Super Charge Your Startup Product with React + Ruby on Rails

If you are an entrepreneur planning to launch a product, there might be many questions, like, what tech stack is suitable for your product? Or which technology will help you reduce technical debts, ensure future viability, and ensure security?

Well, you are not alone in this boat.

Before building a product, one of the most important things to consider is the technology stack, which lays the foundation for a product’s development. So, it is good to be analytical while choosing the right one.

At Netsmartz, we do a lot of analysis about client requirements before recommending any tech stack. And recently, many of our clients asked us about the buzz around using React with Ruby On Rails (RoR). Many wonder whether RoR was still a framework worth using in 2021. The answer is “Yes,” This blog lists many reasons why:

What is React?

React is a front-end JavaScript library developed by Facebook for developing reusable UI components or beautiful user interfaces. It lets developers build large-scale web apps that update the requested data without reloading the whole web page. Due to its unique features like virtual DOM, one-way data binding, and component-based nature, it has been used by Fortune 500 companies for developing web apps.

Also Read:  Using React Native Develop Modern and Robust Mobile Apps

Some of the fantastic properties of React include the following:

• Component-based architecture
• Server-Side Support
• Virtual DOM
• Native Approach
• Seamless Performance
• Mobile Support
• Easy Testability

What is Ruby on Rails?

Ruby on Rails is a web framework based on Ruby, a programming language developed in the 90s. The goal behind creating RoR was to create a framework for developers to build high-performing web apps fast. ROR is a Model-View-Controller (MVC) full-stack framework, and its entire code is separated into layers. While the Model contains high-level classes, View contains data that users interact with, and Controller connects both. Here are some of the properties of a dedicated ROR developer that make it a perfect fit for a startup:

• Mature and evolving
• Time and cost-effective
• Vast ecosystem
• Free-to-use
• Perfect for building MVPs

Also Read: Is it Worth Using the Ruby on Rails (RoR) Framework for Your Web App in 2023?

What Makes “React + Ruby on Rails” a Perfect Solution?

Here are six solid reasons why React and ROR are a match made in heaven for startups:

1. Less Server Response Time

What irritates users most while using a web app is slow loading. While the website load time depends on several factors like web page design, browser, hosting server, and internet connection speed, an ideal web app should load within 2 seconds.

A Google study shows that the number of page views decreases as page load time increases.

Any website taking more than two seconds to load would push users away, which nobody desires. However, when using React with ROR, websites load fast as the combination reduces the server response time by up to 70%.

2. Accelerated Time-to-Market

If you are a startup and want to test your idea faster, React with Ruby on Rails can do wonders for you. Significantly, if your business model is freemium, this combination would help you save a lot of time and money. It also works well when creating single-page applications using React on the front end and ROR on the back end.

Another important reason is that if you plan to test the market, you will get success or failure faster with this magical combination to make future decisions.

3. Reliability and Stability

Big brands like Twitter, Airbnb, and many others use the combination of React and ROR. Thus, it is one of the most trusted tech stacks for building dynamic web apps. Whereas an extensive and robust community backs Ruby on Rails, React is a library supported and maintained by Facebook. Thus, you can expect your app to be stable and developed with outstanding efficiency with React and ROR.

4. Less Memory Usage

If you’re confronting memory usage issues, deploying a ROR and React app would be ideal. A perfect example of this is Egghead.io – a brand that improved memory usage and response time after using this magical tech stack. After this deployment, their app’s performance improved as well.

5. Simplicity to Use

With a well-defined lifecycle, component-based structure, and just plain Javascript, React is simple to use and learn. It uses a syntax called JSX which lets developers mix Javascript and HTML to build professional web and mobile apps quickly and without wasting time handling complexities.

On the other hand, ROR also has an intuitive and easy-to-use syntax that lets programmers accomplish more in less time. ROR developers can develop a web app faster by writing less code. Moreover, the framework ensures the highest readability, making the code more understandable. Thus, when you combine both these technologies, you can achieve wonders.

6. Easy Business Logic Implementation

When using Ruby on Rails, business logic implementation is acceptable, no matter how complex. For example, you can create the APIs you need faster using ROR and save time. And when you pair it with a feature-rich frontend framework like React, it becomes a win-win situation for developers and business owners.

3 Brands that are Using the Magical Combination of React + Ruby on Rails

Choosing the right tech stack from a pool of technologies helps to take lessons from big brands. Here are three companies using React with Ruby on Rails to deliver unique experiences:

Airbnb

We all are fans of the seamless and engaging experience that Airbnb offers. It is developed using Ruby as the primary programming language, React for creating UI, and Rails for server-side configuration. Isn’t this a fantastic choice?

Gusto

Gusto is an online payroll platform that uses React and Rails to process billions of dollars on its platform and has a large user base. Rails and React provide them with the agility and accuracy required to handle huge transactions quickly and securely.

Opendoor

Opendoor is one of the best real estate websites in the USA. It is the first choice for anyone who plans to buy or sell a property in the USA. When they started building their platform in 2014, they chose ROR and Angular to develop an MVP. But, later on, they shifted to React.

Final Words

As a tech startup founder, you must ensure the technologies you select to build your product are robust enough to support your business needs and sustainable enough to support your expansion plans. Ruby on Rails on the backend, with React on the front end, is the best approach for most new companies.

However, is RoR with React an ideal solution for all types of applications? Not! No ideal tech stack suits all web applications like no one size fits all. For example, if you plan to use high-end technologies like Blockchain or Machine Learning in your app, it won’t work well.

But, if you plan to develop a dynamic app that supports micro-interactions, it is a perfect choice. If you need to know more, drop us a message. We’ll be eager to assist you in accomplishing your business goals.