Ruby on Rails vs. Python/Django: Technology Insights and Comparisons

Ruby on Rails (RoR) and Django stand as the backbone of web development for countless businesses, heralded among the most popular back-end technologies in the market. In particular, there are currently 439,443 websites built with Ruby on Rails and 83,971 websites created with Django, Python’s most rapidly-developing web development framework. 

Today we will share some knowledge from the industry’s leading technology specialists to help you understand the ins and outs of both back-end development technologies and choose the one that fits your project. 

In this article, you will get invaluable technology insights on software development with Ruby on Rails and Django, ultimate comparisons of both technologies, and use cases for both solutions from our seasoned back-end developers. 

Ruby on Rails (RoR) is a framework based on Ruby, an interpreted high-level, general purpose programming language. First released in 2004, RoR provides a variety of ready-made solutions for fast and straightforward web development. Ruby on Rails is primarily used for building web applications and proves to be one of the most popular back-end frameworks for web development. 

As a fully-fledged technology, RoR offers strong MVC (module-view-controller) approaches and conventions that cover almost the full cycle of web development and drastically decrease the complexity of web applications. Such features as the object-relational mapping (ORM) system, mailers, a canonical way to deal with HTTP request/response cycle, and front-end development functionality, make web development with Rails much faster and simpler. 

Ruby on Rails continuously evolves with releases occurring on a rolling basis. The latest version of Ruby on Rails is RoR 7, while the Rails creator, David Heinmeier Hanson has announced the release of Rails 8 in 2024. 

Some of the most notable apps built with Ruby on Rails include Twitter, GitHub, Airbnb, Kickstarter, Etsy, etc. 

First introduced in 1991, Python, an interpreted high-level, general-purpose programming language, has become one of the leading back-end development technologies. Meanwhile, Django is the most popular framework for Python development. Since its release in 2003, Django has grown a complete ecosystem of tools, libraries for web development and other use cases. Its essential features are top-notch user authentication scripts, URL routing, and support for various machine learning (ML)-driven models. New Django feature releases occur roughly each 8 months, while the latest big release of the framework is Django 5.0.

With its ORM system, QuerySet API, and accessible Pythonic syntax, Django simplifies the development of SQL queries, which is an essential factor for building database-driven web applications. 

Some of the world’s most popular global apps built with Django are Instagram, Spotify, Disqus, and Dropbox. 

Now, let’s compare the two technologies by their most critical business-related parameters.

Ruby on Rails is a perfect choice for cost-efficient web development. This framework allows developers to implement a domain-driven design so that there is an opportunity to minimize the use of cloud resources, keeping the price for cloud services low. A clear division of domains also makes RoR a perfect solution for building microservices applications that can be quickly scaled up and down in a very cost-efficient way. 

In addition, a typical RoR project doesn’t require you to hire a big development team. Many RoR specialists work as full-stack developers capable of handling both back-end and front-end tasks, especially on projects involving off-the-shelf cloud platforms, such as Heroku and Render, and custom solutions with SSH server connections or built with Kubernetes and Terraform. Finally, the rates of RoR developers are rather moderate, ranging from $74,593 to $93,044 per year in the U.S. 

The Python/Django combination also has a range of benefits enhancing cost-efficient development. A variety of open-source tools and services, as well as a built-in admin panel, contribute to rapid and convenient software development, thereby assisting developers in maintaining moderate project costs. 

Python is also a great programming language for setting up server-side connections in short terms, keeping the cost of the project lower. Meanwhile, the salaries for Python/Django developers are rather high, ranging from $94,303 to $120,950 per year in the U.S. 

Summary: The Python/Django combination has numerous features allowing the development team to reduce the cost of the project. However, overall, RoR could be a more budget-friendly option than Django. 

Ruby on Rails embraces a Convention over Configuration approach, where most RoR tools and libraries are pre-configured. Many off-the-shelf solutions can be used for solving the most complex development tasks in the shortest terms possible, and there is always an opportunity to quickly customize an existing library to very specific development needs. This feature boosts app development speed dramatically and improves the overall code quality. 

