hono-react

name	hono-react
title	Use React (not hono/jsx) on top of Hono
description	When a project on Hono needs real React — for the React component ecosystem, SSR, or an SPA — drop hono/jsx and wire React in via vite-ssr-components.
tags	["hono","react","ssr","vite","cloudflare-workers","inertia"]
references	["https://github.com/yusukebe/vite-ssr-components","https://hono.dev/","https://inertiajs.com/","https://github.com/honojs/starter/tree/main/templates/cloudflare-workers+vite"]
related	["hono","hono-inertia","cloudflare"]

Use React (not hono/jsx) on top of Hono

hono/jsx is the default for UI in a Hono project. Reach for React only when something that hono/jsx cannot satisfy makes it necessary — typically a React-only component library, a React-only ecosystem tool (e.g. a specific UI kit, charting library, headless component set), or a team requirement to standardize on React.

When that is the case, do not try to bridge hono/jsx to React. Rewrite the JSX in React and treat Hono as the server framework only.

When to reach for this skill

• The UI needs a React-only library that has no hono/jsx equivalent.
• You want full React SSR with hydration, not the lighter hono/jsx/dom model.
• The team has standardized on React and the Hono side is just the server.

If none of the above applies, stay on hono/jsx — it is smaller, faster to ship, and the default for this stack. See hono and (for SPA-feel apps) hono-inertia.

Stack

• Server: hono. Routes, middleware, validation — unchanged from any other Hono project.
• UI: React (react, react-dom).
• Bundling + SSR: Vite, plus vite-ssr-components for the asset wiring (Vite client, asset tags, module preloads) inside Hono responses. Use the /react entry, not /hono.
• Deployment: Usually Cloudflare Workers via @cloudflare/vite-plugin. Start from the cloudflare-workers+vite Hono starter: https://github.com/honojs/starter/tree/main/templates/cloudflare-workers+vite

Migrating from hono/jsx to React

The rewrite is mechanical but real — do not try to keep both:

• Remove jsxImportSource: "hono/jsx" from tsconfig.json (or switch it to react).
• Replace hono/jsx and hono/jsx/dom imports with react / react-dom.
• Switch vite-ssr-components/hono to vite-ssr-components/react in the root view / document component.
• Rewrite any hono/jsx-specific hooks or helpers (useState from hono/jsx, hono/jsx/dom/css, etc.) to their React equivalents.
• Confirm SSR output: React SSR has different streaming/hydration semantics than hono/jsx/dom.

Routing on the client

Once you are on React, the client-side routing question is open — pick what fits the app:

• Inertia.js — works as-is with React (this is in fact its native target). If you want SPA-feel without writing a JSON API, this is the most direct option. The canonical example yusukebe/hono-inertia-example is written in React, so it transfers verbatim. (Contrast: the hono-inertia skill is the hono/jsx variant — use that if you do not need React.)
• React Router, TanStack Router, etc. — fine. Hono just serves the shell + data endpoints; the router runs in the browser.
• No router at all — also fine for a single-screen app. Use Hono for routes, React for the view.

There is no "official" choice here. Pick the one whose tradeoffs (file-based vs. config, data-loading model, SSR story) match the app.

Reference: vite-ssr-components

vite-ssr-components (yusukebe) is the small adapter that lets a Hono response correctly include the Vite dev client, hashed asset URLs, and module preloads in both vite dev and a production build. It has separate entries for the two JSX flavors:

• vite-ssr-components/hono — for hono/jsx projects.
• vite-ssr-components/react — for React projects. This is what to use here.

Read its README for the exact API:

https://github.com/yusukebe/vite-ssr-components

Pitfalls

• Bundle size. React + react-dom is significantly heavier than hono/jsx/dom. If the only reason for the switch is "we wanted hooks", reconsider — hono/jsx has its own hooks.
• SSR fidelity. React SSR is mature, but you still have to think about streaming vs. blocking, Suspense boundaries, and what runs only on the client. Verify the first paint of any route before shipping.
• Workers runtime. Use react-dom/server paths that are compatible with the Workers runtime (no Node-only APIs). The @cloudflare/vite-plugin toolchain handles this if you start from the official template.
• Do not mix hono/jsx and React in one app. Pick one. Two JSX runtimes in the same bundle is a guaranteed source of pain.

Related

• hono — the base Hono skill. Start here.
• hono-inertia — Inertia.js with hono/jsx (no React). Reach for that one first if you do not actually need React.
• cloudflare — the deployment target.