Ruby on Rails is one of the most popular frameworks for developing web applications. Its simplicity and efficiency have earned it the moniker "ideal startup technology." Ruby on Rails is currently used in over 3.7 million applications. The Ruby on Rails software development framework is the cornerstone for 20,958 of the top one million websites. 

Ruby on Rails gems are the primary reason for the framework's popularity. They enable rapid prototyping and testing, reducing the time required to code your application and allowing you to bring new products to market more quickly.

This article will explain the main features of the Top 25 Most Downloaded Ruby on Rails. Let’s start! 

ActiveRecord 

Activecord Import

Using ActiveRecord-import, you can easily insert large numbers of records. It operates in accordance with the ActiveRecord associations, generating only the necessary SQL insert statements. With this gem in place, you won't have to deal with the N+1 insert problem if you hire a dedicated RoR developer with sufficient knowledge. ActiveRecord is an excellent option for uploading ten records.

Uploading hundreds of records with this gem can be a difficult task. However, it is useful for importing external data. ActiveRecord-import significantly reduces conversion time.

Downloads: 65,887,954

GitHub: 3,7k Stars

Paranoia

This gem allows you to perform a soft delete on a record. It is difficult to use a record that has been destroyed. As a result, in order to provide a solution, Paranoia hides the object by scoping queries on the model. To completely delete a record, however, you must use a really ruby_destroy gem.

Downloads: 36,534,076 

GitHub: 2,7K Stars

Globalize

The Globalize gem makes it simple to incorporate foreign languages into your application, allowing you to adapt to internationalization. Google's i18n API is used to power the Globalize gem. This gem is useful for translating non-static database content.

Downloads: 8,225,299

GitHub: 2.1k Stars

Pagy

Pagy is a high-performant pagination gem.Its size, independence, and simplicity all contribute to its speed. This RoR gem supports all pagination and functions in a variety of settings. It functions with all collections and supports all CSS frameworks.

Downloads: 7,019,823

GitHub: 3.7k Stars

View Helper 

Draper

Developers can easily create decorators for their models using Draper. Using the Draper Gem in your Ruby on Rails app adds much cleaner views. With the Draper in place, there is no need to write helpers. Instead of calling helpers procedurally with models, developers can easily define a decorator. They are also given a list of the object's attributes and extended methods.

Downloads: 28,022,205 

GitHub: 5.1k stars

Meta Tags

A Ruby on Rails gem that assists you in developing an SEO-friendly application by adhering to SEO best practices and creating efficient meta tags.

Downloads: 8,947,883

GitHub: 2.5k Stars

Slim

This template engine transforms your heavy-weight syntax code into a slim-trim code structure. The Slim gem allows you to keep your application's code simple.

Downloads: 48,383,586

GitHub: 5.1k Stars

Debugging 

Pry

This gem enables developers to set breakpoints and implement code debugging in stages. Pry includes features such as syntax highlighting, runtime invocation, command shell integration, exotic object support, and a flexible and powerful command system.

Downloads: 292,128,153

GitHub: 6.5k Stars

Better Errors

When your users encounter an unappealing error page, they may neglect your application. The better errors gem replaces the clumsy and rejecting RoR error pages with far superior error pages.

Downloads: 55,358,658 

GitHub: 6.8k Stars

Testing

RSpec Rails

The gem RSPEC RAILS is an excellent choice for developers who write unit test cases. This gem assists application developers in integrating the RSpec framework into any Rails project. Users only need to create the necessary spec helpers and configuration files. TDD and BDD environments make use of the framework. In a nutshell, gem install RSPEC RAILS has descriptive and neat syntax.

Downloads: 175,072,384

GitHub: 4.8k Stars

Capybara

The gem that integrates tests for assisting users by verbally guiding them through the ongoing process. It is mostly used by developers in authorization scenarios. Capybara is frequently used in conjunction with the RSPEC gem.

Downloads: 155,322,648

GitHub: 9.6k Stars

SimpleCov

This gem displays the percentage of the code that has been tested and the remaining amount.

Downloads: 206,960,531

GitHub: 4.5k Stars

Factory_bot

Factory bot, formerly known as Factory girl, is a library gem. It generates bogus data for test cases. This simplifies your testing process because you won't have to manually enter data every time.