Django offers high-level abstractions for common web development tasks, such as database interactions, URL routing, and form handling. These abstractions allow developers to focus on the application’s logic rather than configuring low-level implementation details. Also, a built-in admin panel significantly boosts the speed of developing apps with Python or Django. Meanwhile, the absence of a rigid architectural structure might slow down the development speed when the project grows.

Summary: Ruby on Rails proves to be a slightly better solution for fast development than Python/Django. Mostly, because of a more straightforward app architecture design to which this solution is appropriated. 

With its vast collection of libraries and plugins, as well as the Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation, Ruby on Rails is a high-performing software development framework. Despite being an interpreted programming language, Ruby improves its runtime performance with each new update. Other notable features boosting the performance of applications built with RoR are the efficiency of database interactions and effective caching mechanics. 

Just like Ruby, Python is an interpreted language, and similarly to Ruby, Python uses the Just-In-Time (JIT), which improves its runtime performance. Besides, the speed of Django apps can be dramatically boosted with the right approach to architecture design and third-party integrations. 

Summary: It might be challenging to give a definite asnwer in terms of the Ruby vs Python performance comparison. Meanwhile, the RoR ecosystem allows the developers to keep high performance by just keeping conventions, without increasing the code complexity. There are approaches allowing software engineers to boost the performance of Django apps to the same level, but they require more manual configuration. 

Ruby on Rails is known for its relatively gentle learning curve. It doesn’t require a significant entry-level and needs a moderate amount of code to make a solution run. In addition, RoR offers a great range of tools and best practices that make its code accessible to specialists with limited experience in software development. 

The Python-Django combination also has a relatively gentle curve due to Python’s readable syntax and Django’s high-level abstractions. Beginners can quickly grasp fundamental concepts, and the framework’s built-in features streamline common development challenges. As complexity grows, mastering advanced Django features and integrating best practices may require more time and experience.

Summary: Both RoR and Django are developer-friendly web development frameworks. That’s why this round of the Django vs Ruby on Rails comparison ends in a tie. 

RoR offers a variety of security-oriented features. For example, it provides parameterized queries, secure session management, and protection against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) by default. With these and other parameters, RoR proves to be a completely secure back-end development framework. 

Django is also an efficient solution for building fortified web apps. In particular, it includes built-in protections against common vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and clickjacking. Django’s middleware and security-related settings aim to provide a solid foundation for secure web development.

Summary: Both solutions offer different sets of security-oriented features. The best security practices make software development with both RoR and Python/Django completely secure, so we have a tie in this round. 

RoR is primarily aimed at building straightforward web applications. However, the framework offers a variety of scalability features while coding with RoR is very flexible. Also, RoR is a perfect option for implementing quick updates in real time, and the flexible design of this framework makes it a great option for ongoing development. 

The Python/Django combination provides efficient query optimization, caching, and horizontal scaling, enhancing app scalability. Besides, Python is a quite flexible programming language, which means that Django apps can be conveniently adjusted to the changing requirements and updates.  

Summary: The Python/Django combination is a good choice in terms of app scalability and flexibility, but RoR is, arguably, one of the best back-end solutions in these regards. 

Ruby on Rails was originally developed to build traditional web applications. However, over time, it evolved to support API development. Since the Version 5, Rails has included an API mode designed specifically for building APIs. The framework also follows RESTful conventions, which also makes API development with RoR more convenient. In addition, Rails supports GraphQL API and AMQP API communication.  

Django is widely used for platforms with complex API architecture that rely on data from third parties. The RESTful framework adds a lot to API’s functionality and convenience, as it covers the authentication modules, JSON serializers/deserializers, API routing, and documentation. It also supports GraphQL API and AMQP communication. 

Summary: As for now, both frameworks have relatively similar approaches to API integration, but the Python/Django combination can slightly outperform RoR in this regard. 

While Rails may not be directly suited for cross-platform development in the same way as some other frameworks, you can leverage various tools and approaches to achieve cross-platform compatibility in certain scenarios. In particular, you can use specific APIs, like Grape or Rails API, to ensure Rails’ compatibility with mobile or apply RoR in combination with Flutter. There is also an opportunity to use the Turbo library to implement a Hybrid Web View application for both Android and iOS. 

