The backend is only responsible for upholding your web application or you can say it is the backbone of your digital solution. Therefore, choosing the right backend framework is a crucial decision and you should not go wrong on this. So, you should have proper awareness of the framework, that you are going to implement for your project. After all, your business goals are dependent on it.
The Tech-world is surrounded by a lot of programming languages, containing numerous web development frameworks. Therefore, it becomes challenging, to find the best which can meet your all requirements. Earlier, we have already discussed some of the top backend frameworks, but today with this blog post, we are going to have a battle of comparison between two well-known backend frameworks Ruby on Rails vs Django and we will find out the best deserving backend for your next project.
Ruby on Rails and Django, are popular web development frameworks. But still, there is a long debate going on between, Django vs Ruby on Rails. So today we will look at these two from different aspects.
Ruby on Rails vs Django – The Technical Overview
What is Ruby on Rails?
Ruby on Rails often called Rails or ROR, is an open-source MVC framework based on the programming language Ruby. It was first introduced by David Heinemeier in 2005. It is mainly used for developing server-side web applications. Many startups and companies have considered it ideal for developing prototypes and minimum viable products i.e MVP.
ROR works on major two sets of principles “Don’t Repeat Yourself” and “Convention Over Configuration”. The first one eliminates the need of doing the same code again and again, while the second one makes you free from configuring the environment, as it comes with ready-made predefined rules, which makes your code clear and portable.
Some of the companies which have used ROR in their web development are Airbnb, Ask.FM, Hulu, etc.
What is Django?
Django is an open-source general-purpose framework based on the language Python. It is the default choice for building Python applications. It is mainly used for developing robust, large-scale web apps and websites. Because of the Python base, it extends all the principles
Of Python and provides a simple and portable platform to all developers.
Like Rails, Django is not restricted to any certain coding styles, it is perfectly suitable for database-heavy applications. Django features are highly appreciated by the developers. It was designed to simplify the process of creating complex applications.
Some of the companies, which have used Django in their web development are Instagram, Spotify, and Dropbox.
Ruby on Rails vs Django – The Features
Features of Ruby on Rails
Rail’s features have taken web app development to the height of success. Features of ROR make it stand unique in the crowd and even increase developer’s productivity. Let’s have a look –
MVC Architecture
ROR is based on MVC architecture, which preserves the resource layers and separates the data and presentation layers. So, the product owners find it easier to implement.
Easy Programming Language
Ruby on Rails is concise, simple, and flexible, and having English-like syntax makes the code clear and easy to understand. You can write your commands directly into CSS, Javascript, and HTML documents. It saves time and increases efficiency.
Automatic Deployment
ROR has support for many libraries, which provides better results within the given timeframe and less effort. You just need to do a one-time setup that executes every change with a single command line.
Convention Over Configuration
Ruby on Rails is based on the principle of “Convention over Configuration” which boost productivity and enables rapid software creation maintaining all requirements.
Features of Django
Django is highly praised by developers because of its features. So let’s find out its features
Python-Based Framework
The major reason behind Django’s popularity is, it is Python-based. It’s a very simple and easy-to-use tool. It can solve your problems in any kind of operation. Currently, Python is the most popular language in the market. Therefore, this language can be used for any kind of development.
Because of Python features, Django is the most powerful and easy-to-learn framework in the market.
Versatility
We can say Django is versatile in nature because you can create anything by using this technology as per your requirements, including social media sites, e-commerce sites, financial platforms, and many other powerful sites.
High – Scalability
The system can scale if it is precise and error-free. Django has been written by experienced programmers from scratch without using any Python existing library. This makes Django ideal for anyone, who wants to make error-free sites and scale high in a bigger environment
SEO optimized
This is the most amazing feature of Django, which makes it stand out over others. SEO(Search engine optimizations) is able to increase organic traffic to your site, by ranking your site on search engine top results. Therefore websites made with Django are SEO-friendly because it maintains the website through URLs rather than IP address on the server. It makes it easy for the SEO engineers to add it to the server.
