Ruby on Rails development for productive web applications
Ruby on Rails is a full-stack web framework built around convention over configuration. It helps small teams build complete database-backed applications quickly, and many established SaaS products still run on it.
Rails bundles routing, an ORM, background jobs, email, real-time features and testing, and its conventions mean experienced developers can move between Rails codebases easily. It remains very productive for business applications and start-up products. The trade-offs are a smaller hiring pool than JavaScript or Python and lower raw performance than compiled languages, which is rarely the bottleneck in practice. A lot of our Rails work is upgrading and maintaining existing applications rather than starting new ones.
What we build with Ruby on Rails
- SaaS applications and MVPs
- Marketplaces and membership sites
- Internal business tools
- Rails version upgrades
- Performance tuning of existing Rails apps
Ruby on Rails questions
Is Rails still a sensible choice?
Yes. It is actively maintained and very productive. The main consideration is hiring: if your organisation already has Rails developers, it is an excellent choice.
Can you take over our existing Rails application?
Yes. We start with a code and dependency review, add tests where coverage is thin and then plan upgrades and improvements.
Why is Rails good for building products quickly?
Rails follows strong conventions and includes tools for databases, background jobs, email and real-time features, so teams spend less time on setup and more on product features. It is well suited to MVPs and SaaS.
Can you upgrade an old Rails application?
Yes. We check test coverage and gem compatibility first, then upgrade through Rails and Ruby versions in stages, fixing deprecations as we go so the application keeps running.
How do you improve Rails performance?
Most slowness comes from database queries, so we fix N+1 queries, add indexes and introduce caching where it helps. Slow work is moved into background jobs.
Can Rails serve as an API for a mobile app?
Yes. Rails has an API-only mode and mature tools for serialisation and token authentication, so it can back mobile apps and JavaScript frontends as well as server-rendered pages.
How are background jobs handled in Rails?
Rails has a built-in job framework that works with several queue backends, used for emails, imports, reports and integrations. Recurring tasks can be scheduled alongside.
How is a Rails application tested?
Rails has testing built in, and many teams use RSpec. We write model, request and system tests so business rules and key user journeys are protected on every change.
Where can a Rails application be hosted?
Rails runs on managed platforms, containers, cloud providers and traditional Linux servers. We deploy into accounts you own, with logging and monitoring set up.
Can Rails build interactive interfaces without a heavy JavaScript framework?
Yes. Rails includes tools for server-driven interactivity that update parts of a page without full reloads, giving a responsive feel with far less frontend JavaScript to maintain.
Have a project in mind? Let’s talk.
Tell us what you are building. We reply within one business day with next steps — and we are happy to sign an NDA first.