Best Practices for Optimizing Ruby on Rails Performance

Today, each website is all about speed, performance, and scalability. Do you know an app that loads in 1 second will have 3x conversion rates than a site that loads in 5 seconds? 

However, some frameworks like Ruby on Rails are known for their blazing-fast performance, simplicity, and productivity. However, they also have some challenges and scope for optimization that are required to improve performance and overall customer experience and gain a competitive advantage.

So, if you have scaling business needs, you must learn the best optimization tips from ROR developers. In this article, we have mentioned core optimization tips, reasons to optimize, and tools for optimizing Ruby on Rails performance.

First, we understand the need to optimize the performance of your apps.

The Need To Optimize Performance

Optimizing an app not only improves performance but also elevates user experience, improves loading time, increases response time, and everything necessary to keep your potential customers engaged.

From my personal experience, I would not spend a second to switch from a slow-loading website or an app to its competitor. So why should any business want it? Here are some reasons to take optimization seriously.

• Faster Response Times: Optimizing performance speeds up page loading. Users want instant results. A quick platform keeps them engaged and happy.

• Efficient Resource Use: Streamlined code and optimized database queries reduce the load on servers. This means better resource management and cost savings. It helps the app run smoothly and grow easily.

• Improved SEO: Search engines favor optimized apps that load quickly on all devices. This can improve your search rankings and attract more organic traffic.

• Enhanced User Experience: Faster loading times mean users can find information quickly and navigate easily. This creates a better overall experience.

• Cost Savings: An optimized app uses fewer resources, leading to lower hosting costs. It also scales better, keeping expenses stable even with increased traffic.

Also read- Ruby on Rails vs Javascript: Which One to Choose in 2025

Things to Consider Before Optimizing Ruby on Rail App

1. Measure performance

If you are optimizing your app’s performance, first you must measure and analyze the current state of your app. Measure the response time and current load time of your application. Based on the analysis, you can take the appropriate optimization technique.

2. Identify bottlenecks

Look for slow spots in your app that could be causing delays. It could be slow database queries, messy code, or exhausting too many resources. By identifying these “bottlenecks,” you can prioritize your work.

3. Analyze User Experience

Understand your customer’s requirements and analyze their pain points. Suppose they are bouncing back due to slow loading time, then you must work on improving loading time for a better user experience. 

4. Plan for Growth

Think about how your app will handle more users in the future. If you expect your user base to grow, your optimizations should prepare for that. 

5. Watch Your Costs

Some optimizations may require additional tools or services, which could increase your costs. It’s essential to weigh the benefits against the expenses. For instance, if you need to pay for a premium monitoring tool, will the faster performance justify the cost? Being mindful of your budget ensures that your improvements are sustainable in the long run.

Once you analyze every aspect of your current application, you can decide which optimization technique will help you improve performance.

Here, we have mentioned all Ruby on Rails optimization tips for scalable growth and user engagement.

Tips to Boost Your Rails App Performance

Now that we’ve set the stage, let’s dive into practical steps to improve your app’s performance. You can also hire a rails developer for effective implementation. Optimizing a Rails app involves several key areas. 

1. Server Optimization

Improve Server Setup

The performance of your app relies on various factors, including memory capacity and hosting quality. For example, we helped a property rental marketplace boost its performance by 90%. A major focus was on speeding up page load times to reduce customer bounce rates.

Here are some ways to optimize your server:

• Increase RAM: If you notice your app slowing down with the increase in users, check your server's memory. Increasing the RAM will help improve performance.

• Upgrade to SSDs: You can switch from hard drives (HDDs) to solid-state drives (SSDs) can make a huge difference. It improves SSDs read and write data process, improving overall speed.

• Use Load Balancing: if your app has heavy traffic, you can implement load balancing to distribute requests across multiple servers. This keeps your app responsive. For instance, we used AWS Lambda for a client to manage invoices without overloading their servers.

