Is Ruby on Rails Still Alive? What Its Role in Modern Web Development
Table of Content
Let me start by saying this: Ruby on Rails (RoR) is not dead. Nope, not even close. As someone who has been coding for years and worked on multiple projects using Rails, I can confidently say it’s still alive and kicking—though it might not be the hottest thing on the block anymore.
Sure, newer frameworks like React, Next.js (also React), Vue.js, and Django have stolen some of its thunder, but Rails continues to prove itself as a reliable, fast, and developer-friendly tool for building web applications.
A Quick Walk Down Memory Lane
Ruby on Rails was first released back in 2005 by David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), just same year as Django. It came out swinging, offering developers a breath of fresh air with its "convention over configuration" philosophy. Suddenly, you didn’t need to spend hours tweaking settings or reinventing the wheel. Rails gave developers sensible defaults, an opinionated structure, and tools that made building database-backed web apps faster and less painful.
At its peak, Rails was the go-to framework for startups and MVPs. Big names like GitHub, Basecamp, and Shopify were built on Rails, proving just how powerful it could be. These companies weren’t just small potatoes either—they grew into tech giants, all while relying on Rails under the hood.
But let’s rewind just a bit further. Around the same time Rails was gaining traction, another framework called Django was also making waves in the Python community. Django, which launched in 2005 too, offered similar benefits: rapid development, scalability, and a robust ecosystem. Both frameworks became poster children for their respective languages—Rails for Ruby, Django for Python—and they’ve both aged pretty well.
Hazem Abbas
Why Developers Loved (and Still Love) Rails
I’ve personally used Rails for several client projects over the years, ranging from small SaaS apps to medium e-commerce platforms. Here’s why I keep coming back:
- Speed: Setting up a project in Rails feels almost magical. With generators and pre-built gems (libraries), you can scaffold an entire app in hours.
- Community: The Rails community is incredibly supportive. Need help debugging something? Chances are someone else has already solved your problem.
- Gems: Speaking of gems, the Rails ecosystem is packed with them. Whether you need authentication (
Devise), background jobs (Sidekiq), or admin panels (ActiveAdmin), there’s probably a gem for that. - Developer Happiness: This isn’t just marketing fluff—it’s real. Rails prioritizes clean code, readability, and simplicity, which makes working with it genuinely enjoyable.
Hazem Abbas
The Pros and Cons of Using Ruby on Rails
No framework is perfect, though. While Rails has plenty of strengths, it does come with its fair share of drawbacks. Let’s break it down:
Pros:
- RAD or Rapid Development: You can get a prototype up and running in no time.
- Mature Rich Ecosystem: Decades of refinement mean fewer headaches when scaling or adding features.
- Convention Over Configuration (That's a blast): Less decision fatigue = more productivity.
- Strong Community Support: From Stack Overflow to GitHub, help is always within reach. However, the community is not rich in numbers as before but it is still supportive.
Cons:
- Performance Bottlenecks: Compared to Go, Rust, or even Node.js, Rails can feel sluggish at scale unless optimized properly.
- Learning Curve: If you’re new to MVC architecture or Ruby itself, getting started can feel overwhelming.
- Monolithic Nature: While Rails excels at full-stack development, microservices enthusiasts might find it limiting.
- Less Hype: Honestly, part of the reason people think Rails is “dead” is because it doesn’t get the hype train rolling like React or Next.js these days.
Hazem Abbas
Why Did Some Developers Migrate Away?
It’s true—many developers have moved away from Rails over the years. There are a few reasons for this:
- JavaScript Dominance: Frontend frameworks like React and Vue.js took center stage, leaving Rails’ traditional server-rendered views feeling outdated to some.
- Microservices Trend: As companies scaled, many shifted toward microservice architectures where Rails’ monolithic nature felt restrictive.
- Emergence of Alternatives: Frameworks like Django (Python) and Laravel (PHP) offered similar benefits, drawing attention away from Rails.
- Perceived Slowness: For high-performance applications, Rails sometimes falls short compared to lower-level languages like Rust or Go.
That said, none of these issues make Rails obsolete. They simply highlight areas where other tools might fit better depending on the use case.
Who Uses Ruby on Rails Today?
Here’s the kicker: despite all the chatter about Rails being “old,” tons of big-name companies still rely on it. And I’m not talking about tiny startups—I mean massive enterprises.
- Shopify: Yep, one of the largest eCommerce platforms in the world runs on Rails. It handles millions of transactions daily, proving that Rails can handle serious traffic.
- GitHub: The hub of open-source collaboration and version control remains heavily reliant on Rails. Think about how many developers interact with GitHub every day—that’s a lot of trust in the framework.
- Basecamp: The original Rails app is still going strong. Basecamp continues to be a favorite among teams looking for simple yet effective project management software.
- Twitch: Believe it or not, Twitch—the streaming giant—started with Rails. While they’ve adopted other technologies since then, Rails still plays a role in parts of their infrastructure.
My Take as a Developer
Over the years, I’ve worked with Rails on various projects, and it’s never let me down. Sure, there were moments when performance tweaks were necessary, but nothing catastrophic. One particular project stands out—a custom CRM system I built for a mid-sized business. Thanks to Rails’ speed and flexibility, we delivered the MVP in record time, and the client loved it. Since then, the app has scaled nicely without major hiccups.
What I appreciate most about Rails is how predictable it is. Once you understand its conventions, everything clicks into place. It’s like having guardrails on a highway—you stay on track without much effort.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Count Rails Out Just Yet
While it’s easy to dismiss Ruby on Rails as a relic of the past, doing so would be a mistake. It’s battle-tested, mature, and continues to evolve. Rails 7, released in late 2021, introduced features like Hotwire, bringing seamless real-time updates to the table. That shows the team behind Rails isn’t resting on its laurels—they’re innovating to stay relevant.
Sure, it may not be the shiny new toy anymore, but Rails doesn’t need to be. It’s dependable, efficient, and continues to power some of the biggest names in tech. So if you’re considering whether to give Rails a shot—or revisit it after years away—don’t hesitate. It’s still a fantastic choice for building modern web applications.
And hey, maybe someday we’ll see a resurgence of interest in Rails. After all, trends come and go, but classics endure.
TL;DR: Ruby on Rails is very much alive, with companies like Shopify, GitHub, and Basecamp still using it. Its strengths include rapid development, a mature ecosystem, and developer happiness, though it has downsides like potential performance bottlenecks and less hype compared to newer frameworks. As a developer, I’ve found Rails to be reliable and fast for client projects over the years. Don’t count it out—it’s still a heavyweight in the web dev world.
