Top Ruby on Rails Development Companies to Consider

Infinum is one of the top Ruby on Rails development companies with a large Rails team, and some of the top Ruby on Rails developers on board who are actively contributing to the community, building tools and libraries to enhance and improve the framework.

In addition to Rails, we are also proficient in Java, .NET, and Node.js for backend development. But there’s a reason why we like Rails so much and why it is so popular as a backend development technology. We thought we should talk about it.

So, why are Ruby on Rails development companies so in demand? In fact, what is Ruby on Rails, and why should you use it? These are the questions that we will answer in this post.

We’ll start with your application development needs.

A good application comprises a well-designed, intuitive frontend and a powerful backend. One might argue that a strong infrastructure that supports the functionalities of your digital product is more important than its appearance. No one wants to use an app that doesn’t work during high-traffic times or is generally slow, even if it wins awards for its looks.

That is why most development companies will pay special attention to your backend needs to determine the best technology for the build. One of their preferred frameworks for building backends is Ruby on Rails.

Ruby on Rails, also known as RoR or Rails, is an open-source framework written in Ruby. While it is capable of full-stack web application development, it is most commonly used for backend building.

The reason why it is so popular is that its convention-over-configuration approach allows developers to spend less time trying to configure files and directories and focus more on building features.

It also promotes the DRY (don’t repeat yourself) principle, which encourages modular and reusable code.

The Ruby ecosystem has extensive libraries and gems (a Ruby-specific term for libraries, packages, and modules distributed through the RubyGems package manager). These help you take advantage of existing code to make building complex features easier and enable rapid application development (RAD).

All in all, the framework allows you to build powerful and scalable backends for your application quickly and easily.

As you have seen, Ruby on Rails offers several advantages. Let us take a closer look at the benefits you achieve when you use it for your enterprise platform backend development.

Rails’ convention-over-configuration approach makes it great for efficient and reliable development. The framework provides sensible defaults and predefined structures using scaffolding, which is a tool that lets you generate the basic components of an application to save time.

Instead of you writing boilerplate code, this uses predefined rules to create a set of basic files and code templates for you.

These features make Ruby on Rails ideal for digital products that need to be out in the market quickly.

Another feature of Ruby on Rails that enables quicker development is gems. Since the framework is open-source, most gems have been built by its active community. These pre-built libraries allow you to ‘plug in’ functionalities that have already been created. Again, this allows you to develop your product faster and get it out into the market sooner.

Applications built on Rails can easily scale horizontally, by adding more servers, and vertically, by upgrading server resources. Large volumes of tasks can be processed asynchronously using gems for smooth performance even when there is a heavy load on the application. Growing businesses especially benefit from the fact that Rails supports a modular architecture, which makes it easy to add microservices.

Ruby on Rails development companies often have it easier than ones that use other platforms because this framework makes building backends so much easier. Since it works on the DRY principle, you get modular and reusable code that is easy to maintain.

The language that powers it—Ruby—has a clean and intuitive syntax, so writing and understanding the code is not difficult.  It also has comprehensive documentation, with a community-led ecosystem that provides tutorials, forums, and guides.

Over the years, Rails has developed into a stable framework that offers built-in security measures that protect applications from cross-site scripting, SQL injection, insecure direct object reference, and more. It allows you to create web applications that are relatively free of vulnerabilities and risks of security breaches.

We have already mentioned how RoR can be used for both frontend and backend development. However, it is generally used for backend infrastructure that connects to frontend applications.

Ruby on Rails is easy on your pockets for two reasons: First, it is an open-source framework, so you can use it for free. Second, it makes building your application infrastructure so quick and easy that you spend less on development costs.

Rails’s ease of use could not have been possible without the bustling community supporting this framework. In fact, the Ruby on Rails experts in Infinum are actively involved in supporting this technology and building solutions designed for everyone to use.

Moreover, since the language and the framework are so easy to learn, you will also find a vast number of Rails developers for your development needs.

Ruby on Rails follows a model-view-controllers architecture that separates the app into three parts:

It offers asynchronous programming using tools like background jobs, which allows tasks to run independently without blocking other operations. This modularity allows you to maintain and test individual components without affecting the rest of the application.

