Is Ruby on Rails the Best Fit for Building SaaS Applications?

The global SaaS market is reported to grow to a staggering $1228.87 billion. This state alone clearly indicates a growing appetite for SaaS solutions, along with highlighting the fierce competition that is brewing in the market.

But building a SaaS application isn’t easy. The technical side alone will have your head spinning, alongside the number of business decisions required to build a successful app might leave you gasping for some fresh air.

The competition is tough; we know that, but we also know the solution to build a successful SaaS application: Ruby on Rails.

This article is all about why Ruby on Rails should be the focus of a software development company for building SaaS applications.

Why Do SaaS Applications Need Ruby on Rails?

The major challenge that companies don’t realize they will face when they set out to build a SaaS application, is one of availability. You see, unlike traditional software, where users download and install the program on their devices, SaaS applications operate entirely online, specifically from the cloud.

This entails that the software must be available at all times, at all hours of the day, at every minute. Which means that you need a reliable framework to make that happen. For this reason, Ruby on Rails is the choice for many companies because of its history of empowering SaaS products.

1. Faster Development

Convention over Configuration is the building block of Ruby on Rails. Conventions are a set of rules that guide developers in building software the “Rails Way.” This means that Rails has several built-in rules that developers can follow to build SaaS applications quickly instead of starting from scratch. 

Therefore, developers don’t have to spend time customizing and selecting components. For example, Rails developers don’t have to build logins and user profile pages. This is because Rails has built-in tools for developing these pages.

2. Mature Framework

Rails has been around for over two decades. And it has had plenty of time to become mature as a web development framework. Moreover, it also means that developers have already tackled most of the issues you commonly face when choosing Rails for developing SaaS applications. This ensures that you face fewer bugs, and have access to reliable libraries, and top-tier development tools. 

3. Easy Learning Curve

According to The Rails Doctrine, the happiness of programmers is the foundational pillar of Ruby on Rails. Hence, it puts emphasis on ensuring that the learning curve of Ruby on Rails isn’t steep, and even junior developers can get the hang of using it.

For example, Rails helps developers by using Domain-Specific Language or DSL. A DSL is a specialized language within a programming language. It’s a syntax for a function of an application.

As Rails is based on Ruby, it has a natural syntax that feels almost like writing sentences in English. So, when you combine this attribute with DSL and other conventions, you get a code that is intuitive and easy to understand. 

4. Seamless Integrations

SaaS products don’t exist within a vacuum. They connect with other SaaS products and tools such as email tools, analytics tools, CRMs, and customer support platforms. Ruby on Rails makes these integrations easy with pre-built Ruby gems.

Gems are reusable libraries of code that you can use in your app. These gems then handle third-party integrations like Strip for payment processing or Mailchimp for emails.

For example, a SaaS application can use a Stripe gem to handle credit card transactions. 

5. Robust Security

SaaS applications that handle customer data need to have robust security. Rails has a lot of built-in tools to protect the app from common vulnerabilities.

Rails uses a feature called Active Query Interface which ensures that any data entered in an app is automatically cleaned before being sent to a database. This ensures that hackers cannot add any harmful commands to steal or manipulate data.

Additionally, Rails has a built-in tool called Auto Escaping. This tool automatically cleans up any displayed data in your app to prevent attackers from injecting malicious scripts that could run in a user’s browser.

Rails also offers Cross-site Request Forgery Protection. Rails has a system that generates a unique authenticity token every time a form is submitted in the app. This ensures that actions like transferring money or updating data are done by a trusted user and not a hacker. 

6. Top-tier Framework Performance

If you have made it this far, you most likely will have the following question in mind: Does a Rails-based SaaS application do well under heavy strains like an increase in traffic or when the user base grows?

Yes. Rails can handle heavy workloads. It might not be the fastest framework for this, but it balances performance and ease of use. 

Rails uses a combination of caching and lazy loading to make the app load faster. It also does this for efficient data processing. Instead of loading all of the data at once, it loads only what’s needed.

Rails also work well with services like AWS, which provide the infrastructure needed to handle a large user base. 

Examples of SaaS Applications Built with Ruby on Rails

1. Zendesk

Zendesk uses Rails to integrate with third-party applications. Zendesk is a software company that provides a suite of tools designed to improve customer relationships and support. Think of it as a one-stop shop for businesses to manage all their customer interactions and provide excellent service. This allows businesses to connect Zendesk with their existing systems, like email and CRM software. 

Additionally, Rails has made it possible for Zendesk to quickly add new features as user needs evolve. These features include automated ticket routing, live chat, and many more.

2. Shopify

Shopify is another SaaS platform built using Ruby on Rails. Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform that provides businesses with the tools they need to create and manage their online stores.

Think of it as an all-in-one solution for selling products or services online. With Rails, Shopify can offer customizable store templates. This allowed business owners to build their storefronts while keeping the backend stable.

Besides that, with Rails’ superb framework performance, Shopify can manage huge spikes in traffic during events such as Black Friday or Christmas.

3. GitHub

GitHub is another prime example of a SaaS application built using Rails. It is a web-based platform for version control and collaboration. It’s like a central hub where developers can store, manage, and share their code. Think of it as a cloud-based filing system for software projects, with some extra bells and whistles. GitHub can handle millions of repositories without losing performance due to Rails. Also, with built-in testing tools GitHub ensures stability with every release.

Conclusion

Ruby on Rails has been around for some time now. And has enabled several businesses to shift to the SaaS world. With its great development conventions, easy learning curve, seamless integration capabilities, and top-notch security features, it allows developers to build SaaS applications on scale.