Ruby on Rails Framework Overview 2021

Ruby on Rails has come a long way since its inception in 2004. Today, the RoR framework is mature enough to captivate the minds of developers across the globe. However, people might assume that maturity equals irrelevancy. But that is not the case with the Ruby on Rails framework. 

There are 3,955,692 websites utilizing Ruby on Rails software development as we near the end of 2021. The state of RoR is debated among developers, but the results are unanimous – Ruby on Rails application development is still relevant, and it is one of the most useful technology stacks for web development even in 2021.

Checkout: Top 12 Website Examples Built with Ruby on Rails

Is Ruby on Rails still relevant in 2021?

The myth that Ruby on Rails is dying is now dying itself – all thanks to what Rails achieved in 2019 and 2020. The latest updates of Rails (version 6.1) and Ruby (version 3) are proof of the framework’s capability to stay relevant. It portrays the fact that the Ruby on Rails community is still upgrading the framework because there’s a lot of potential.

Ther version 3 of Ruby is claimed to be 3 times faster than Ruby 2, which is an upgrade that developers admire the most. Rails 6.1 also got rid of the action mailer and active storage, along with bringing improvements in action text.

The upcoming upgrade, Rails 7, will definitely elevate the usefulness of the framework. Custom software development services are highly relevant in 2021 as it constantly provides upgrades and is trusted by some of the leading companies for years. 

In 2020, Ruby on Rails stood at 11th position in a survey of the most popular web development frameworks, a jump from the 15th and then the 12th position. It entails that the popularity of the framework is coming back and that more and more companies realize the potential of the framework to build high-quality applications. 

Read more: Pros and Cons of Ruby on Rails 

Where is the RoR framework used in 2021?

In May 2021, there were 969,026 live websites that used Ruby on Rails – a number that increased to 1,080,966 by September 2021. The increase in this number so rapidly is proof of Rails’s amazing capabilities to build web applications. 

Companies in multiple industries and domains are taking advantage of Ruby on Rails rapid application development. The dynamism of Rails enables developers to create multiple types of applications. Some of the top industries using Ruby on Rails are as follows – 

Source: SoluteLabs

These industry verticals utilize Ruby on Rails web application development services to build robust and scalable apps. Rails is the perfect technology stack for building applications of the following types – 

• CRM, ERP, CMS portals and platforms

• FinTech and digital finance solutions

• Software as a Service products

• Ecommerce stores

• Entertainment websites

• Social networking sites

• Information portals

Ruby on Rails framework development offers rich functionalities that companies in the top industries can utilize for the above use cases. The framework is really interactive and eliminates the limitations of building applications with its third-party integrations, simplicity of coding, and the ability to integrate quick upgrades.

Read more: Why is Ruby on Rails our Preferred Framework for Web Applications?

Why Select Ruby on Rails framework in 2021

“Ruby on Rails is dead” is an unpopular opinion – primarily developed because of the age of the framework. Yes, it is true that the framework is mature – but that doesn’t make it totally useless for modern day applications. Ask any startup that uses Ruby on Rails, and it will probably be one of the best technology decisions for them. 

Many people believe that Ruby on Rails upgrade services won’t be able to reach a place where the framework could meet the demands for Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, AR & VR, and others. 

But here’s the case – Ruby on Rails is not meant for that purpose, it is meant to build dynamic web applications. The framework fulfilled that purpose with ease. There’s no denying the fact that Rails application development services are one of the best ways to build a web application.

Here’s why companies should consider Ruby on Rails framework in 2021:- 

1. Rapid prototyping
   Contrary to what the critics of Ruby on Rails development would say, the framework leads to faster application development. Combined with agile, Ruby on Rails offers 25% to 40% application development. It is also one of the primary reasons startups prefer the technology to build MVPs faster and attain a competitive edge.

2. Scalable framework
   In November 2019, the director of engineering at Shopify tweeted this – 

While many might say that Rails is not efficient for heavy traffic, examples and projects show that it is actually one of the most scalable frameworks. Big projects like Airbnb, Shopify, Basecamp, Github, Crunchbase, Bloomberg, and several others utilize Ruby on Rails web development services to scale their applications.

1. Third-party integrations
   Ruby on Rails offers wonderful integrations in the form of RubyGems, which are third-party apps that lead to faster and swift development. There’s a RubyGem for almost everything – payment gateway integration, code testing & debugging, and much more. RubyGems simplify application development by reducing the code to be written for every feature.

2. Constant updates
   While Ruby on Rails upgrade services are frequent for companies, the framework itself receives continuous updates. This makes Rails extremely relevant and allows it to meet the change requirements in the web application development industry. The RoR community constantly offers maintenance and updates that keep the framework fresh even though it has matured enough.

3. Rails principles
   The principles of convention over configuration and don’t repeat yourself are the two primary aspects that define the entire development process. There’s no need to configure on the go – everything is set up from the beginning. And there’s no need to rewrite the code for everything. 

Bottom Line

Ruby on Rails is still going strong – and it is likely to be one of the preferred frameworks for web development. Hiring full stack Ruby on Rails developers gives companies an added advantage of saving costs and getting faster products. By outsourcing to a dedicated RoR team, they don’t need to hire in-house developers and will still get the best products at an affordable price. 

And such products are only built by a custom software development company like BoTree Technologies.