If you want to know more about SEO, and how to gain organic traffic from it, then refer to this article – SEO tips to increase traffic to your site
Ruby on Rails vs Django – Key Statistics
Ruby on Rails Usage Statistics
Although it is said that the market of Ruby on Rails is over, today we will show you some market usage statistics of ROR and will prove this claim wrong. So keep reading further.
- As per the current report of BuiltWith, 1,093,214 are current customers of Rails and approx of now 10,77,359 have used ROR on their websites.
- The Ruby on Rails community has 21k Forked projects and 50.6k GitHub Stars.
- Majority of its customers belong to the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany Moreover, Ruby is 20th in the most popular programming languages list in 2022.
Django Usage Statistics
Django is a high-level Python-based framework, mainly designed for rapid development. Like Ruby, it is also not behind in the race of market usage statistics, just look at the below matrices.
- According to the latest report of Webtech survey, currently, there are 91,256 websites, which are using Django live and it is the most popular in the United States.
- As per the same Webtechsurvey, It has secured the 13th market position in the web application framework.
- The Django community has 27.8k Forked Projects and 66.2k GitHub Stars. Moreover, it is the 9th most commonly used web technology by business owners.
Ruby on Rails vs Django – Advantages and Disadvantages
Like other technologies, both of them are not completely perfect. They also have some benefits and drawbacks. So here we are with the pros and cons of Django and Rails
Pros of Ruby on Rails
Cost-Effective
Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework, which means, you don’t have to pay for its structure. Even it allows you to include methods without implementing other concepts, which saves time and minimizes the development cost. It enables you to develop your business application within the time frame and budget.
Clear App Code
Rails works on certain principles, which make the code clear, simple, and unambiguous in structure. It makes the app code effective with fewer bugs. That’s why developer finds it easy to implement and construct the application in a given time period.
Security
Security is the utmost factor to keep in mind while developing any business application because poor security can incur huge losses. But with ROR, you can keep this concern aside, as its inbuilt security mechanism protect your application from various vulnerabilities and security threats. It works as a safeguard for your business.
Speedy Application Development
ROR consists of different modules and an efficient package management system, which helps to wrap up the complex application in a matter of minutes.
Its expressive and concise nature and access to several open-source libraries help in the rapid application development with time.
Industry Standards
Rails prioritize high-quality standards and best web development practices. Its DRY and COC principles make the code clear and manageable for building apps. Moreover, it relies on MVC principles, which can easily enhance the extensibility of your web apps. So you can extend your web apps with new features.
Cons of Ruby on Rails
Slow Performance and Run time Speed
The slow runtime speed of this framework makes it harder for businesses to scale. But a skilled engineering team can solve this issue and database architecture. So hire best Ruby on Rails developers, who can overcome these issues for your project.
Opinionated, not flexible
Ruby consists of a lot of hard dependencies and modules, but still not flexible. If developers are ok with the default modules, they can configure routing, migrations, and other default modules. But, when you want to create something unique, then ROR won’t be a good option as it doesn’t offer a lot of creativity.
Moreover, it often updates its technologies, so developers have to always stay updated.
Structural Deficiencies can’t be fixed easily
Ruby is an open-source framework and its components are tightly coupled and dependent on each other. So any wrong architectural decision might take you to big problems.
Pros of Django
Batteries – Included
The first feature of Django is it contains battery-included features. Instead of writing the code, you can implement its ready-made features for adding functionalities. It saves a high amount of time for developers so that developers can focus on other aspects.
Furthermore, it contains packages for every panel such as auth package for authentication, an admin package for admin, a Session package for managing Sessions, and so on. Developers just have to import these packages and start building these applications in no time.
Python-based
Django is written in Python, which is one of the most flexible languages of today. Python makes it a more efficient framework for backend development, which makes Django suitable for any kind of server-side development.
Flexible Framework
Unlike ROR, Django doesn’t work on special mechanisms, which provides developers the freedom to code. It is a versatile framework of Python, that offers flexibility and dynamism to developers. Its dynamic nature allows the developers to configure the framework as per their business needs and preferences.
