Hono vs Itty-router

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

hono

Extremely Popular

Version 4.12.3

85
Excellent

Web framework built on Web Standards

Weekly Downloads
23.0M
103%
Bundle (gzip)
7.2 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Version 5.0.23

81
Excellent

A tiny, zero-dependency router, designed to make beautiful APIs in any environment.

Weekly Downloads
202.9K
58%
Bundle (gzip)
12.0 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
80
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Hono and Itty-router? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Hono leads with 23.0M weekly downloads — roughly 113.1x more. Itty-router has 202.9K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Hono has the smallest gzipped bundle at 7.2 KB. Itty-router comes in at 12.0 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Hono has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Itty-router has an overall health score of 81/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Hono if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Itty-router if you value actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Hono and Itty-router are solid choices for JavaScript development. Hono has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is hono better than itty-router?
It depends on your needs. Hono has a health score of 85/100 while Itty-router scores 81/100. Hono has more weekly downloads (23.0M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, hono or itty-router?
Hono has the smaller gzipped bundle at 7.2 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use hono vs itty-router?
Based on npm download statistics, Hono has approximately 23.0M weekly downloads and Itty-router has approximately 202.9K weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, hono or itty-router?
Hono currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Hono has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Itty-router scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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