If you’re planning to develop a SaaS project, choosing the right framework can make all the difference. That’s where Ruby on Rails comes into play. With its robust capabilities and user-friendly syntax, Ruby on Rails has become a popular choice for building web applications. But what sets it apart from other frameworks?
Rapid Prototyping
When it comes to SaaS development, time is of the essence. Ruby on Rails offers an efficient development process that allows you to build applications quickly and easily. With its convention-over-configuration principle, Ruby on Rails minimizes the amount of code you need to write, making it faster and more streamlined compared to other frameworks. This means you can get your SaaS project up and running in no time, reducing time-to-market and giving you a competitive advantage.
Monolith (MVC) over Microservice Architecture
Unlike the current trends for often complex microservice architectures, Ruby on Rails follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern, which separates the application’s data, logic, and presentation layers. This separation of concerns makes your code more organized and maintainable, allowing for easier collaboration between developers. The MVC architecture also promotes code reusability, reducing development time and effort.
Mature Ecosystem
One of the frameworks that has learned from it’s mistakes is certainly Ruby on Rails. It has been battle tested for over 20 years now. Here we are not just talking about the framework itself, but the libraries as well. Ruby on rails has over 170,000+ 3rd party libraries called gems that serve different purposes, starting from authentication, storage, content serving, files management, and so on.
Scalability
As your SaaS project grows, scalability becomes a crucial factor. Ruby on Rails is designed to handle high traffic volumes and can easily scale to accommodate increasing user demands. Its modular architecture allows for easy integration with third-party APIs and services, making it flexible and adaptable to your specific business needs. Whether you’re starting small or planning for rapid growth, Ruby on Rails can scale alongside your SaaS project, ensuring smooth performance and user experience.
Powerful built-in features
Ruby on Rails comes with a wide range of built-in features that can accelerate your SaaS project’s development. From authentication and authorization to database management and caching, Ruby on Rails provides everything you need to build a robust and secure application. With these features readily available, you can focus on developing your core product instead of reinventing the wheel. This not only saves you time and effort but also ensures that your SaaS project is built on a solid foundation.
Ruby on Rails as your Backend
Many people nowadays combine the power of Ruby on Rails backend with the shiny new features of frontend frameworks and native applications. This approach works perfect. Here at SolarDevs we’ve taken this approach combining Rails with Svelte, and let me tell you, we loved it.
The fact of having Rails tools for prototyping backend features, combined with SvelteKit’s excellent developer experience, gave us a clear view of how powerful this could be.
Active Development
As of 2024, Ruby on rails is still in active development. Pretty much every hour it is receiving updates, security patches and new features to make your web development experience even better.
Solid SaaS backers
Airbnb
One of the most well-known SaaS platforms, Airbnb, was built using Ruby on Rails. The platform connects travelers with hosts who offer unique accommodations around the world. Ruby on Rails provided the scalability and flexibility needed to handle the massive amounts of data and user interactions that Airbnb experiences on a daily basis. The platform’s success is a testament to the power of Ruby on Rails for building large-scale SaaS applications.
Shopify
Shopify, a leading e-commerce platform, is another example of a successful SaaS project built with Ruby on Rails. The platform enables businesses to create and manage their online stores, handling everything from product listings to payment processing. Ruby on Rails’ robust features and scalability allowed Shopify to grow from a small startup to a multi-billion dollar company, serving thousands of businesses worldwide.
GitHub
GitHub, the popular code hosting platform, is yet another example of a successful SaaS project built with Ruby on Rails. GitHub provides developers with a collaborative environment to host, share, and manage their code repositories. Ruby on Rails’ simplicity and ease of use made it the perfect choice for GitHub, allowing them to focus on building a platform that developers love.
Conclusion: Why Ruby on Rails is the right choice for your next SaaS project
Ruby on Rails offers a range of advantages for SaaS development, from its efficient development process to its powerful built-in features. With its flexibility, scalability, and vibrant community, Ruby on Rails has proven to be the framework of choice for many successful SaaS applications. Whether you’re a startup looking to launch quickly or an established company seeking scalability, Ruby on Rails can meet your needs. So don’t miss out on harnessing the power of Ruby on Rails for your next SaaS project. Start exploring its capabilities and see how it can accelerate your project’s success.