---
title: Build with a Hono starter template
description: Deploy a Hono app to Vercel from a starter template. Compare the Hono API starter, MCP server, AI SDK, Slack Bolt, Next.js, Turborepo, and domco templates, then ship to a live URL.
url: "https://vercel.com/kb/guide/build-with-a-hono-starter-template"
published: 2026-06-07
last_updated: 2026-10-14
authors: Ben Sabic
install_vercel_plugin: npx plugins add vercel/vercel-plugin
---

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):

```bash
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:

```bash
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)

## More Fluid compute guides

- [How to choose between Functions, containers, and Daemons on Vercel](/kb/guide/vercel-functions-containers-daemons): Choose Vercel Functions for HTTP requests, container images for custom runtimes, and Daemons for continuous background workers.
- [Migrate self-hosted Next.js and containers from AWS to Vercel](/kb/guide/migrate-containers-from-aws-to-vercel): Migrate Next.js apps and HTTP containers from AWS to Vercel. Configure AWS access, assess background workers, and plan testing, DNS cutover, and rollback.
- [Next.js on Vercel vs Webflow Cloud](/kb/guide/next-js-on-vercel-vs-webflow-cloud): Compare running Next.js on Vercel Functions with Fluid compute against Webflow Cloud on Cloudflare Workers. Learn how Next.js feature support, runtimes, storage, pricing, and developer experience differ so you can choose the right platform.