Like the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) significantly decreased the travel time for modern-day rail passengers in France, Ruby on Rails (RoR) drastically reduced the effort and time needed to create powerful web apps. This has greatly increased its popularity and the number of Ruby on Rails developers for hire. Ruby on Rails is now among the top 20 most popular programming languages of 2022.
Nowadays, lots of Fortune 500 companies are using Rails to build complex, scalable web apps. However, its popularity has proven to be a double-edged sword from a recruiter’s perspective. Now more than ever, people can build web apps in record time. However, finding top-notch experts to do the work is the real issue.
Finding true high-quality Rails talent to hire for part-time, full-time, or even freelance work requires a highly-effective recruiting process. That is why all the Ruby on Rails experts provided by Slobodo Studio undergo a 5-step evaluation.
So, we have created this article to show you where and how to hire Ruby on Rails developers.
Key Benefits of Ruby/Ruby on Rails
Among the plethora of programming languages, why choose Ruby on Rails?
Here, we will explain the benefits and advantages of building a web app or website using Ruby on Rails.
Development Speed
The main advantage of Ruby and Ruby on Rails frameworks is the development speed.
Primarily, such rapid performance is determined by an extensive set of ready-to-use standard Ruby on Rails tools, a huge set of ready-made solutions, the Ruby language itself, and the accessibility of programming on it. A good example is Hotwire, which provides a new way to add interactivity to your website with just a few lines of code. It works by sending HTML over the wire.
From our experience, Hotwire significantly cuts the cost and time needed to complete the project when compared to the custom approach.
Culture & Standards
When finding Ruby on Rails the best developers to hire, you need those who can adhere to your project’s culture and standards.
This is recommended as the standards of file allocation in the project, the standards of writing code, and the general programming rules in Ruby on Rails strongly structure any project. Because of these, the project becomes sufficiently comprehensible.
A beginner’s entry into the project is swift. Experience shows that any newcomer in this field is already capable of bringing a useful commitment to the case on their first day of work.
Because of this, it is not considered a big problem when the project’s coding process is initially conducted by one team of programmers. And project support or enhancements are carried out by an entirely different team.
Large & Active Community
Its large and active community makes Ruby on Rails a good hunting ground for top talents. From its very birth, the RoR framework has been ruled by its community. The best Ruby on Rails developers share their code samples, give recommendations and ask for advice, join technical discussions on community forums, and are always ready to help. This benefits the project owner because the hired Ruby on Rails developers can always get help if needed.
Looking to hire top RoR developers?
Ruby on Rails Developers’ Levels of Expertise
More specifically, each level of skill depth is characterized by a unique list of requirements, which will be outlined further in this article.
Usually, the division of skill levels looks like this:
In fact, this division has nothing in common with reality. It clearly depends not only on the years of experience. You should understand that the quantity and the quality of previously made projects greatly influence the level of skills.
Junior Ruby on Rails Developer
The junior Ruby on Rails developer, essentially, handles the small tasks under the supervision and is self-motivated to develop the skills.
Meanwhile, a junior developer isn’t a trainee and has a basic knowledge of Ruby, data formats associated with it, and main project processes like the Red-Green-Refactor cycle, unit-testing, work with Git, RDBMS, Linux, and code editors.
Here is the skillset of a junior Ruby on Rails developer:
- 1 year of experience in programming
- Strong knowledge of Ruby, Ruby on Rails
- 2 years of expertise with C++ algorithms
- Basic knowledge of HTTC protocol (types of nodes, protocol structure)
- Enthusiastic about writing clean, efficient, and accessible code in a functional framework
- Creative with database construction
- Dedicated to providing exemplary work and supporting the overall mission of the team, client and business idea.
Middle Ruby on Rails Developer
This Ruby on Rails developer has all the necessary basic knowledge. This is a transitional stage for an intermediate who has been working for more than three years and is preparing to move to the senior level.
A middle Ruby on Rails developer should have the following skillset:
- 3+ years of experience in web development
- Solid knowledge of Ruby, Ruby on Rails, DigitalOcean, Ubuntu, SQL, JS, CSS, HTML, Swagger
- Reliable and friendly team member
- Skills in using the automated linters, style checkers, static code analyzers
- Deep knowledge of standard Ruby library
- Ability to conduct a comparative analysis of gems/code from public repositories and choose the best of them for a specific task
- Version Control Systems
- Git
- Databases
Senior Ruby on Rails Developer
Such a person can cope with any task faster than others and make it high-level work. They usually make some contributions to open-source Ruby on Rails projects or to Ruby code. And keep blogs of where to publish only relevant materials containing their own work results and research.
