Why Ruby on Rails Remains a Top Framework Choice in 2024 [Updated]

Ruby on Rails is an open-source server-side web application framework with an MIT license. While Ruby on Rails is written in Ruby, a dynamic, general-purpose programming language from Japan, RoR is, in fact, a framework, not a language. Many entrepreneurs and non-developers often confuse the two, thinking of Rails when hearing Ruby but rarely the other way around.

This may be brought on by the fact that most developers use the Rails framework for development.

Ruby gained momentum as a programming language following the launch of Ruby on Rails.

Rails was created in 2004 and won the "Programming Language of the Year” award from Tiobe in 2006 despite being written in 1995 (a great year for action movies—Goldeneye, anyone?).

There are other frameworks based on Ruby, but their popularity with developers and active contributors is low compared to Ruby on Rails. We’ll take a closer look at that later on in the article.

This isn’t to say that other Ruby frameworks are lower in quality than Rails. Quite the opposite, actually—they were built to respond to very specific use cases and often outperform Rails in these instances.

Rails, however, will be a good fit for the majority of projects that call for using a Ruby framework. It also increased productivity and helped developers deliver MVPs and startup apps much faster, which is why many Ruby on Rails agencies recommend RoR for startups today.

Having delivered over 30 RoR projects since 2010, we know Rails inside and out. Take a look at one of our Ruby projects.

When RoR entered the scene in 2005, it introduced a fresh approach to building Web applications. Rails brought along the convention-over-configuration software design paradigm that facilitates developer work on many levels—for example, by eliminating the need to write boilerplate code. This innovation improved productivity and accelerated application development—a trend that continues with Ruby on Rails performance improvements.

With Django, Python’s most popular Web framework released the same year, Rails propagated the use of the MVC pattern and good development practices, such as the DRY principle.

The Rails way of web development unshackled devs from the tedious parts of the coding, freeing them up to focus on the business features and logic of the app.

It also increased productivity and helped developers deliver MVPs and startup apps much faster.

Almost an urban legend by now, the myth of RoR’s demise is the product of many misconceptions that grew around the framework and the language it’s based on.

Time to dissect them, then.

While Rails has slower runtime speeds than, for example, Node.js or Golang, this only becomes noticeable with huge products with large-scale traffic. However, with the right Ruby on Rails development company managing the project, these issues can be mitigated through optimized code and efficient system architecture.

And if this isn’t a huge app with a lot of users and requests, Rails isn't necessarily the culprit behind the slow speeds—there’s also server architecture or databases to consider. With a well-thought-out architecture and infrastructure (necessary in all large-scale projects, regardless of the programming language), even huge apps or their parts written in Rails can be fast. Examples of large-scale RoR apps include Basecamp, Airbnb, and GitHub.

So where does all that bad rep come from? Because Rails does so much for the developers, inexperienced devs tend to make wrong decisions when writing the code. With lousy code, the drop in performance is significant.

When it comes to Ruby and RoR’s inherent performance issues, they are actively being worked on. For example:

• Ruby 2.6.1, released in 2018, included performance improvements and new features. The developers behind Ruby 3 aimed to speed up the language by three times compared to Ruby 2.

• Rails 3.1, Release Notes, introduced YJIT (Yet Another Just-In-Time Compiler) as an experimental feature. Subsequent versions continuously improved YJIT, making it a key element for improving performance in Ruby applications..

• Rails 6.0 released in 2019 packed solutions that simplify building Web apps even more. From then on, Rails started requiring Ruby 2.5+, providing up-to-date perks of Ruby aboard.

• Rails 7.0, released in December 2021, introduced Hotwire (HTML Over The Wire), which can improve perceived performance by reducing full page reloads and better integrating with modern front-end technologies, particularly through Hotwire key components such as Turbo and Stimulus.

Ruby on Rails has proven its resilience. The framework has evolved with significant Ruby on Rails performance improvements, and the community continues to innovate. Updates like Hotwire, Turbo Streams, and Rails 7.2 have improved both performance and real-time capabilities.

I’ll start by explaining why blaming only the framework for scalability issues and deficiencies in handling many user requests is wrong.

For the application to serve requests quickly, each element in the server system architecture, not only the web app’s backend, should be configured correctly and be appropriately performant.

Ruby on Rails was accused of being difficult to scale when Twitter moved away from Rails to Scala. The transition was probably what first sparked the debate around RoR’s scalability issues.