2. Back-end Optimization

Clean Up Your Code

Keeping your Ruby code clean is crucial for performance. Here are some tips:

• Plan Your Logic: Think through your app’s structure before coding.

• Use Clear Naming: Stick to clear naming conventions and comment on your code for clarity.

Tackle N+1 Query Problems

Instead of sending multiple queries for each result, optimize your code to make one query that retrieves all needed results. This reduces the load on your database.

Add Indexes

Missing indexes can slow down your app. As your database grows, ensure you add indexes to speed up data retrieval.

Use Background Job Processors

Background tasks like report generation or data processing can slow your app down. Tools like Sidekiq or Rescue help manage these tasks without affecting performance. For example, we separated web and background tasks for a large cognitive platform to prevent overload.

Implement Caching

Caching stores data so your app doesn’t have to recreate it with each request. This speeds up load times. Identify slow parts of your app and apply caching where it will have the most impact.

Optimize Garbage Collection

Garbage collection (GC) manages your app’s memory. Adjusting Ruby's GC settings can speed up your app’s performance, especially during testing.

3. Front-end Optimization

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN speeds up content delivery, especially for users far from your server. By using a CDN, like CloudFlare, your app can serve content faster, regardless of user location.

Serve Static Files

For files like CSS and images, use static files instead of generating them dynamically. This reduces load times.

Compress Files

Make sure your images and files are optimized for quick loading. Compressed files can keep your site visually appealing while speeding up page loads.

Embrace AJAX

AJAX allows parts of your web page to update without a full reload. This reduces server requests and enhances user experience by making interactions faster.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve the performance of your Ruby on Rails app. Each adjustment leads to a smoother, faster experience for your users!

Tools for Monitoring and Optimizing Performance

Here are some helpful tools for improving performance in Ruby on Rails applications:

1. New Relic- is a powerful tool that tracks how well your Ruby on Rails app performs. It gives you detailed performance information, shows where issues are, and helps you fix them.

2. Scout- Scout is a user-friendly monitoring tool. It provides real-time data on things like database queries and response times. With easy alerts, Scout helps developers spot and solve performance problems quickly.

3. Bullet- Bullet is a handy tool that finds N+1 query issues in Rails apps. It warns developers when unnecessary queries happen and suggests ways to make them faster.

4. Rack-mini-profiler- Rack-mini-profiler helps you see how your app performs while you’re developing. It highlights slow queries and rendering times, helping you improve your code.

5. Redis- is an in-memory data store that can be used for caching in Rails apps. It helps speed up response times and lighten the load on your database.

Best Practices for Ruby on Rails Performance Optimization

To make your Ruby on Rails app even faster, consider these best practices:

• Minimize Database Queries: Cut down on database queries by optimizing ActiveRecord calls, using eager loading, and caching data properly.

• Use Asynchronous Processing: Move heavy tasks to background jobs with tools like Sidekiq or Delayed Job. This keeps your app responsive while handling tough jobs in the background.

• Optimize Asset Delivery: Use asset pipelining, compression, and CDNs to speed up how static files are delivered.

• Load Balancing and Scaling: Spread incoming traffic across several servers to prevent overload. Scaling your resources can also help manage more users.

Also read- Ruby Vs Python: Which One is the Best for 2025

Conclusion

Optimizing performance is crucial for Ruby on Rails apps. By using caching, database improvements, and code tweaks, you can make your app run much better.

You can also try out tools like New Relic, Scout, Bullet, Rack-mini-profiler, and Redis to track performance and find areas to improve. By following these best practices and continuously optimizing, you can create fast and responsive apps that users love.

Implementing optimization techniques needs expertise and knowledge of Ruby on Rails development. Hire Ruby on Rails developers for effective performance.

Start your performance optimization journey with OnGraph. 

Contact us today!

Content Source URL: https://medium.com/@sophiasmith791/best-practices-for-optimizing-ruby-on-rails-performance-b38ee08cc8dc