Such specialists usually have 5+ years of experience, share the company’s values, and start initiatives that solve many project problems.
The portfolio of a senior Ruby on Rails expert should have similar expertise and skillset listed below:
- 5+ years of experience in programming
- Solid knowledge of JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby On Rails, React.js, SQL, HTML5, CSS
- Reliable and friendly team member
- Complete understanding of the working environment
- Skilled in complex web and app development
- Deep knowledge of popular libraries/frameworks/architecture solutions (ROM, Hanami, dry-rb, RabbitMQ)
- Version Control Systems (GitHub, GitLab)
- Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, SQLite)
Are There Any Further Grades?
Once the expert has reached the level of a senior Ruby on Rails expert, they are now qualified for other roles in such as tech lead, architect, and chief technology officer (CTO):
Tech Lead
This specialist participates in staff growth processes, improving software standards, available technology analysis, and searching for the most prospective ones with mandatory engineering & economic justification.
Architect/Senior Architect
One of the main functions of this person is to solve complex tasks of building web apps, distributed and serverless apps, and optimization of existing solutions and architectures.
The Chief Technology Officer
A Chief Technology Officer is a promoter of the company’s values. And the one who:
- analyses the technological areas
- improves the tech side of recruiting new employees
- manages the staff growth processes
- develops software and web apps
- develops project management standards within the company
Companies can also hire the expertise of CTOs from outsourcing companies. This type of method of cooperation is called CTO-as-a-Service. Here, the expert acts as a part-time tech and business advisor assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In-house, Freelance, or Development Company: Who to Choose?
In-House Development
This type of software engineering means using the internal resources of your own company and developing a product with your employees.
Pros of In-House Development:
- Control. When you hire an in-house team, you control everything from the hiring process and ending with work schedules and salaries
- Easy communication. Of course, communication with your in-house team is faster as you can just enter the Ruby on Rails experts’ area and talk about whatever you would like. You can also literally see the progress. That is definitely a plus from a psychological point of view.
Cons of In-House Development:
- Higher Cost and time. By hiring RoR developers to an in-house team, you’re not only spending money on salaries. You also need to arrange and control the processes inside the team and pay taxes. True to say, if you are not ready for all those management and labor expenses, hiring an outsourced team would be an easier and more budget-friendly solution.
- Technical background. It may be an issue if you, as a founder, do not have any technical background. In this case, you will be required to hire a CTO to help you deal with all the coding process issues and decisions.
On the other hand, some companies offer CTO as a service. At Sloboda Studio, we, too, offer such a service. For those who would like to have a technical director and still not spend a fortune.
Freelance Ruby on Rails Developers
How to hire the best Ruby on Rails developers freelance? As a rule, freelancers work independently and remotely. It’s important to make sure that you are choosing a reliable and dedicated programmer to collaborate with. We have thus basically identified the main (and crucial) issue with freelance specialists.
Pros of Freelance Development:
- Low prices. Freelancers often charge lower rates and require no additional expenses. Freelancers normally prefer to work alone and remotely. You do not need to rent an office or pay for labor expenses.
- Flexible schedule. Lots of freelance Ruby on Rails developers are OK with flexible working hours. Maybe you will set a convenient working schedule. Even if you are located in different time zones.
- Developers’ choice. When hiring in-house Ruby on Rails developers, you are restricted by your geographical location. But freelancers are equivalent to offshore Ruby on Rails developers. And this gives you access to a large pool of the best developers available worldwide.
Interested in hiring Ruby on Rails developers?
Cons of Freelance Development:
- Risks. Freelancers are independent. Sometimes they are too independent. And there’s always a risk that your freelance Ruby on Rails developer may leave your project halfway. We recommend choosing freelancers carefully. But keep in mind that freelance web or app development is the riskiest option.
- Lack of control. You cannot fully control their work. Or make sure that a freelance Ruby on Rails developer works on your tasks at any particular time. Still, you can have some control. Use task-tracking systems to control the product coding process process.
- Lack of motivation. In-house Ruby on Rails developers want to avoid getting fired or getting bad references. Offshore companies are afraid of bad reviews and a ruined reputation. Freelancers only lose their Upwork rating. But this issue can easily be fixed with a new account. Therefore, freelancers have almost no fear of letting the customer down.
