# Build with a Hono starter template

**Author:** Ben Sabic

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Hono is a fast, lightweight web framework built on Web Standards, and it deploys to Vercel with zero configuration. On Vercel, your Hono routes become [Vercel Functions](https://vercel.com/docs/functions) running on [Fluid compute](https://vercel.com/fluid), with response streaming and preview deployments available with minimal configuration.

Vercel maintains a [Hono template directory](https://vercel.com/templates/hono) with starters from both Vercel and the community, so you can begin from a working project instead of a blank repo.

## Which Hono template should you use?

These templates range from a minimal API to AI, Slack, and full-stack apps:

| Template                                                                              | What it gives you                                                                                                     |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Hono on Vercel](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/hono-on-vercel)                    | A minimal Hono API that deploys with zero configuration. Start here if you're new to Hono on Vercel.                  |
| [Hono MCP remote server](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/hono-mcp-remote-server)    | A remote MCP server built on Hono, with example tools that run math operations.                                       |
| [Hono + AI SDK](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/hono-ai-sdk)                        | A Hono backend wired up with [AI SDK](https://vercel.com/kb/ai-sdk) for building AI features and streaming responses. |
| [Slack Bolt with Hono](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/slack-bolt-with-hono)        | A starting point for Slack apps built with Bolt for JavaScript (TypeScript) on Hono.                                  |
| [Hono and Next.js Starter](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/hono-nextjs)             | A Hono API integrated with a [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) App Router frontend in a single project.                  |
| [Turborepo + Hono](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/turborepo-with-hono)             | A [Turborepo](https://turborepo.dev/) monorepo that pairs a Hono backend with a Next.js frontend.                     |
| [domco: Vite + API Starter](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/domco-vite-api-starter) | A Vite client app with a Hono API deployed alongside it, using domco.                                                 |
| [Caltext](https://vercel.com/templates/hono/caltext)                                  | An iMessage calorie-tracking assistant, powered by AI SDK, [Chat SDK](https://vercel.com/kb/chat-sdk), and more.      |

If you're not sure where to begin, deploy the Hono on Vercel starter and add routes, middleware, or a frontend as your project grows.

## Deploy a Hono template

Every Hono template deploys to Vercel the same way. Open the template you want, select **Deploy**, and Vercel clones the repository into your Git provider, creates a project, and ships it to a live URL.

1. **Open the template**: Choose a template from the table above, then select **Deploy**.
   
2. **Connect your Git provider**: Vercel creates a new repository for the template in your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket account.
   
3. **Deploy the project**: Vercel builds and deploys the template, then returns a production URL. Each later push to the repository triggers a new deployment.
   

### Run the template locally

After deploying, clone your new repository, install dependencies, and start the development server with [Vercel CLI](https://vercel.com/docs/cli):

`git clone your_repository_url_here cd your_project_name_here npm install vercel dev`

Vercel CLI serves your app at `http://localhost:3000` and runs it the same way it does in production. Edit your route handlers to make it your own.

### Start from the command line instead

To scaffold the Hono example with Vercel CLI, run:

`vercel init hono`

This clones the Hono boilerplate into a `hono` directory, so you can develop locally first and deploy with `vercel` when you're ready.

## Resources and next steps

- Follow the end-to-end [How to ship a Hono app on Vercel](https://vercel.com/kb/guide/ship-a-hono-app-on-vercel) guide to deploy and configure your app
  
- Read the full [Hono on Vercel documentation](https://vercel.com/docs/frameworks/backend/hono)
  
- Learn how [Vercel Functions](https://vercel.com/docs/functions) run your server code
  
- Understand pricing and scaling with [Fluid compute](https://vercel.com/docs/fluid-compute)
  
- Run code before requests with [Routing Middleware](https://vercel.com/docs/routing-middleware)
  
- Serve static assets from the [CDN](https://vercel.com/docs/cdn)

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[View full KB sitemap](/kb/sitemap.md)