What to Choose for a Startup: Ruby on Rails vs Node.js?
Leobit, Ruby on Rails development company, asked leading experts to answer several important questions. For which startups is it better to choose Ruby on Rails, for which Node.js? What are the strengths of ruby on rails? What are the strengths of nodejs? Where is the higher cost of Ruby on Rails or Node.js development?
Katherine Brown, CEO, and VP of marketing, IT expert
Startups that require a fast delivery process from initial idea to users, money & time savings, and a framework that is suitable for all businesses can opt for Ruby on Rails. While the startups that require simple deploying, monitoring, support providing and faster page loading time can choose Node.js. Moreover, Node.js has client & server-side language same, with powerful underlying libraries.
The strengths of ROR(Ruby on Rails) include lesser code, easy deployments & migrations, cost-effectiveness, time-efficient, higher performance time, and huge active community.
The strengths of Node.js include easy scalability, super flexible and outstanding page loading time.
Ruby is a dynamic programming language and ROR is an open-source technology which means there is no license cost. Even Ruby has a fast and Robust framework, good developers in this language are hard to find which makes them expensive. With its faster development time, this cost is much lesser than the development costs in other languages.
Complex features & functionalities, level of security, integration with third-party services, and maintenance & support needs are the several factors that result in the higher development cost for Node.js.
David Copeland, IT expert
Most Startups should be using Rails. Using Node requires a lot more technical decisions to be made, more libraries to be chosen an evaluated, and more work done to get a working system. Node does a tiny fraction of what Rails does, so they are not compatible.
The JavaScript ecosystem is also far less mature than Rails and has a problematic security model that is very difficult to manage. Put simply, everything will take longer with Node and the team will spend more time making decisions that aren’t relevant to the business.
John Boese, IT expert
The decision is easy. Great developers don’t want to work on a tech stack that hit its peak in 2011. Sure, you can build a decent MVP or SaaS platform on Ruby on Rails. But who wants to work on that? The best devs want to learn the latest tech and consistently improve their skillset. Node.js will attract them, Ruby on Rails will not. It’s that simple.
Cindy Corpis, IT expert
Node.js is my top choice. It isn’t a question of which tool is better and which is worse. The most popular server-side technologies are Ruby on Rails and Node.js. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Ruby on Rails, on the other hand, is not a good choice for new developers, especially if they wish to create complicated programs. Then this technology can cause a slew of issues in terms of application maintenance, safety, and dependability. Node.js, on the other hand, offers simple and flexible tools for building APIs. Node.js is built on Google’s V8, which is one of the fastest engines.
This, along with the ability to develop high-speed asynchronous code, is regarded as a true game-changer. Ruby on Rails, on the other hand, is ideal for building on a small budget and meeting a tight deadline. It doesn’t take long to locate a decent RoR developer because the community is so large. Node.js, in my experience, has a significantly greater development cost.
Yana Trihub, IT expert
Ruby on Rails is an open-source software used to build web applications. Rails is a framework used to create websites using the programming language Ruby. Node.js is a platform built on Chrome’s JavaScript runtime for easily building fast network applications.
The startups which use Ruby on Rails are Airbnb, Crunchbase, Dribble.com, Bloomberg and SlideShare. The startups which use Node.js are LinkedIn, Netflix, Uber, eBay, PayPal and Walmart.
Strengths of Ruby on Rails:
• Cost-effective- It’s easy to create and maintain the website without spending a lot of money to ensure greater quality performance.
• Easy to manage changes- Ruby on Rails makes it easy to modify existing code or add new features to the site.
• Flexibility- Web applications use frontend and backend capabilities of Rails, which are simpler and easier to create.
Strengths of Node.js:
• It uses JavaScript, which is easy to learn.
• It keeps things simple, with no necessity to switch between backend and frontend.
• It allows you to stream big files.
Cost:
The average Ruby on Rails developer rate is around $81–100 per hour. The average Node.js developer rates are around $25–50 per hour.
Lynda Farley, IT expert
From my experience, I believe that there is no correct answer to this question. It can depend on the person or company in question, but in general, I’d say that Node.js developers are better equipped for development jobs than their Rails counterparts, mainly due to its speed. By the way, I have used both frameworks, and I have developed a few apps using Rails and a few using Node.js. I am not going to tell you which one is better.
But instead, I’m going to give you my personal opinion on the matter. I think that perhaps beginners who are just learning how the web works might find Node more appealing because it uses JavaScript (not Ruby or any other esoteric language). Whereas for Rails, it’s Ruby. Mind you, I’m not saying that Node uses wrong concepts or anything like that, but I do think that JavaScript is a more accessible language than Ruby.
However, I do not believe in the myth that Node.js (or any other technology) has the power to create any web app instantly. In my view, beginners should learn the fundamentals and principles of programming and learn how to speak to databases using SQL before even thinking about using Node.
Eden Cheng, IT expert
It is often a complicated choice when it comes to picking between these two for your startup. After all the popularity of Node.js cannot be denied with a sizable community to show for it than Ruby. Moreover, it is an extremely popular choice among startups because it is easy to learn with fewer dependencies, easy to monitor, deploy and support, and it also ensures that page load speed is faster across the site. On the other hand, Ruby on Rails is also a solid choice, as it is flexible, easily portable to any platform, provides easy functions and manipulations, very consistent in structure and methodology, and also caters for a vibrant community to boot.
However, despite the fact that these technologies are somewhat equal, there’s no denying that Node.js is the faster performer between the two and it is also scalable enough to grow along with an app as it gets improved. It is also highly reliable, more versatile, can be run anywhere, and offers easy integration with JS Stacks. In short, when it comes to startups, RoR is the less ideal framework because it isn’t the best for creating software with interactive functionality or complex business logic. Naturally, many startups often end up choosing node.js, as it is usually the better fit for mobile apps, chat apps, or any apps that use rest services as a backend.
Stephen Curry, IT expert
Ruby on Rails and Node.js are both platforms that cater to companies in different ways. Ruby on rails focuses on frameworks, while Node.js is an application that focuses on writing. As a business owner, identifying which platform is better to use for the company may take time. But, you can easily identify with basic information about the two platforms.
Ruby on Rails is a cost-efficient programming web application. This is best for startups that have limited time and money.
On the other hand, Node.js is a more advanced platform where developers can debug and test codes for their domain. This is best for startup companies that have more experienced web developers and big budgets.
Ruby on Rails has a great community and a stable position in the market which serves as its advantage.
Meanwhile, Node.js has great flexibility and speed in scales.
Choosing between the two depends on which fits your company better. However, Ruby on Rails is already a popular programming web application and is known for its design and higher code quality.You can make some changes from my insights if I can’t make you satisfied.
Eric McGee, IT expert
Your start-up’s business model will determine whether Ruby on Rails or Node.js is the best tech stack for your company. If you want some flexibility in how you build your app, and you do not mind writing some code in exchange, then you should go for Node.js. Ruby on Rails is not as flexible, and you will be required to build your app in a particular way. If you do not mind the inflexibility, and want to build the app faster and at a lower cost, then Ruby on Rails is the way to go.
Major strengths of Ruby on Rails is that developing an application with this language is faster, and more affordable. This translates to faster time to market for the application you are developing.
With Node.js, you get flexibility when it comes to building the app, and a smaller learning curve for the developers. A smaller learning curve means this language is easier to understand and work with for the developers. Depending on the market, finding an experienced Node.js developer is generally much easier than finding one for Ruby on Rails.
Usually, the higher development costs will fall on Node.js because it tends to be more time consuming to develop an app using this language.