Still, let’s keep in mind that we’re talking Twitter-sized traffic here. Many Ruby on Rails companies have implemented service-oriented architectures and horizontal scalability to successfully overcome these challenges.

So, before condemning Rails, try to identify which element exactly is responsible for the slowdown.

Available scaling options with Rails:

• code optimization

• service-oriented architecture

• horizontal scalability

Asynchronous database queries in Ruby on Rails 7 address scalability issues with a new feature called load_async. This feature allows the Rails app to request different pieces of information from the database simultaneously. For example, it can fetch a list of products and a list of users at the same time rather than waiting for the product list to finish before starting on the user list.

This approach can make your Rails app much faster and more efficient, especially when gathering various types of data for a single page or action. Instead of the total time being the sum of all individual query times, it becomes closer to the time of the slowest query. As a result, the app can handle more requests in less time, making it more scalable and responsive to users.

For large-scale apps, the scalability of Ruby on Rails remains a hot topic. Properly optimized applications, such as GitHub and Airbnb, are examples of its ability to handle high-traffic scenarios with a well-designed architecture. 

Whenever a new framework emerges, especially one that brings something innovative to the table, it goes viral, and, suddenly, hundreds of its users and contributors pop up all over the world.

Then a few years pass, the hype dies down, and what was once cutting-edge becomes much less exciting, intriguing, and challenging.

It’s maturing. But maturity does not necessarily have to be boring.

Maturity means stable, refined code; and maintainable web applications, even if no longer written in a trendy framework. Ruby on Rails thrive on this stability, making it a solid choice for long-term projects.

Chasing technology trends isn’t always a good idea. Instead of improving business operations, changing to something more popular can actually yield adverse results and increase overhead.

Here’s an example of what can go wrong:

You have Ruby on the Backend, but Python is the top dog now, so it’s natural to feel like Python might benefit your business.

But is adding yet another language to your server-side stack necessary? Or maybe it would only make the codebase more confusing and difficult to maintain?

Unless your application is as big as Twitter, business benefits from adding Python won’t be big enough to compensate for the implementation costs.

A better approach is to use what’s available within your current setup and solve the problem with a minimum waste of resources.

When used by experienced developers who are well-versed in building apps in Rails, RoR’s maturity, combined with excellent tooling, libraries, and community support, makes addressing most of the pressing issues a rather straightforward affair.

Let's look at the state of Ruby on Rails.

According to the TIOBE Index for June 2023, Ruby is in the TOP 20 most-used programming languages. Largely thanks to the consistent demand for Ruby on Rails development services. Additionally, the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023 places RoR in a similar spot.

The 2024 edition of the Stack Overflow Annual Developer Survey also places Ruby in a similar spot.

The list of products you can build with Ruby is very long due to the vast (and still growing) number of gems and libraries that serve as building blocks for different types of apps.

The versatility of Ruby on Rails is evident in the broad range of applications it supports. Here are the most common types of apps that will answer the: “What is Ruby on Rails used for” question for you.  

MVPs

Ruby is often chosen for the cost-effective and fast development of MVPs. Many startups rely on Ruby on Rails agencies to develop MVPs quickly and efficiently. This language is also often used for prototyping, introducing updates, and testing different versions of products before building fully functional apps.

Social Networking Apps

Because of Ruby’s ability to support traffic-heavy apps, it is perfect for social networking apps like Twitter.

Apartment Sharing and Booking Apps

It’s also used for apartment sharing and booking apps - Airbnb and Couchsurfing- because it swiftly manages a large number of daily transactions and property bookings.

The Ruby on Rails community support in 2024 remains a standout feature. With over 5,000 contributors on GitHub, Rails surpasses competing frameworks like Django (Python) and Laravel (PHP) in terms of community activity. This robust network ensures developers have access to high-quality libraries and gems, allowing them to quickly implement solutions for standard problems.

A higher number of contributors means gems (libraries) are of very good quality, and as the saying goes, there’s a gem for everything in Rails. Developers benefit from a wealth of open-source gems and libraries, which significantly speeds up development. Rails is often praised for the effort of its community to create reusable libraries that encapsulate solutions to standard problems. The quality of community contributions is a major reason why Ruby on Rails companies can deliver high-quality projects efficiently.

