Ruby is popular again because it’s fun, productive, and increasingly aligned with developer trends like: * Simpler architectures * AI-assisted coding * Joyful language ergonomics * Frontend fatigue * Indie/solo project momentum And with the modern Rails ecosystem feeling **less like a sprawling framework and more like a turbocharged toolkit**, people are realizing again.
# Rails Revival
- Rails 8 (released recently) brings **turbocharged development tools**: - Seamless Hotwire/Turbo integration (no JS framework needed) - Native support for SQLite-in-prod apps - Improved developer experience with fewer dependencies - It's increasingly being adopted for **AI agent UIs**, **internal tools**, and **fast MVPs** — the "build fast, polish later" vibe is cool again.
# AI-Enhanced Developer Experience * Ruby is very **friendly to AI copilots and LLMs**. * Natural language-like syntax * Clear method naming * Convention over configuration = easy for models to guess intent In short: **AI makes Ruby easier**, and Ruby makes AI more effective. Some teams are returning to Ruby because LLMs make it more powerful than ever before.
# Sorbet and Type Checking * Once criticized for lacking types, Ruby now has **Sorbet** and **Steep** for static type checking. * Companies like Stripe use it heavily. * These tools have matured and integrate better with editors, CI, and LSPs. > The joy of Ruby with the safety of TypeScript.
# Return of Server-Rendered Apps * Many devs are **burned out on frontend complexity** (React fatigue, JS bloat). * Ruby on Rails with Hotwire offers: * Simpler apps * Faster load times * Fewer moving parts 💬 *“It turns out full-stack Rails is still the most productive stack for 80% of apps.”*
# Niche Creativity and Indie Dev Culture * Tools like **Bridgetown** (JAMstack meets Ruby), **Hanami**, and **dry-rb** offer modern Ruby alternatives. * There's a vibrant indie dev scene using Ruby for: * Static site generators * Personal tools * Experimental languages and DSLs Ruby has always been a **language of joy** — and with more devs working solo or in small teams, its friendliness is winning converts.
# Better Ecosystem for Modern Deployments * Docker images are leaner. * Fly.io, Render, and Railway make **Rails hosting easier than ever**. * **Solid integration with Postgres, Redis, and Sidekiq** — all fast and production-tested.
# Ruby WASM + MRuby + Embedded Use * Interest in **Ruby on WebAssembly** (via `ruby.wasm`) for small interactive tools in the browser. * MRuby being used in embedded devices. * Not mainstream yet, but getting attention.