Ruby on Rails vs Javascript: Which is Better?

Ruby and Javascript are both well-known languages for developing web applications. If you are a web developer or interested in web development, you might be confused between Ruby on Rails vs JavaScript. Which one do you think will be more suitable to use. Therefore, we present a complete comparison between Ruby on Rails and JavaScript.

We’ll look at various comparison metrics and determine which one is superior. Before comparing Ruby on Rails and Javascript, we will look at a brief review of both languages.

What is Ruby on Rails?

Ruby on Rails is a framework for developing web applications written in Ruby the language. Firstly released in 2004 by David Heinemeier Hansson, the framework gained popularity and acclaim in 2006, when Apple released it with Mac OS X “Leopard”.

Developers love working with this framework because the developers love working with this framework because of the high speed of app development it provides. It has many unique capabilities, including seamless database table creations, migrations, and scaffolding of views. In the case of Ruby on Rails, it can take advantage of CoC (convention over configuration), DRY (don’t repeat yourself), and Active Record Pattern. If you are wondering about the potential of this framework, check out our article about Ruby on Rails for more impressive facts!

What is JavaScript?

JavaScript is a programming language. JavaScript is thought to be among the most fundamental technology of the WWW. It is a crucial component of web applications used to create client-side websites. Additionally, many web browsers use a specific JavaScript engine for execution. JavaScript appeared 25 years ago, and its creator parent is Brendan Eich. Since that time, the language has gained popularity in web development.

Why do people use JavaScript regularly, and why is its name widely known to anyone interested in technology? That is because of its high performance and functionality—such as curly bracket syntax, dynamic typing, prototype-based object orientation, and the first class of functions.

JavaScript is used similarly to HTML and CSS; however, it is replaced with Node.js as a back-end. We must concentrate on Node.js, which is the Node.js language that is based on the JavaScript engine. It is often compared to Ruby on Rails due to the similarity of features between these two web giants with back-ends. Follow this link to read a piece of thorough information about the language to discern which one is better to select.

Main Pros and Cons of Both Technologies

Every technology used in development has advantages and disadvantages that could be harmful to a specific selection. We want to outline Ruby vs JavaScript aspects to help you think about which you prefer for your needs. So take to look at the advantages and disadvantages of both software.

Why Are They Compared?

The development of Websites is on the rise today because every aspect of our lives is supported by technology. Just imagine: there are about 200 million active websites on the internet, and the number is overgrowing. Both tools are used extensively for web development. However, the issue is that Ruby on Rails vs JavaScript can meet your needs.

Look at the table called TL;DR to get a brief review of Ruby on Rails vs JavaScript tools for development that can help users make the best choice with minimal effort and time.

Speed of Coding

The tools for development are extensively utilized in the world of programming. However, it is essential to remember that the modern framework RoR is used to build the back-end. The well-known traditional language JavaScript is used for front-end development.

Ruby on Rails uses various modern IT tools because of its high speed and ease of code delivery. It has extensive libraries that greatly aid the process of development. The programmer can solve the issue that arises that they believe is most suitable.

JavaScript coders face various issues posed by the additional functions of the language, including syntax, event queues operators, and HTTP requests. It has an asynchronous nature that allows the execution of the code at once. There is often no simple solution to an issue, and programmers must achieve their goals by making many attempts.

Performance

Performance of the framework or language is vital to the success of a project.

JavaScript is utilized both on the server and client-side it is an event-driven and single-threaded model. JavaScript is ideal for creating low-latency applications because you do not have to wait to complete functions.

Ruby on Rails does not fully support asynchronous code and has a slow CPU processing time. Moreover, developers should have the necessary experience to attain high concurrency levels. The framework is fully interpreted at runtime, making RoR less effective than the JS.

Documentation

You can get familiar with Ruby on Rails documentation and discover the many valuable features it recommends for developers. Visit this link for more information. JavaScript documentation is highly sophisticated and requires an experienced developer’s experience to understand this language.

We can conclude that experienced and novice designers can use both tools. However, not proficient developers will need more excellent time, effort, and dedication to become proficient in the framework or language.

Popularity

To get the entire picture, we have to provide facts regarding both tools’ popularity. To thoroughly comprehend the most popular trends, you should use Google Trends, which shows the undisputed popularity of JavaScript vs Ruby on Rails. Users have a keen interest in JS decreased over the past year, while RoR’s positions are unchangeably low.

