Comparison of servers where Ruby on Rails can be used

How to find a server that can use Ruby on Rails

Servers that can use Ruby can in principle also use Rails.

Ruby on Rails, a Ruby framework, can be used "in principle" on any server where Ruby is installed or can be installed.

However, Ruby on Rails does not mean that you can just upload the application files you have built; to publish Ruby on Rails as a web application, you need to

SSH login to the server Build the application Start the Rails server

The following steps are required.

This is why I wrote "in principle, you can use Ruby on Rails." Although Ruby is installed on shared rental servers, Ruby on Rails cannot be used on most shared servers in terms of building an application and starting up a Rails server.

Some users have built Rails applications by brute force because some shared rental servers allow SSH login, but it is not very cost-effective considering the effort involved, as it runs slowly and takes time to build.

Let's also pay attention to memory and other server specs.

Ruby on Rails is a relatively memory-intensive framework among web application frameworks. Therefore, if the memory allocated to the server is small, it may not be able to run at a practical speed.

Especially for medium to large scale Rails applications, it is a good idea to choose a VPS with large memory capacity since the application itself is getting larger and larger.

Comparison of servers that can use Ruby on Rails, by server type

Next, let's compare servers that can use Ruby on Rails by server type.

Most current servers can use Ruby. However, if you want to run a Rails site within a practical range, you should expect to need a VPS or higher server.

What type of server is best for Ruby on Rails?

VPS is the most cost-effective

VPS is the most cost-effective server for running Ruby on Rails web applications, as it can be rented for around $4/month, and it also secures server resources, so if you choose the best specs, you can run Rails applications at a reasonable price.

However, VPS is a dedicated server, so you need to manage the server memory and OS yourself, and you need to have knowledge of Linux.

PaaS is the best for easy and stable operation

PaaS is currently the best choice for easy and stable operation of Ruby on Rails applications.

PaaS has all the mechanisms for stable operation of frameworks such as Rails, so all you have to do is send the application data to PaaS, and everything from building to starting up the server will be done fully automatically. There is also no need for server management costs.

With PaaS leader HEROKU, you can start for free and have a Ruby on Rails site in production for as little as $25/month.

Which is better to run Ruby on Rails, VPS or PaaS?

PaaS has a great deal of appeal in this way, but its only disadvantage is cost. Many services offer inexpensive entry plans, but if you want to run a Rails application of a certain scale, upgrading to a higher plan is almost mandatory.

Although it depends on the service, the price of the higher plan is about 2 to 3 times higher than that of a VPS with the same specs, so it is relatively expensive compared to the specs. This is equivalent to "the cost of building and maintaining a server that can run Rails stably.

On the other hand, VPS can be operated at a low cost, but it requires server construction and tuning for stable operation of Rails. It could become unstable and affect service access and sales.

If you are a Linux server novice, don't hesitate to choose PaaS.

Linux servers such as VPS are not that difficult once you get used to them, but there are some aspects that take some time to get used to.

Unless you want to learn how to manage a Linux server, if your goal is to run Rails apps, beginners should choose PaaS without hesitation.

PaaS services such as Heroku offer free plans and low prices for beginners, so by using them, you can run a Rails site at a cost that is comparable to VPS.

If you are an intermediate Linux server user or above, VPS is the best choice.

If you have the knowledge and experience to run Ruby applications stably on a Linux server, a VPS with high cost performance is the best choice. Recently, it is possible to build a Rails environment in one shot with a Docker container, so it is possible to build a production environment within an hour of signing a contract.

Rails is a memory-intensive framework, so the required specs go up depending on the size of the site and access. Therefore, when choosing a VPS, be sure to select a VPS service that allows plan upgrades.