Downloads: 126,730,076

GitHub: 7.6k Stars

Authentication and Authorization

CANCANCAN

The CANCANCAN Gem is ideal for creating complex applications. It allows users to create numerous rules, but developers must restrict access for certain users. This gem makes it simple to configure user access restrictions, and everything is manageable in one place. CANCANCAN's "Authorizations definition library" module allows developers to define the rules for users. It also allows helpers to easily access various objects, though they must first check those permissions.

Downloads: 42,059,370

GitHub: 5.2k Stars

DEVISE

Omniauthable, Database Authenticatable, Registrable, Confirmable, Trackable, Recoverable, Lockable, Timeoutable, Rememberable, FriendlyId, and Validatable are the ten modules that comprise DEVISE. The primary key (database ID) of each module easily identifies the resource URLs. However, developers may have to deal with the web page's unoptimized URLs. FriendlyId easily converts URLs to easier-to-remember and friendlier web page URLs. The best part is that it does not necessitate any code changes in the web application, making it a well-known Ruby gem.

Downloads: 135,202,996

GitHub: 22.7k Stars

Rolify

Rolify is a gem for Rails that is a role management library that does not impose any supporting scope on the resource object.

Downloads: 11,372,842

GitHub: 3k Stars

Admin Panel 

ACTIVE ADMIN

This framework is used to create administration-style interfaces. Active Admin abstracts business application patterns, allowing developers to create elegant and beautiful interfaces with less effort. Scopes, User Authentication, Global Navigation, Action Items, Sidebar Sections, Index Styles, Filters, Downloads, and APIS are among its many features.

Downloads: 19,586,322

GitHub: 9.2k Stars

Administrate

Using the Administrate rails gem, you can create a responsive admin panel. If you don't want to use the above two gems, Active admin and rails admin, then the administrate rails gem is your best bet.

Downloads: 2,525,343

GitHub: 5.4k Stars

Code Quality 

Rubocop

Rubocop is a Ruby static code analyzer and code formatter that is based on the Ruby style guide. It auto-corrects all detected code violations and has strong and robust formatting capabilities from your code. Almost all of the major Ruby implementations get along with Rubocop. Many online services use Rubocop because it offers brilliant features and it is simple and easy to expand Rubocop with formatters and custom cops.

Downloads: 254,184,616

GitHub: 12k Stars

Overcommit

The overcommit Ruby on Rails gem is a Git hook manager for your rails project. It supports a variety of hooks and allows you to define your own hooks for use across repositories.

Downloads: 9,829,920

GitHub: 3.7k Stars

Security 

Brakeman

Brakeman is a reliable and consistent security scanner that identifies and detects even the smallest compulsions and vulnerabilities in rail applications. Because Brakeman is static, when it reports vulnerabilities (even if there are none), you can simply arrange and configure a list of warnings to limit and restrict the arrival of unnecessary and unimportant notifications.

Downloads: 73,282,558

GitHub: 6.5k Stars

Bundler

Bundler ensures that Ruby applications run in the same code on every machine. Bundler can download and install a list of gems that an application requires. However, before installing, Bundler checks the latest versions of each gem's compatibility to ensure that they can be loaded concurrently. Bundler assists you in upgrading them after installation when new versions become available.

Downloads: 1,193,972,904

GitHub: 4.9k Stars

Deployment 

Capistrano

Before being deployed, a regular and general web application goes through several steps. This includes several stages such as copying files, transferring or migrating databases, and compiling and organizing assets. An automated deposit and deployment tool is required for successful web application deployment. Capistrano is an automated deployment tool that manages and handles a variety of operations, such as tagging servers for various roles, managing various stages, and implementing parallel deployments.

Downloads: 59,213,128 

GitHub: 12.1k Stars

Search 

ElasticSearch

The elasticsearch gem acts as a Ruby bridge that connects to the Elasticsearch Ruby Client. It has search, security, and monitoring capabilities.

Downloads: 90,391,504

GitHub: 1.9k Stars

Ransack

You can search your Rails app using the Ruby on Rails object-based search gem called Ransack. Additionally, it makes advanced search options like ElasticSearch and Algolia available.

Downloads: 47,672,540 

GitHub: 5.2k Stars

This list of Top 25 Ruby on Rails gems for creating web apps and other software development projects is a subjective one based on our experiences with RoR gems. There are, however, thousands more gems to choose from. Because of this variety of gems, the Ruby programming language is one of the most adaptable. It will assist you in saving time and money when developing applications.

There are numerous gems available, and it is common practice to use the best gems when developing web applications. Talk to an Innovation Feel expert to learn more about Ruby gems and how they can benefit your final product.