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The best Rails alternatives

3 tools that do a similar job to Rails, 3 of them open source. Each entry says what it does and who it suits, so you can pick the one that fits instead of the most famous.

You're replacing

Rails

A Ruby web framework for building database-backed web apps using the MVC pattern.

  1. 1

    Phoenix

    Open source · MIT · ★ 23.2k

    A web framework for Elixir for building web apps and APIs, from prototype to production.

    Best for: Developers who already use or want to learn Elixir; Teams building web applications or API servers in Elixir

    Full review Rails vs Phoenix
  2. 2

    Sinatra

    Open source · MIT · ★ 12.5k

    A small Ruby library for building web apps and APIs with minimal code.

    Best for: Ruby developers who want a small, readable web app or API; Quick prototypes and small internal tools

    Full review Rails vs Sinatra
  3. 3

    Aurelia

    Open source · MIT · ★ 11.7k

    A JavaScript framework for building single-page web apps, from the Aurelia 1 line.

    Best for: Developers who want a framework that stays close to web platform standards; Teams already maintaining Aurelia 1 applications

    Full review

How we pick: tools in the same category that solve the same problem, projects that name each other as alternatives, and open-source projects that describe themselves as an alternative to Rails. We don't take payment for placement.