

Explore more about Hono: https://hono.dev
Explore Bun's documentation: https://bun.sh/docs