Let’s examine the data on StackOverflow to determine which technology is most loved by designers. Based on the stats, Javascript is used by 58.3% of developers, and 18.5% of respondents indicated that they want to use Javascript in the future. While Ruby and Rails have the results show that 42.9% are currently using the tool, and only 4.5% plan to develop with RoR.

This means that we could observe that many programmers employ JavaScript in their projects. However, you need to consider other information to make an informed decision.

Community

Every framework and language needs to have a community of experts who can assist each other and newbie developers and enhance the technology. To correctly measure the tech community, you should visit GitHub and look at the number of contributors and commits for each tool. Ruby on Rails has 4200 contributors and 79,753 committed. JavaScript is the most well-known language on GitHub as per 21% of pool requests. However, Ruby is only 17%.

We can conclude that both languages have vibrant communities, but JavaScript has more experts who work with this language.

Talent Pool

Developers of both tools are appreciated and recognized by the tech market. Suppose we look at the pay of people working with JS and RoR. The average amount of money earned by the first is around 10,000 dollars higher than the second.

The Stack Overflow Developer Survey suggests that 18,5% of developers would prefer to begin working using JS compared with 4,5% who would like to work with Ruby. Consequently, those who develop using JavaScript have more perspectives and the chance to earn higher pay.

Easiness to Learn

JavaScript is harder to master for novices than Ruby on Rails because RoR is more suitable for beginners that lets you overcome challenges and make mistakes less likely. JS requires a beginner developer to have a lot of background knowledge and skills to master it.

Security

Security is crucial for effective web development, and that’s the reason you should consider whether RoR has more safe than JavaScript. RoR is an open-source framework with built-in tools to ward off various security threats. JavaScript is susceptible to security risks, especially on the client-side. But remember that you always be prepared for multiple types of attacks no matter what tool you’re using, and be aware of precaution measures.

Cost of Development

The development cost doesn’t matter if top experts handle your web project. If we look at the two methods in terms of cost-effectiveness, it is possible to say that both are somewhat costly. RoR requires professional expertise and technical resources, while JavaScript is an ECMAScript implementation that demands highly skilled professionals.

When to Use Ruby on Rails

Start-ups and reputable companies extensively use the Ruby on Rails framework due to its structure that splits code and performs various purposes. Millions of websites utilize Ruby on Rails, and let’s describe their main types:

E-commerce Websites

RoR has many features helpful for online stores that require high-end web development and various tools for accounting and security.

Companies: Shopify, Groupon

Complex Software Development

RoR Convention over Configuration method for web development lets you work with classic programming conventions that ease the process and decreases the number of mistakes.

Companies: GitHub, Zendesk

Entertainment Platforms

The business’s rapid growth and demand require speedy coding of high-quality, and RoR is an excellent choice for this. The framework draws companies because of the availability of microservices and the ability to integrate internal security applications.

Companies: Netflix, Hulu

When to Use JavaScript

Developers can take advantage of a broad range of language-related applications thanks to its unique ability to work as both the back-end and front-end tools for development. Let’s take an overview of the some of the areas that it can be used for:

Web Applications

React is the open-source front-end JavaScript library frequently employed to build websites and other UI elements.

Companies: Netflix, Paypal

Games

Developers benefit from JavaScript and HTML5, allowing developers to create games on the web easily. JavaScript’s Easel library has rich graphics essential for a high-quality game.

Companies: Minecraft, HexGL

Mobile Applications

JavaScript codes in smartphones’ mobile apps allow developers to run the basic functionality of the client-side. Many choose this language for its rich front-end platform and offline support.

Companies: Tinder, QRReader, Google Earth, Uber

Final Thought

We hope this article has helped us better understand the unique features of both of these technologies. While using Ruby on Rails for the back-end and JavaScript for front-end development, you can create stable and well-performing software.

Ruby on Rails offers some built-in JavaScript tools like Hotwire and Turbolinks and supports the ‘unobtrusive JavaScript’ approach, the tandem of these technologies holds unlimited potential.

We’re always available to answer any questions regarding your products. Feel free to schedule a meeting with the our developers team if you demand to develop a web application by Ruby on Rails or JavaScript.