Faster Development
The major benefit of Django is that it provides faster application development. Enterprises and startups use it to develop quick MVPs and time to market the product.
The framework architecture and configurations are designed in such a way, that it allows using multiple components at once, which enables rapid development. Developers can work parallelly without losing speed.
Cons of Django
Not Ideal for Small-Size Projects
Django contains numerous codes, which can increase the processing time on the server, which is problematic for small-size projects. Even this framework can confuse developers with its unique functionalities.
Monolithic Framework
Because of the “batteries included” feature, it is a monolithic framework, as it contains numerous dependencies, which becomes difficult to use. Django doesn’t encourage developers to learn Python tools and dependencies. Instead, it focussed more and more on code-oriented programming.
Multiple Request Issues
Unlike other frameworks, Django fails to handle multiple issues simultaneously. Request for individual process takes time to fulfilled each request. In this way, it affects the speedy development process. The reason that it doesn’t support multiple requests is, it encourages the Django developers to explore each requested process and make decisions.
Ruby on Rails vs Django – The Common Similarities
Both Django and ROR are designed for server-side development. Both are open-source and complement each other in top-class performance. Though both have different functionalities and features, they share some similarities in various aspects. A few of them are below.
Communities
Community is the strong support for any web development framework. Both Django and Rails have vast active communities for their respective languages. They are always ready to help detect bugs, unusual app behavior, and other issues.
Languages Version Management
You can run multiple projects simultaneously in both Django and Rails with environment control. In spite of being singular languages, Python and Ruby both have different versions of themselves. Both of them can offer multiple versions manager, which saves the bustle of version control. Ruby has rvm and rbenv whereas Python has pyenv for version control.
Extensive Set of Libraries
Ruby on Rails and Django both offer a comprehensive set of libraries. ROR offers a library called “gem” which speeds up the development process and improves app functionality while Django offers easy-to-import third-party libraries, with free packages for an extension.
Comparison Chart for Ruby on Rails and Django
| Parameter | Ruby on Rails | Django |
| Languages | Ruby on Rails is written in language Ruby | Django is Python language-based framework |
| Architectural Pattern | It follows the MVC architecture i.e. Model, View, and Controller | It is based on MVT architecture, i.e Model, View, and Template |
| Performance | Due to MVC architecture, ROR is having high-performance, which makes it faster than Django | Compare to Rails. Django is 0.7% slower, affecting an application’s performance |
| Use cases | It can be used for web app development, custom app development as well as E-commerce, and CMS | It is highly preferable in domains like AI, ML, and Data Science |
| Stability | ROR can maintain stability as it allows the developers to reuse the code and eliminate dependencies. | To solve any problems, Django follows a conventional approach, and thus provides stability. |
| Scalability | Ruby has better scalability in terms of attributes like freedom and code flexibility | Django inherits Python’s scalability, but still it lags behind ROR |
| Current Live websites | ROR has currently 1,093,214 live websites serving worldwide | Django has currently 91,256 live websites serving worldwide |
| Developers Cost | The rates of ROR developers vary from $15 to $50 per hour | The rates of Django developers vary from $60 – $80 per hour, which is quite expensive than Ruby |
Ruby on Rails vs Django – Which Framework to Choose and When?
Indeed, both frameworks are the best backend developing tools and giving head to head competition to each other. But there are some areas, where they suppress each other
For instance, if you are thinking of a quick launch of a website or web app, then later work on its details, Ruby on Rail is the best choice. Because it possesses automation and shortcut features, which makes it easier to add complex features to the application.
Use Ruby on Rails, if your project requires –
- Safe and Secure E-commerce web applications
- Easily scalable websites, which need real-time updates
- Rapid MVP development
- Secure Payment Integration
- Quick Prototypes
Use Django if your project requires –
- For Handling Huge Databases
- Want to work with Large Development Team
- Modern web apps with ML and AI features
- Want to integrate Chatbot Systems
- High-security websites
Comparison of Ruby on Rails vs Django in terms of Various Aspects
Learning Curve
ROR has a tricky learning curve, as it contains independent content. While Django has an easy learning curve because of Python, is one of the easy-to-use and most understandable languages. It offers a simple syntax for web development.
