Hono + htmx vs Next.js 16
Real-world performance comparison based on identical SaaS dashboard implementations.
Hono + htmx
VPS (Deno)
Ultrafast web framework meets hypermedia, running on Deno. Hono is a tiny (14KB), ultrafast web framework that runs everywhere. This variant uses Deno runtime for secure-by-default execution and native TypeScript support. Combined with htmx for HTML-over-the-wire interactivity, Hono on Deno produces minimal bundles while maintaining full interactivity—all without a JavaScript framework.
Performance Metrics
Lower is better for all metrics. Green indicates the faster framework.
| Metric | Hono + htmx | Next.js 16 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTFB (p50) | 0ms | 347.15ms | ◀ |
| TTFB (p95) | 0ms | 351.34ms | ◀ |
| LCP (p50) | 0ms | 376ms | ◀ |
| LCP (p95) | 0ms | 388ms | ◀ |
| CLS | 0 | 0 | = |
| TBT | N/A | 0 ms | - |
| LCP → TTFB | N/A | N/A | - |
| LCP → Load Delay | N/A | N/A | - |
| LCP → Load Duration | N/A | N/A | - |
| LCP → Render Delay | N/A | N/A | - |
| Performance Score | N/A | 98 | - |
| SEO Score | N/A | 92 | - |
| Accessibility Score | N/A | 88 | - |
| Best Practices Score | N/A | 100 | - |
LLM Understanding (Claude Opus 4.5)
How efficiently Claude Opus 4.5 understands the codebase. Based on exploration + validation tests.
| Metric | Hono + htmx | Next.js 16 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploration Time | N/A | N/A | - |
| Exploration Tokens | N/A | N/A | - |
| Files Examined | N/A | N/A | - |
| Validation Accuracy | N/A | N/A | - |
| Time Per File | N/A | N/A | - |
| Tokens Per File | N/A | N/A | - |
| Efficiency Score | N/A | N/A | - |
LLM Understanding (Claude Haiku 4.5)
How efficiently Claude Haiku 4.5 understands the codebase. Based on exploration + validation tests.
| Metric | Hono + htmx | Next.js 16 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploration Time | N/A | N/A | - |
| Exploration Tokens | N/A | N/A | - |
| Files Examined | N/A | N/A | - |
| Validation Accuracy | N/A | N/A | - |
| Time Per File | N/A | N/A | - |
| Tokens Per File | N/A | N/A | - |
| Efficiency Score | N/A | N/A | - |
Build Metrics
| Metric | Hono + htmx | Next.js 16 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundle Size (JS) | 47KB | 2408.8KB | ◀ |
| Bundle Size (CSS) | 0KB | 23.4KB | ◀ |
| Build Time | 0s | 7.1s | ◀ |
| Dependencies | 2 | 18 | ◀ |
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