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Ruby on Rails is a popular framework for the powerful Ruby programming language, but not all servers can support its large resource demands. See your options for the best Ruby on Rails hosting.
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The Best Ruby on Rails Hosting of 2023
Ruby on Rails is an open-source web application development framework that simplifies the creation of web applications. It provides the default structure for your code, databases, and web applications. Learn more about Ruby on Rails hosting as well a our top picks for the best performance, value and customer service amongst Ruby on the Rails hosting services.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall Hosting For Ruby on Rails
Best Ruby on Rails Hosting For Beginners
Best Managed Dedicated Hosting For Ruby on Rails
Digital.com dives deep into every topic it covers to offer trusted and reliable recommendations for the best business tools. See how we review Ruby on Rails hosting services.
The Best Ruby on Rails Hosting of 2023
Features
- Unmetered bandwidth
- One-click installs
- 24/7 support via multiple channels
#1 Top Pick for 2023
Why it’s best: Flexible tools allow you to install and modify your setup easily at no additional charge.
Price
$2.75 per month
Management Level
Full or Semi-Managed Plans Available
24-7 Support
Yes
Money-Back Guarantee
30 Days
Read More
Reasons to choose HostGator
- Reliable uptime and fast response times
- Affordable hosting plans
- Generous 45-day money-back guarantee that gives customers peace of mind
Reasons to avoid
- An advanced cPanel that requires some getting used to
- Weekly backups, which may slow service
HostGator is one of the largest providers of shared hosting services. The company’s entry-level plans are very affordable, include SSH access, and Rails is integrated by default.
The company has also invested heavily in Ruby on Rails support — you can see this explicitly in the cPanel they provide for the management of your website.
HostGator is a good fit for beginners seeking a web host with various features. The customer service and prices are favorable but avoid paying for unnecessary extras. Note there are limitations to the SEO capabilities.
Features
- Free site builders
- Dozens of site tool add-ons
- Free Cloudflare integration (speeds your site loading)
Price
$4.95 per month
Management Level
Unmanaged
24-7 Support
Yes
Money-Back Guarantee
30 Days
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Reasons to choose Bluehost
- Solid uptime
- Generous storage
- Includes several security features, such as unique IPs (internet protocols), SSL (secure sockets layer), & SiteLock protection
Reasons to avoid
- No automated daily backup
- Bluehost only offer servers in Linux; Windows hosting is not available
Another budget-friendly web hosting option that offers full-featured support for Ruby on Rails is Bluehost.
You may know this company for its close ties with WordPress, but Bluehost offers much more than WordPress-specific hosting.
In addition to supporting Ruby on Rails, Bluehost’s plans include features like SSH tunnels and generous server resource allocations, as well as bonuses such as marketing credits.
Bluehost is a reputable provider offering shared and VPS hosting. The company is easy to use, affordable, and has great uptime. It is geared toward entrepreneurs and small online startups. Billing might be confusing, but they have solid customer service for any issues.
Features
- 24/7 (live rep), online
- Signature management
- Archiving/retention
Price
$25 per month
Management Level
Managed
24-7 Support
Yes
Money-Back Guarantee
30 Days
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Reasons to choose Liquid Web
- High-performance plans
- 100% network/power uptime guarantee
- Excellent support team
Reasons to avoid
- High entry-level price
- No free ad credits are offered
If you are looking for a more advanced hosting option for your Ruby on Rails app, consider Liquid Web, which offers both cloud-based and traditional VPS hosting plans, as well as dedicated servers.
Liquid Web is known as one of the best managed WordPress hosting companies that allows you to easily host many websites. The tech support is open every day of the year, but there are some billing and customer service issues.
Compare Ruby on Rails Hosting Providers
HostGator is our top choice for Ruby on Rails hosting because it’s highly flexible and allows you to modify your setup at no additional cost.
Ruby on Rails Host
Best Features
Pricing
Best Overall Ruby on Rails Hosting
- Unmetered bandwidth
- One-click installs
- 24/7 support via multiple channels
$2.75 per month
Best Ruby on Rails Hosting For Beginners
- Free site builders
- Dozens of site tool add-ons
- Free Cloudflare integration (speeds your site loading)
$4.95 per month
Best Managed Dedicated Hosting For Ruby on Rails
- 24/7 (live rep), online
- Signature management
- Archiving/retention
$25 per month
What You Need to Know
What is Ruby on Rails?
Ruby on Rails combines the simplicity and versatility of the object-oriented Ruby programming language with Rails, a framework designed to give programmers a quick and easy method for building and deploying online applications.
Ruby on Rails (or just “Rails”) is not a programming language, but a web application framework. Rails is written in Ruby, a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language, though Rails does extend Ruby with its own semantics.
Ruby was created in the mid-1990s to be a more streamlined, easy-to-use scripting language as an alternative to other languages like Perl or Python.
Is Ruby on Rails open source?
Yes. Heinemeier Hansson extracted Rails and released it as an open-source framework in 2004 to allow website owners the ability to easily create applications optimized for e-commerce, social media, and more.
What operating systems does Ruby on Rails work on?
Ruby on Rails works well on most operating systems, including Mac OS (operating service) X, Linux, and Windows, but it’s best suited to deployment on Linux.
What web servers does Ruby on Rails support?
Phusion Passenger is the most popular. It can be used as a module added on to Apache or Nginx or as a standalone server. Ruby on Rails also includes its own built-in web server, WEBrick. WEBrick is for development use and is not recommended for production.
Can I run Ruby on Rails on a shared hosting plan?
Some hosts will allow you to do this, but it isn’t ideal. Ruby on Rails depends on the Ruby Gems system for dependency management, and your Rails application may need to download and install dozens of individual gems. You might not have permission to do this on a shared hosting account. It’s far easier to go for a VPS or dedicated server. As with any specialized requirement, ask your host what they recommend before you sign up.
What are the alternatives to Ruby on Rails?
PHP (hypertext preprocessor) frameworks, including Laravel and CodeIgniter. In large enterprise application spaces, Ruby on Rails competes with Java. Node.js, which runs server-side JavaScript, is also popular.
How We Review Ruby on Rails Hosting Services
From our list of hundreds of web hosts, we took the plans that offer both Ruby on Rails and the power to use it effectively. Then we sorted these plans using our extensive database of expert and customer reviews to find the top Ruby on Rails hosts.
Because of Ruby on Rails’ popularity, many general web hosting companies provide support for Ruby on Rails as part of their standard hosting packages. This means that you will not have to worry too much about compatibility when making a decision as to which host is the best fit for you.
There are several things you’ll need to consider when choosing a Ruby on Rails hosting provider, as follows:
Learn more about our review methodology.