The framework also supports test-driven development (TDD) and behavior-driven development (BDD) and comes with built-in testing tools like Minitest and community-supported tools like RSpec.

Together, these features make any application built using Rails very easy to maintain and test. Of course, coding principles like convention-over-configuration and DRY also lead to code that is easy to maintain and has fewer errors.

Ruby on Rails lends itself very well to all manners of applications, from prototyping to large e-commerce websites. It adapts well to development trends like API-first development, microservices, and cloud integration. As a result, it can be used for a wide variety of digital products.

As we can see, Ruby on Rails development companies can offer:

As a result, Rails is commonly used for:

Rails gives you everything you need for both the backend (business logic and database) and the user interface in one easy-to-use package. It has tools like Active Record (for managing databases) and ERB templates (for rendering HTML) so you can seamlessly connect the parts of your app. Its convention-over-configuration approach means you can focus on features instead of setting everything up.

For a content management system (CMS) or social networking site, Rails lets you quickly create and manage things like user accounts, posts, comments, and permissions—all without having to reinvent the wheel.

Rails is great for building APIs because it provides everything you need to serve data to mobile apps or frontend frameworks like React or Vue.js.

It has built-in support for creating RESTful APIs, which makes it easy to handle requests like “get all users” or “update this product.” Gems like jsonapi-serializer or ActiveModel::Serializer make it simple to convert database records into JSON, the format most APIs use.

If you want a more flexible API, Rails also supports GraphQL with gems like graphql-ruby.

Let’s say you are building a mobile app for a restaurant. Rails can handle the backend by providing an API to send data like menu items, reservations, and user reviews to the app.

Rails is all about speed and simplicity, which makes it perfect for prototyping. It comes with scaffolding, a feature that generates basic code for models, views, and controllers. This lets you create a working app skeleton in minutes.

With gems, you can quickly add features like user authentication, payment processing, or file uploads without having to build them from scratch. Rails’ active developer community means you can find tons of examples, tutorials, and pre-built solutions to speed up your work.

If you are a startup with a tight deadline, you can use Rails to quickly create and test an MVP (minimum viable product), get feedback, and iterate without starting over.

Rails is a strong choice for online stores because it balances flexibility (customizing features) and scalability (handling growth). You can build unique workflows, like custom checkout processes or loyalty programs, to match your store’s needs.

Rails works well with tools like caching, background jobs, and load balancers to handle high traffic during sales or promotions. This makes it easier for you to grow your business without hitting a technological brick wall.

Gems like Spree or Solidus provide pre-built e-commerce functionality, so you can get started quickly while still having the freedom to customize. That is why Shopify—one of the world’s biggest e-commerce platforms—started with Rails, because it allowed the company to build quickly and scale over time.

Rails is ideal for software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications because it is modular and integrates easily with other tools. Gems like Apartment make it simple to create apps that serve multiple customers (or “tenants”) with separate data and settings.

It can easily connect to payment systems like Stripe, email providers like SendGrid, and analytics tools. Rails’ structure makes it easy to add new features or update existing ones, which is critical for SaaS apps that need to evolve constantly.

Basecamp, a popular project management tool, is built on Rails because its modular design and rapid development tools were perfect for creating a scalable service.

Rails shines in apps that rely heavily on data because it simplifies how you interact with databases. Active record object-relational mapping (ORM) is a component of Ruby on Rails that makes working with databases feel like working with regular objects in your code, so it is easy to retrieve, update, or organize data.

Rails makes migration easier with tools to update and manage your database structure over time, without breaking the app. Gems like Sidekiq or Delayed Job help handle large amounts of data processing asynchronously, so your app stays fast for users.

If you are building a CRM or analytics platform, Rails lets you manage complex data like customer profiles, interactions, and reports while keeping the app responsive.

Even though Ruby on Rails does come with some great benefits, it is not perfect. It does have some drawbacks.

Compared to Node.js and Django, Rails has a slower runtime speed. That is because Ruby is a dynamically typed language, and it is interpreted rather than compiled. Since it is executed line by line, it is not as fast as other languages that are pre-compiled. However, this is a problem only if your application has a very high traffic volume. Most of the time, performance issues on Rails applications are caused by server and database environments, not because of Rails per se.