Both frameworks have enough free online and offline resources which make the development process more manageable by solving issues, that might occur during the development process.
So in terms of the Learning Curve, Django wins because of Python, it brings readability, adaptability, and simplicity.
Performance and Speed
Comparing performance and speed between Django and Ruby on Rails, ROR is found to be 0.7% faster than Django. As it has the benefit of amazing libraries and plugins, which significantly increases the speed and makes performance better.
While Django also equally increases the speed and it’s not a bad choice for web development. The rest framework of Django delivers amenities in form of authentication modules. Therefore both are good choices for developing applications.
But still here, in terms of Performance and speed, Ruby is the winner, because it is 0.7% faster.
Popularity
When talking about the Popularity of Django vs Ruby on Rails, Django is the more popular framework. As it is Python based, which is the world’s 2nd most programming language.ROR is preferred for building scalable and robust web apps.
Hence in terms of popularity, Django wins the race.
User Interface
While comparing Django vs Rails, on the basis of a user interface, both of them are absolute winners. Because ROR and Django are designed to offer a high level of user experience to web applications. This framework allows every software development company to construct highly functional websites with faultless plugins and add-ons.
So, in terms of User Interface, there is a tie between both
Security
Security is an essential part of any website, which matters a lot. Django has gained the feature of Python. In fact, NASA – One of the leading Space Research Organisations, uses the Django framework, which is enough to identify how secure it is. Django contains middleware, while Rail is backed with active records.
Django contains tools, which can protect your Django application from various factors like SQL injection, Cross Site scripting, and so on. While Ruby also provides reliable security options, and it can be trusted for security purposes.
Here, in terms of Security, both are good
Final Thoughts – What for Backend Ruby on Rails or Django?
If you are thinking to build large-scale web apps, which require scalability, then you should go with ROR, as it is tremendous in terms of scalability and even able to bring your product faster to the market. And, if you planning to build high-detailed apps and don’t want out-of-the-box functionalities, then Django is the best option.
Moreover, both frameworks are different in their own way. Both have their own benefits and drawbacks. So before considering, make sure you study your project requirements and goals and determine the type of application you are planning to build.
If you want to choose the best development partner, who can assist you with rich functionality and can build you market-ready digital solutions.
Then contact UPSQODE – we are the leading web development company, having years of experience in these technologies, and will help you to build a perfect digital solution for your business
FAQ
Is Ruby on Rails easier than Django?
If we compare the two frameworks, ROR, and Django. Django is quite easier and has an easy learning curve. With some basic concepts of Python, you can easily learn Django. While ROR is flexible too, having independent content, and studying all can be a little bit difficult.
Is Ruby on Rails better than Django?
Both of them give hard competition to each other in terms of speed, scalability, flexibility, performance, and security. Therefore it is hard to consider the better one. They both efficiently perform different tasks. So you can use any of these as per your project requirements.
Is Django Faster than Ruby?
According to the report, Ruby is 0.7% faster than Django, because of its amazing plugins and libraries which improve the speed and overall performance.
Django or Ruby on Rails, which is better for complex web apps?
Both of them are highly suitable for complex heavy-weight web apps. As both offers flexibility and scalability. But ROR offers rapid development and more scalability as compared to Django.
Which Web Framework has a promising future, Django or ROR?
As per the latest survey, it has been found that 7.95% of developers have preferred Django over ROR. So, definitely Django has a promising future.
Is Ruby on Rails a dying language?
No, ROR is still alive and best for developing business web applications.
Do companies still use Ruby on Rails?
Some big companies like Airbnb, Hulu, Shopify, Fiver, Groupon, Goodreads, etc have added ROR to their technology stack. Moreover, it offers strong backend services to enterprise and consumer-centric solutions.