GitHub contributors to Ruby frameworks:

• Rails: 5,023

• Padrino: 236

• Hanami: 157

• Sinatra: 414

GitHub contributors to Django (Python) and Laravel (PHP):

• Django: 2,569

• Laravel: 3,445

Despite claims of RoR's decline, the demand for Ruby on Rails developers remains strong. One indicator of Ruby on Rails future prospects is its demand in the job market.  On LinkedIn, job listings for Rails devs surpassed 38,000 positions worldwide as of mid-2023, and this trend is continuing into 2024 (source: teamcubate.com).

This demand has been largely stable compared to 2023, where job openings were slightly higher at around 39,000, indicating consistent need across sectors. The popularity of RoR reflects the enduring relevance of RoR and Ruby on Rails agencies in building scalable web applications, including for major platforms like Shopify, GitHub, and Airbnb.

Here are worldwide job ads from LinkedIn for Rails, Laravel, and Django along with the languages they’re written in - as of September 2024.

Because the world of Rails is somewhat specific, with many people referring to Rails when meaning Ruby, the analysis above might be slightly inaccurate. Conversely, many hiring managers mean Django when recruiting Python devs and Laravel when looking foScalability and Performance in 2024.

The scalability of Ruby on Rails in 2024 has made significant strides, addressing many of the criticisms that once plagued the framework. Misconceptions about its inability to scale often stem from early high-profile cases like Twitter’s migration to Scala. However, these instances are outdated, as Rails has evolved to meet the demands of modern applications. Recent updates, such as the introduction of load_async in Rails 7, enable asynchronous database queries, allowing apps to fetch and process data in parallel rather than sequentially. This drastically reduces response times, making Rails a strong contender for high-traffic applications. Moreover, support for service-oriented architectures, where apps are split into smaller, independently scalable services, has further enhanced Rails' ability to manage large-scale traffic effectively.

Beyond database optimizations, Ruby on Rails performance improvements in 2024 also include innovations like parallel execution via Ractor and the Fiber Scheduler, which enable asynchronous workflows. These features allow Ruby applications to handle multiple threads of execution simultaneously, reducing bottlenecks and improving overall efficiency. By embracing horizontal scalability—scaling across multiple servers rather than depending solely on one—Rails can now handle traffic spikes and growing user bases with ease.

For developers looking to optimize their Rails applications for high-traffic environments, here are some practical tips for database optimization and boosting code quality. 

The Ruby on Rails future prospects in 2024 are closely tied to its adaptability and ongoing innovations. One major trend is the increasing popularity of API-only applications, where Rails serves as a lightweight backend for modern front-end frameworks like React or Vue, enabling developers to build fast and efficient Single Page Applications (SPAs). Tools like Hotwire are also redefining web development within Rails, offering features like Turbo and Stimulus to create highly interactive, fast-loading apps without relying heavily on JavaScript frameworks.

The Ruby on Rails development trends in 2024 reflect a focus on hybrid app development, asynchronous processing, and improved security through built-in encryption. Rails’ maturity and stability make it a go-to framework for long-term projects, while new features ensure it remains competitive in a fast-evolving tech landscape. Rails has also improved security with Active Record Encryption, allowing developers to encrypt sensitive data easily. Its adaptability for emerging technologies, such as microservices and AI integration, ensures it remains relevant. By supporting modular architectures and AI libraries like TensorFlow.rb, Rails continues to evolve for cutting-edge applications.

With coding by convention, building applications in RoR is fast and easy—an excellent choice if you’re on a tight budget and under tight deadlines. For businesses looking for rapid development, cost-efficiency, and long-term stability, Ruby on Rails offers an ideal solution.

Thanks to the sizeable talent pool, finding experienced Ruby on Rails developers shouldn’t take long.

Ruby on Rails is mature and offers stability, directly translating into successful, hassle-free maintenance for years. Good developers will know how to tap the magic of Rails and use the saved time to focus on business features and application logic. Inexperienced programmers may struggle with the complexities of the framework, which is why partnering with an experienced Ruby on Rails agency is critical to the success of your project.

In the hands of inexperienced developers, Rails will never be a good choice for advanced, complex applications.

It can actually be a source of many headaches and future issues with maintenance, performance, security, and stability—all of which incur significant costs that could otherwise be avoided. For simple APIs or blogs, Rails is an excellent pick, even for beginner devs.

Below, you’ll find Wojciech Maciejak, our former senior Ruby and JavaScript developer, briefly reviewing recent major changes in the world of Ruby on Rails.

Ruby on Rails continue to evolve, with significant improvements in performance and scalability over the past few years. We’ve noticed in recent years a significant increase in the number of applications built with Ruby on Rails in “the API only” mode. Thanks to that, it is possible to create an API as an MVP quickly, and at the same time, build the frontend of the application in any JS framework.

