Ruby on Rails vs. React: Finding the Perfect Fit for Your Web Development Project

Choosing between Ruby on Rails and React for your web development project is more than just a technical decision. It’s about finding the right fit for your team’s dynamics and your project's goals. Let’s dive into what each technology can offer, how they differ and overlap, and why combining React within a Rails application might be the sweet spot, especially for smaller teams.

What is Ruby on Rails? What is React?

Ruby on Rails, affectionately called Rails, is a comprehensive server-side framework that helps you handle everything from databases to server logic and beyond. It's built on Ruby and comes with a set of conventions that guide you in structuring your application, making it faster and easier to get your app up and running.

React, developed by Facebook, is all about building seamless user interfaces. It’s a JavaScript library that lets you create reusable UI components. React is particularly great for developing single-page applications that need quick, interactive elements that can update without a page reload.

Rails vs React: What each one is responsible for

Rails is a one-stop-shop for web applications, equipped with tools to manage both the front and back ends of your website. It’s particularly famed for speeding up development times thanks to a vast ecosystem of Gems—little plugins that add extra functionality without extra coding.

React focuses on the user interface. It uses a virtual DOM to update user views efficiently, making it ideal for interactive features in web applications.

Rails vs React: Key differences (and where they work well together)

The main difference between Rails and React lies in their operational scopes: Rails is a full-stack framework, while React is a front-end library. This means Rails handles everything from rendering pages to database management, whereas React primarily manages what the user sees and interacts with.

A key similarity is their developer-friendly nature. Both Rails and React aim to streamline development—Rails through its conventions and React with its component-based architecture.

Two common ways to use React with Rails

There are two ways React and Rails are commonly used together:

1. Rails as a Backend API + React as a Frontend (the separate approach)

In this setup, Rails serves as the backbone, managing all the server-side logic and database interactions. React livens up the frontend, talking to the Rails backend through APIs. This separation can lead to more scalable and flexible applications. Choose this when you need a true separate frontend application, independent deploys, or multiple clients sharing one API.

2. React Within a Rails App (the integrated approach)

Sometimes you don’t need a full-blown SPA (Single Page Application). React can be sprinkled within a Rails application wherever you need that extra interactivity, like in forms or dynamic parts of your page, without fully committing to a separate frontend framework. Choose this when your Rails app is the product, and you just need a few high-interaction areas without adopting a full SPA.

Pros and cons: Separate React app vs React inside Rails

Pros of a Separate Approach

• Scalability: Separate repositories for frontend and backend allow each part to scale independently, accommodating more complex applications.
• Focused expertise: Developers can specialize in either frontend or backend, potentially increasing the quality of development in each area.

Cons of a Separate Approach:

• Increased complexity: Managing two separate codebases and deployment processes can complicate the development cycle.
• Coordination challenges: Ensuring that the frontend and backend work smoothly together requires meticulous coordination and testing.

Pros of an Integrated Approach:

• Simplified management: Keeping both frontend and backend in one repository makes it easier to manage changes and deployments.
• Unified development cycle: Developers can work more collaboratively and efficiently, with less overhead from juggling two separate projects.

Cons of an Integrated Approach:

• Potential for bloat: Combining everything in one app can lead to a bloated codebase if not managed carefully.
• Limited flexibility: As your application grows, it might become necessary to decouple the frontend and backend to scale efficiently.

Our recommendation for small teams maintaining a Rails app

For small teams (think 2-3 people), the integrated approach of using React within Rails is likely your best bet. It cuts down on the overhead of managing multiple repositories and deployment processes, letting you focus on building out features rather than on maintaining multiple codebases. As your team and project grow, you might consider splitting the frontend and backend—but until then, keep it simple and streamlined. This approach has worked for us, allowing for quicker iterations and a smoother development process without the slowdowns caused by over-optimizing too early.

If you have a Rails app that already has React in the mix, we can help you steady the code, make changes safely, and keep shipping. That is what a second act looks like: building on what works, and making the next chapter easier to write.