The very feature that makes Ruby on Rails a great choice for quick development is the cause of its drawback. Pre-built modules and gems are great for adding functionality quickly, but they do not work for unique features. Developing these custom features could add to your development time, and, as a result, your costs.

When you need a quick prototype, Rails is the framework to build it. However, if you include a mistake early on in the build, fixing it can be difficult because of dependencies and how the components are linked to each other. It might even mean rebuilding your entire application from scratch.

Since several components and gems for Rails are developed by the community, not all of them have detailed documentation. This is especially true for less popular gems and libraries. It is not an issue that cannot be resolved, but it can take time, which could have been saved if there was adequate documentation.

Having looked at the pros and cons of Ruby on Rails, you can see that its benefits far outweigh its disadvantages. In fact, several large, well-known companies have put their faith in it for their architecture. Some of the better-known names that were built on Rails are:

While this software development company offers several other technologies for building digital products, its main focus remains Ruby on Rails. It prioritizes a quick launch, and uses Rails for prototyping and engineering.

JetRuby is unique in that it provides recruitment services as well, offering HR management and talent-management-as-a-service. If you want to recruit Ruby on Rails developers, this company can help you through its training academy.

Another development company that focuses on Ruby on Rails, Rubyroid labs provides full-cycle Ruby on Rails software development services. This Warsaw-based agency has built over 300 successful digital solutions for businesses worldwide, using Rails.

While they handpick the team that will be working on your project, they do give you the opportunity to interview each member so you can determine if they will be a good fit.

A UK-based software development company, Digiryte offers a wide variety of services, including MVP development, data engineering, AI/ML, mobile app development, and more. It offers three forms of engagement: Team augmentation, Agile pods, and product development.

The company lists Ruby on Rails as one of the technologies it uses for web application backend development, along with Python, PHP, and .NET Core.

While Digiryte doesn’t have as many projects as some of the others on this list, it does have some prestigious names, including the NHS and Channel 4, among its clients.

This digital product development company promises a people-first, passion-driven service. Since it promises end-to-end development, you will find a wide range of services in its repertoire.

Their broad expertise is also evident in the number of technologies they are proficient at for backend development. In addition to Ruby on Rails (which features prominently), they also offer Node.js, .NET Core, Django, Laravel, Nest.js, and more.

While it is a software development company, Netguru positions itself as an AI-focused business. It offers AI and GenAI development as part of its services. Of course, this is in addition to a complete range of services, including prototyping, software development, maintenance, and design.

Netguru offers Rails expertise as part of its web tech stack, along with React, Vue.js, Next.js, Node.js, and more. This Poland-based agency has a team of over 400 people and has delivered over 2,500 projects.

The quirky name of this company reflects its focus—MVP development and fast deployment of business applications. For its backend building services for web apps, it uses Ruby on Rails, in addition to Monolith-First, Microservices, Swagger, etc.

You are launched is a self-proclaimed “lean evangelist” who promotes the idea of “Learn–Launch–Test” for quick deployment and iterative development. If you are a startup with an app idea, this company might be the right choice for you.

Probably the largest company on this list, N-iX employs 2,500 people across 25 countries in Europe and the Americas. The company offers “expert solutions in cloud, data analytics, embedded software, IoT, AI, machine learning, and other tech domains.”

The company is an expert in Ruby web development and employs Ruby on Rails as well as Sinatra. It is also proficient in Ruby-based tools like Chef and Puppet for DevOps, and has demonstrated its expertise in RoR through various services like web app development and refactoring, prototyping and MVP building, and API implementation.

We have the expertise and experience—two decades’ worth— of building applications and software for enterprise customers. Our services started in Europe but are now available in the US as well.

Our team of over 40 people has a substantial percentage of Rails developers who are an active part of the community.

Our backend development service is geared towards providing you with a great digital product backed by a powerful and scalable infrastructure. We help you drive efficiency, reduce technical debt, and optimize costs.

If you’re looking for backend or full-stack development, and want to partner with an experienced Ruby on Rails development company, get in touch!