What’s more, writing Single-Page Applications (SPA) is getting some traction, and it’s one of the strong trends right now. At Monterail, we’ve already built some SPAs with Laravel Vue Stack, so in 2024, it’s time for Ruby.

Back to the roots - Hotwire in 2023

In 2023, we could observe going back to the roots of the Ruby on Rails world with Hotwire. Along with its appearance, we’re finally able to build efficient and modern Web applications within one application in a very fast way and without poor development experience. The funny thing is, we’ve been using similar techniques but never in such an organized, cohesive way.

Hotwire has gained traction as an alternative to traditional JavaScript-heavy frontend frameworks for Rails applications, particularly with the release of Turbo 8. Many developers find it a fast and productive option, especially for smaller teams and solo developers.

The Turbo 8 update brought significant improvements, including enhanced performance through optimizations for faster page loads and smoother transitions. Alongside Turbo 8, the Hotwire ecosystem has expanded with new tools and extensions. A notable addition is the Hotwire Browser Extension, which aids in developing and debugging Hotwire applications.

Stimulus, a core component of Hotwire, has also seen substantial advancements. Developers can now implement smooth concurrent updates using Stimulus and Turbo Stream broadcasts, enhancing real-time functionality in applications. Using custom Turbo Stream actions has expanded the capabilities of Stimulus controllers, offering more flexibility in application design.

Hotwire's integration with Ruby on Rails has strengthened considerably. Full support for Rails 7.2 ensures seamless integration with the latest features, keeping Hotwire at the forefront of Rails development.

Performance boost!

Ruby and Ruby on Rails have been facing performance issues for years now, but real change has been on the horizon, too. I observe a strong focus on dealing with this aspect and improving the framework and language itself.

The Ruby 3.0 version turned out to be three times faster than Ruby 2.0 and predictions made by Jakuhiro Matzuomoto. Now, version 3.1 takes another step toward better performance. One of the steps was implementing the so-called “Fiber Scheduler” which allows for asynchronous work of Ruby without any side effects or tedious developer’s work.

It means one thing - one of the strongest arguments against Ruby is slowly losing its relevance! Ruby is getting more and more performant, no doubts about that!

Ruby takes a closer look at well-known problems and modifies the way the framework works and makes it towards asynchrony, too. At the beginning of 2022, a new version of the PG gem was released that enables making asynchronous requests to the database. It only proves the general development direction of the Ruby community.

Encrypt everything with Rails

In Rails 7, we finally see one great feature which was long-awaited in Rails. Our databases were never encrypted by default. In general, it does not mean that it was unsecured, but if we can do it, we just should encrypt even simple data in the database.

Now you don’t have to add any gems or additional implementations, you can just use simple command because Rails support encryption out of the box. It’s a really important feature of Rails 7!

The introduction of Active Record Encryption in Ruby on Rails 7 has significantly elevated the focus on security within the framework. This built-in feature has transformed database encryption from a complex, optional add-on to a core, easily implementable functionality. By allowing developers to encrypt sensitive data with just a single line of code in their models, Rails has made robust security practices more accessible and widespread. The automatic encryption process between the application and the database provides an additional layer of protection, safeguarding data even in the event of unauthorized database access.

Parallel Execution in Ruby

Not all changes in Ruby on Rails are thought out in advance. Some of them remind me of an experiment that shows that RoR is not afraid of trying new things. One such feature is Ractor - a Ruby Actor Model which will offer parallel computation capabilities to Ruby apps.

It works like service workers in JavaScript, allowing for the implementation of proper threading between processes, ensuring safety due to fewer deadlocks and livelocks. Their communication is based on message passing, substantially different from conceptual threads.

Just to summarize, in the last few years, a lot changed in the Ruby on Rails world.

There are some revolutionary changes, there are some improvements, and some small steps which will be hopefully continued in the next few years. From the perspective of a Ruby developer but also a potential client, these matters are the most important:

1. Performance - there is a huge improvement - check!

2. Popularity - we still have one of the most popular frameworks in the world - check!

3. Speed of development - MVP in a few weeks? No problem! - check!

4. Extendability and ability to write hybrid apps - do you need a Backend? No problem.

5. Have you decided to write Web and mobile apps additionally? Cool, we are excited! - check, check, check!

Whether you're looking to build an MVP, a complex web application, or even a social network, Ruby on Rails will continue to deliver robust solutions for years to come.