Outstaffing Company
An external development agency that does the job of in-house Ruby on Rails developers. But still without any need to worry about employment.
By choosing the company, it is possible to find a whole Ruby on Rails team for hire. Or just a single Ruby on Rails developer to deal with certain tasks.
An offshore web development company could also provide clients with a much bigger pool of the best Ruby on Rails developers. And, often, significantly lower rates.
Pros of an Outstaffing Development Company:
- Budget. It may not be the case when hiring an onshore RoR development agency. But hiring an outsourced Ruby on Rails development company will likely save at least half of your development budget. There are countries where cost and quality meet in the middle. For example, the average hourly rate in Eastern Europe is $25-50, while agencies in the US charge about $100-170 per hour.
At Sloboda Studio, the rates vary from $30 to $45 per hour, depending on the expertise.
- Expertise. The outsourcing company provides a big pool of the best Ruby on Rails developers. So you can find the best developers with any expertise needed.
- Long-term cooperation. As usual, web development companies are interested in developing your product from its idea stage to a market-ready product. Good companies would also offer tech support.
Cons of a Development Company:
- Lack of live communication. Working with a remote team seems inconvenient as you can’t connect with them when needed… Or can you? Still, you can discuss your project and control the working process using regular meetings, video calls, and messages. Thinking wide, lacking live interactions doesn’t mean you can’t build effective communication.
- Hard to find reliable Ruby on Rails developers. On one hand, there are thousands of companies in Google and Clutch. But it is still extremely difficult to choose the one for you as you don’t know who to trust. Below we’ll share our tips on finding the most reliable agency.
How and Where to Find Remote Ruby on Rails Developers
How to find the best Ruby on Rails developers? There are several platforms and companies all over the world that can offer their help.
Top 3 platforms to find experts:
- Clutch – a leading rating and review platform for finding top development agencies. You can search by niches, technologies, industries, or locations. This platform has separate listings for the most possible needs.
- Upwork. A global freelancing platform. Freelancers and agencies to assist you with developing and supporting your future project.
- StackOverflow – basically, it is a question & answer service for developers. The programmers can join a network to discuss various types of topics related to computer programming.
- Indeed – a listing website that allows searching of different types of job listings.
On all of these platforms, users can search for professional Ruby on Rails developers worldwide.
What to Pay Attention To When Hiring Ruby on Rails Developers
It doesn’t matter whether you hire Ruby on Rails developers in-house, or choose a freelancer or agency. But first things first you need to check the expertise.
4 Tips to check the Ruby on Rails developers’ expertise:
- Check the websites/profiles. First of all, look through the freelancers’ profiles and agencies’ websites to decide whether they’re what you are looking for.
- Check the portfolios & case studies. Responsible development companies and freelancers will include the most successful projects in their portfolios. So they can show their potential clients they are experienced enough.
- Check out reviews. Before inviting a Rails developer for an interview, check for reviews. Also, many clients are willing to share their feedback on companies they have worked with. If you can’t find any, it is way too risky, better to move on.
- Interview. Can’t decide between several preferable Ruby on Rails developers or agencies? Contact and interview them all. Yes, it would require some time. But still, you would spend less time doing this than hiring the wrong people.
Where to Get Feedback
Job search marketplaces like Indeed, Glassdoor, and other review platforms like Clutch are great places to start. Google is another platform where those interested can find reviews on different software development agencies. It is always good to check for feedback before inviting them for an interview.
People often say, “good work needs no advertisement.” Well, that is also true with software development. Leaving reviews and feedback can take a lot of time. That is why if a client takes their time to leave feedback, either the job was excellently done or extremely poor. For example, a company like Sloboda Studio, with over 40+ 5-star reviews on Clutch is a good sign.
Cost of Hiring Ruby on Rails Experts
Development pricing is tricky indeed – sometimes, the high rates do not guarantee the best expertise. On the contrary, development rates that are too low should make you feel concerned. Frankly, there is no freebie in software engineering. Let’s look at the pricing factors.
In-House Development Cost
As we already mentioned, in-house development requires you:
- To hire Ruby on Rails developers. The prices will differ depending on your location, tech stack, and the required Ruby on Rails developers’ grades.
- To rent an office. The cost of rent will differ depending on your country and particular building location.
