Node vs. Ruby vs. Python for SaaS Application Development

Software as a Service (Saas) development revolves around implementing innovative technologies to incorporate data and provide services for convenience to users, using cloud computing, database integration, user interface, and more. 

It is only partially true that the choice of programming languages is primary to incorporate all these technologies to develop a functioning application. A “Tech Stack” is what you are looking for to ensure your SaaS application's success. 

A Tech Stack is the combination of development tools, programming languages, libraries, databases, frameworks, front-end tools, and the supporting software used during the development process. After market research and getting the perfect product-market fit, choosing the right tech stack is the first and foremost step in developing your application. 

Node.js, Ruby on the Rails, and Python offer developers a full-stack development environment. Each has its specialties and caters to different developers' requirements and the application's design. 

Let’s review the advantages and disadvantages of the top 3 runtime platforms for Saas application development to help you choose the best one for you.

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NODE.JS 

Node.js is an open-source JavaScript runtime platform built on Chrome’s V8 engine. The efficiency and robust cross-platform development environment of Node.js have made it a popular choice for creating heavy SaaS applications like Netflix, Uber, NASA, and Linkedin. 

Node.js is a convenient alternative to JavaScript and is used to develop fast-processing SaaS applications and their backend servers for data storage. It comes with solid frameworks that are equipped to handle multiple requests. Node.js is programmed to support fast development and multitasking without halting the functionalities of runtime. 

Due to the competency and freedom of scalability it provides to applications, Node.js is the most preferred tool among programmers, especially for developing data-intensive, server-side SaaS applications. Besides its non-blocking, event-driven input-output framework, along with a range of interactive developer tools and libraries by NPM, adds to the incomparable fame of Node.js in the developer community. 

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Advantages of Node.js for SaaS Application Development

• It offers a responsive and fast architecture for development
• Allows flexible scaling of software
• High performance for Real-time applications
• Supports cross-platform programming
• Optimized for running fast, data-intensive applications
• Over 350,000 packages of different plug-ins are available
• Cost efficient 
• Extensibility for customized requirements
• Fast clearing of cached data for better, faster performance
• Community support provided to developers

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Disadvantages of Node.js for SaaS Application Development

Although Node.js is popular for its unique features, helpful developer tools, and libraries, there are a few glitches that often make developers take a step back from opting for it. 

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1. Low performance while handling heavy tasks: Node.js is infamous for its fall in performance and effectiveness at the runtime of heavy computations, which often makes the applications crash. 

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2. Unstable API: Its unstable API invites lots of last-minute changes in the software's backend code, making the development using this platform tedious and tiresome for developers. 

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3. Node.js Asynchronous Programming Model: This approach causes multiple callbacks, which negatively affects the quality, performance, and maintenance of the backend code. 

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Besides these glitches, Node.js is yet the perfect choice for SaaS projects since they require multiple servers, quality performance, and intense multitasking. Its high-powered capabilities and a massive range of libraries and tools make the platform an all-time favorite. 

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Ruby 

Ruby is a popular general-purpose, object-oriented programming or “scripting” language used to develop web applications like GitHub, Shopify, and Twitter. It promotes rapid application development with the use of simple syntax and other user-friendly features.  It is known as one of the most time-efficient languages in the market. 

Ruby also allows programmers to re-use old code unlimited times in various applications, due to which they enjoy creating interfaces with the Ruby-on-the-Rails development environment. 

Ruby is a versatile and portable language that is mainly used for developing data processing software, web servers, DevOps, and desktop SaaS applications. Just like JavaScript, it is an open-source development platform that supports cross-programming for database-centric applications. Coders highly prefer RoR (Ruby on Rails) since it offers the option of pre-written codes in Ruby. Thanks to ‘DRY’- Don’t Repeat Yourself, a concept of Rails, Ruby provides developers convenience and ease and makes file handling communication very straightforward. 

Lastly, Ruby is praised for its built-in security and functionalities that help programmers ensure security for the application and make it equipped to handle unsolicited intrusions and malware. 

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Advantages:

• Quick results, fast runtime for light-code applications
• A secure development platform for SaaS applications with security. 
• Open-source and pocket-friendly software development environment 
• Compatible with Linux, FreeBSD, macOS 
• A reliable full-stack framework that is suitable for industry-centric programming of heavy programs. 
• Convenient debugging and fast quality testing 
• In-built automation for easy application testing
• Pre-equipped with a customer management system, preprocessors, templates, and exclusive libraries or “gems.”

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Disadvantages:

Ruby may be the best choice for developing light applications; however, since SaaS applications are usually robust and heavy with bandwidth to incorporate hundreds of users, Ruby can sometimes lag. 

Additionally, developers have to compromise while customizing the user interface of the SaaS application and cannot transfer databases easily, which often makes Ruby a second choice when choosing a programming language for SaaS application development. 

Since Ruby is still a relatively new language, it is often a second choice for programmers because it's believed not to be ultimately “optimized” yet. Lastly, it's difficult to find as many experts in Ruby as compared to old languages like Python or JavaScript.  

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Python

Python is an age-old, popular high-level, object-oriented programming language. It is a server-side language that supports a range of libraries, strong community support, APIs, and ancillary tools, making it a preferred choice among programmers since 1991. Its extensive development environment is appropriate for heavy SaaS applications for businesses. That said, Python is known primarily for its easy-to-understand universal syntax that allows simple interpretation of its applications, along with its multi-purpose usages and ability to multitask. 

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Advantages:

• Automated testing, scripting of web browsers, and handling databases can be done effortlessly and efficiently with Python Package Index- an archive for frequently used components in software programs. 
• An elaborate range of third-party libraries for fast development. 
• Full-stack web frameworks like Django, microframeworks like Flask, content management systems, and database management systems are also available for Python app development.
• Python also has a port code that can run on various operating systems with zero modifications. Python is reputed to program applications that are supported by all primary operating systems- Windows, macOS, Linux, and UNIX. 

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Disadvantages:

Python is one of the leading programming languages for SaaS application development. However, developers often face an unfortunate lagging at runtime since Python requires an interpreter for codes. 

Since Python comes with a vast range of libraries and functionalities for its users, it takes a lot of computer memory to run. This affects the performance of the computer and makes it difficult for developers to test the applications. Additionally, applications programmed using Python have a slow processing speed because the source code is compiled during runtime. 

Not to mention the fact that Python does not provide enough options for developing a whole application makes it an unpopular choice. 

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CONCLUSION

Before deciding on a programming language and platform for your next SaaS application, criteria like the type of project, size, complexity, delivery time, and system compatibility must be considered. While there is never a clear answer for an obvious winner when it comes to choosing between Node.js, Ruby, and Python, these criteria can help you choose the most lucrative option for your project. 

CognitiveClouds is a SaaS development company that collaborates with startups and enterprises to develop, design, and launch creative, high-tech solutions to ease modern-day problems. We work towards providing quality, user-friendly software for different industries. 

Reach us here to help us help you decide on the best programming platform for your next project. 

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