Astro, React, Vue.js, Django... the list goes on and on. In today's technological landscape we have a plethora of different tools and frameworks available to us for developing projects but it's clear that JavaScript-based frameworks are the star of the show (I'm looking especially at you React/Node). And it's no coincidence they became so popular- JavaScript is one one of the most versatile languages available: it has an incredibly rich library ecosystem, it's able to be employed on both the client and server sides of websites, and it can be used to develop cross-platform apps simultaneously. The list of benefits is actually way longer, but we're not here to talk about how great JavaScript is. So then, with all of these amazing JS frameworks, should anybody even consider learning Ruby and Ruby on Rails? The answer is YES, Ruby on Rails is still very much worth learning in 2024, and here's why:
A Mature Development Platform
For starters, Ruby on Rails has been on the scene for quite a bit longer than any of the JS frameworks (it's official release was in July, 2004!), which has given it a chance to really mature and perfect it's workflow- and it's workflow is almost unmatched when it comes to prototyping speed. One of the most hailed features of Ruby on Rails is it's automatic generators: with a few commands in a prompt you can have all of the skeleton code and migration files needed to setup a CRUD interface, including a front end. Out-of-the-box, Rails has a powerful fully-featured templating language called "erb" built-in with some really great helper methods for seamless front end development. Additionally, the framework makes security a breeze by setting many reasonable defaults and automatically mitigating many cyber attack vectors such as XSS, SQL-injection and CSRF forgery
Keeping Up with the Times
Even though Ruby on Rails is mature, it is still actively being developed. Mind you, most of the updates we see are focused on smaller things such as performance improvements and security patches, but we still see a lot of fluidity that allows the framework to keep up with the times. Rails 8 is slated for release this year and we're seeing some great additions such as Basic Authentic Generators, better support for CI and some state-of-the-art asset pipeline action in the form of Propshaft. More modern ways of doing front end development using tools like Turbo have also became defaults, alongside some great developments in support for using Rails as a server-side-only solution by pairing it with other frameworks such as React.
Modern Presence
Due to it's popularity throughout the years, there are also a TON of legacy apps that have been developed in Rails. A quick look at any job board and you'll probably find a number of listings for Ruby on Rails experience to help maintain, develop or migrate these sorts of apps. Additionally, there are still many large companies that employ Rails in their infrastructure such as X (formerly Twitter), Shopify, Etsy and Netflix to name a few. Ruby was also still a top 20 programming language for 2023.
Pick-Up Time
Finally, as a more subjective and arguable point- Ruby is fairly high-level language with semantics similar to languages like Python and JavaScript. This means for most people who have experience coding in those languages, Ruby can likely be picked up pretty rapidly- mitigating it's barrier to entry. Also, Rails itself uses a tried and true MVC architectural model that is implemented similarly in other popular frameworks such as Django. and ASP.NET, and that experience can translate almost 1:1 in a lot of cases. Keep in mind, this isn't a be-all-end-all point since, as programmers who have taken the time to learn Rust are well aware, sometimes easy-of-use isn't everything when it comes to choosing a solid development platform, but it does mean more time can be spent on feature implementation instead of learning weird intricacies and fighting syntax.
TL;DR
Yes, Ruby on Rails is definitely still well worth learning in 2024. It's still actively developed, with new releases and patches coming all the time. We're really seeing Rails grow into and excel as a back end framework, with a great community to back it. With that all said, Rails has continued to keep up with the times and is still fully capable of being a great all-in-one solution for rapid development of full-stack applications.