- To pay taxes. Consider this factor too if you don’t want to break any labor laws.
Costs Of Freelance Development
Freelance truly is the cheapest solution. According to Upwork, the average cost and time for freelance development varies from $15-50. But remember that risks are also costly. You should also consider the tech stack that the freelancer is using.
Costs When Using an Outsourced Development Company
These outsourcing costs are somewhere between in-house and freelance ones. You save a lot on location, labor expenses, and office, but you still invest in your Ruby on Rails developers’ reliability and responsibility.
Offshore Development – Factors Influencing Pricing:
- Expertise. A senior Ruby on Rails developer may guarantee development quality but comes with higher rates. They have a deep understanding and experience of the tech stack.
- Location. The lowest prices are in Asia and the highest – are in the USA. To find a moderate price, focus on Eastern Europe and South America locations.
- Project complexity. The more complex and rich in features your project is, the longer the development will be. As a result, you will spend more time and money. However, the development company will guarantee you successful results.
Our Experience
Applift
AppLift is among the players in the mobile advertising market. Its main goal is to help mobile app advertisers expand their business. AppLift allows consumer brands and agencies to reach, convert and engage their audiences on mobile.
Our goal was to use Ruby on Rails tech stack and others to assist Applift with several tasks, including:
- Intelligent automation for working with its partners and customers, which involves fraud detection and prevention
- MVP development – a simple app that could generate income quickly
- API tools
- Campaign management systems
- Price optimization features
Sloboda delivered the necessary functionality to the app. We also helped to automate decision-making and data availability. We provided various infrastructure and databases and performed multiple data transformations so that the web apps work stably and efficiently, fulfilling all the customer requirements and clients’ goals.
Salita
Salita is a Norwegian marketplace for online interpretation services. The founder of Salita hired a dedicated team from Sloboda to develop this platform from scratch back in 2016.
Since then, our Ruby on Rails developers have launched an MVP. Then a fully-featured platform, and we are still developing this platform.
For Salita, our programmers used Ruby, Rails, Grape, PostgreSQL, and other technologies for server-side. For the front-end our team used mostly Vue.js, Node.js, and JavaScript.
We also integrated Stripe and PayPal and added video conferencing features with Twilio and Videonor.
Salita is a startup that has recently raised $2M and has raised more than $1.5M in two rounds of seed investments.
Final Thoughts
So, how to hire Ruby on Rails developers? When you hire a Ruby programmer, you should clearly understand that coding is only half of the work that needs to be done. You need somebody who will make it work.
As we can conclude from this blog post, any product owner has three basic options to hire Ruby on Rails developers:
- An in-house Ruby on Rails developer. A great solution that allows control of the engineering process and communication with your team. On the other hand, it is too expensive and take lots of time. And requires additional expenses for rent and taxes.
- Freelance. The cheapest solution. But too risky insofar as you cannot control what your freelancer works on.
- Outsourcing company – a good choice in between. Outsourcing companies usually offer moderate prices for Ruby on Rails development. Also, offer transparent communication and product management. Companies are responsible for providing Ruby on Rails developers for both front-end and back-end parts of your project.
At Sloboda Studio, we have worked with Ruby on Rails projects for 13 years. We have developed over 50 projects on Ruby on Rails. This is the most demanded technology from our company. Check out the success stories of our clients or book a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find Ruby developers?
You can find Ruby app developers on job marketplace platforms like Clutch, Upwork, StackOverflow, and Indeed. Also, Rails software development companies like Sloboda Studio provide talented Ruby on Rails app developers at a much cheaper rate after an interview.
What skills do Ruby on Rails engineers need?
The skill set of a best RoR app developer greatly depends on their experience or grade. However, a middle or senior Rails app developer should have:
– 5+ years experience in Ruby app development (syntax, methods, debugging, Ruby Gems)
– HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
– Fluent work with databases like MySQL, PgSQL, Redis, Postgres & MySQL, MongoDB, etc.
– Working with Git history
– Setting up the working environment and Rails app development tools usage
– Testing skills and expertise in using different testing frameworks
– Basic DevOps skills
How much does it cost to hire a Ruby on Rails coder?
The cost depends on time cost and Rails stack knowledge will vary from $20 to $150 an hour, depending on the experience and location of the developer. Also, the cost of hiring a freelance Rails app expert app developer will differ from outsourcing or getting in-house developers.