Rails vs React: What are the differences?

Introduction

React and Ruby on Rails (Rails) are two popular frameworks used for web development. While both have their own strengths and are used in different scenarios, there are several key differences between them.

1. Language: One of the main differences between Rails and React is the programming language they are built on. Rails is a full-stack web application framework that uses Ruby as its primary programming language. React, on the other hand, is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces.

2. Architecture: Rails follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, which separates the application into three components: the model, the view, and the controller. React, on the other hand, follows a component-based architecture, where the user interface is built from reusable components.

3. Server-Side vs Client-Side Rendering: Rails is primarily server-side rendered, where most of the processing and rendering happen on the server before sending the final HTML to the client. React, on the other hand, is primarily client-side rendered, where the processing and rendering happen on the client-side using JavaScript.

4. Learning Curve: Rails is known for its convention-over-configuration principle, which means that developers need to follow certain conventions to build a Rails application. React, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve as it requires knowledge of JavaScript and the React ecosystem.

5. Community and Ecosystem: Rails has a large and mature community with a wide range of plugins, gems, and libraries available for various functionalities. React also has a growing community and a rich ecosystem of libraries and tools, but it may not be as extensive as Rails.

6. Purpose: Rails is well-suited for building large-scale web applications with complex business logic. It provides a complete framework with built-in features for handling databases, routing, and authentication. React, on the other hand, is more focused on building interactive user interfaces and is commonly used in combination with other frameworks or technologies to build a full-stack application.

In summary, Rails and React have several key differences including the programming language used, architecture, rendering approach, learning curve, community and ecosystem, and their purpose in web development. Each framework has its own strengths and is suited for different scenarios.