# A vanilla Rails stack is plenty

DevFeed: [A vanilla Rails stack is plenty](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/a-vanilla-rails-stack-is-plenty-33494.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://dev.37signals.com/a-vanilla-rails-stack-is-plenty/>)

Author: Jorge Manrubia

Published: 2024-12-12T18:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [37signals Dev](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/37signals-dev.md>)

Topics: [Rails](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/rails.md>), [Hotwire](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/hotwire.md>), [PWA](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/pwa.md>), [Ruby](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ruby.md>), [Stimulus](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/stimulus.md>), [Web Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web-development.md>)

Tags: [frameworks](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/frameworks.md>), [hotwire](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/hotwire.md>), [pwa](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/pwa.md>), [rails](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/rails.md>), [ruby](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ruby.md>), [stimulus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/stimulus.md>), [test](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/test.md>)

## AI overview

The article recommends a vanilla Rails 8 stack with minimal Ruby and JavaScript dependencies, server-rendered views, Hotwire, import maps, standard CSS, relational-database-backed services, Minitest, PWAs, and Kamal deployment. It presents this approach as 37signals' balance of productivity, user experience, and long-term maintainability.

## Source excerpt

Minimal dependencies, maximum productivity. Staying vanilla pays long term dividends for your Rails apps.