Django, being a web framework for Python, is primarily used for web development, but certain approaches allow for cross-platform capabilities in conjunction with other technologies. In addition, there is an opportunity to use Django in combination with a framework for building cross-platform desktop apps, for instance, Electron. 

Summary: Both RoR and Python/Django support cross-platform development; however, they both are best suited for web development. That’s why we ended this round in a tie. 

Ruby on Rails (RoR) applications are highly compatible with cloud platforms. Many businesses deploy their RoR applications to various cloud services, including AWS, Azure, and GCP. It is also worth mentioning Heroku, a cloud platform that simplifies the deployment process for Ruby on Rails applications.

Python and Django are also compatible with various cloud platforms, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP. Django’s modular design, as well as containerization options, allow developers to manage Python/Django solutions in cloud environments conveniently. 

Summary: Both RoR and Python/Django run well with cloud services, and it is challenging to find a winner. So, we will end this in a tie. 

So, here is a table summarizing our Ruby on Rails vs. Django comparison. 

Both RoR and Python/Django have their ideal use cases that are outlined below.

Building straightforward web apps

Ruby software development with its convention over configuration approach, providing default structures and conventions that simplify common tasks. By emphasizing DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principles and rapid prototyping capabilities, RoR enables developers to build robust web applications with different architectural approaches, including containerization or microservices architecture. 

Scalable websites with quick data updates

RoR is a perfect fit for real-time updates, which makes it a great solution for highly-dynamic web applications. Ruby on Rails is widely used for building e-commerce marketplaces or dynamic listings. As long as RoR offers great scalability options, it allows businesses to quickly scale their platforms up or down on demand. 

App prototypes or MVPs

As has been already mentioned, Ruby on Rails is an excellent solution for rapid web development. Teams using this technology can apply it to build an app prototype or MVP (minimum viable product) in short terms and further work on details. It is an excellent choice for building applications that evolve over time through the addition of custom functionality. 

Projects that require rapid development

Accessible code, an excellent ecosystem of supporting tools, code flexibility make RoR an excellent solution for projects with tight deadlines. Also, Ruby on Rails perfectly fits the development of microservices architecture, which facilitates rapid software development. 

Advanced web apps with AI/ML scripts

The Python/Django combination perfectly fits the development of highly-detailed apps involving complex custom scripts. In particular, the Python ecosystem runs with a variety of libraries specifically designed for AI and machine learning tasks, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and Keras. 

Apps involving complex mathematical programming

Django’s rich potential in terms of AI integration and integrating third-party solutions and scripts through the diverse APIs makes it a great choice for projects that require deep analysis, scientific programming and the use of profound math knowledge.

Projects involving Big Data

Django is an excellent choice for projects dealing with vast and complex databases. For example, Django simplifies database interactions by abstracting the database schema into Python objects. This makes Django an excellent solution for projects involving Big Data and in-depth analytics. 

Both Python/Django and Ruby on Rails are great back-end frameworks that fit a wide range of web development projects. Meanwhile, due to its scalability, rapid development features, and cost-efficiency, Ruby on Rails proves to be a better solution for fast and straightforward web development projects or building the prototypes of apps that should evolve over time. Meanwhile, Django is a great match for developing web solutions where libraries wrap sophisticated algorithms, often involving complex mathematical calculations and AI/ML components. 

In most cases, especially the ones that don’t require complex AI scripts and prioritize convention over configuration, RoR will go as a perfect option. 

Leobit can help you harness the potential of Ruby on Rails, as we have a solid portfolio of projects involving this technology. For example, our team used RoR to help a healthcare company optimize its practice management platform by redesigning its legacy architecture and enhancing its functionality with various features, such as automation for patient intake, messaging, and billing and video telehealth consulting features. Leobit, a company recognized by Clutch as Top Ruby on Rails Developers in 2023, harnesses exceptional expertise in developing apps with RoR. We can deliver a solution in short terms while providing all the functionality you need. Contact us to discuss your needs and start working on your web application with the most suitable technology stack.