Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ruby on Rails VS SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites

Compare Ruby on Rails VS SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites and see what are their differences

Ruby on Rails logo Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is an open source full-stack web application framework for the Ruby programming...

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites logo SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites

Build full web applications using just SQL queries
  • Ruby on Rails Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23

We recommend LibHunt Ruby for discovery and comparisons of trending Ruby projects. Also, to find more open-source ruby alternatives, you can check out libhunt.com/r/rails

  • SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites Homepage
    Homepage //
    2025-03-03
  • SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites SQLPage's Homepage is written in... SQLPage!
    SQLPage's Homepage is written in... SQLPage! //
    2024-12-02
  • SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites SQLPage card component
    SQLPage card component //
    2024-12-02
  • SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites A form built in SQLPage
    A form built in SQLPage //
    2024-12-02
  • SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites sqlpage editor demo
    sqlpage editor demo //
    2025-03-03
  • SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites Bompard, a french luxury company, built their performance monitoring tool in SQLPage
    Bompard, a french luxury company, built their performance monitoring tool in SQLPage //
    2024-12-02
  • SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites A school headmaster built an app for his school, alone.
    A school headmaster built an app for his school, alone. //
    2024-12-02

Description

SQLPage is an open-source tool designed for building dynamic web applications quickly, directly from database queries. It focuses on simplicity, allowing data people to leverage SQL expertise to create database-driven web apps. It supports PostgreSQL, SQLite, MySQL, and SQL Server.


Strengths

  • SQL-Centric Development: Removes the many layers of complexity traditionally involved in building apps. No frontend or backend framework.
  • Full CRUD Support: Goes beyond dashboard tools by enabling dynamic user interactions like form submissions, updates, and deletions.
  • Extensibility: Offers customizable built-in components (tables, forms, charts, maps, etc.) that adapt to different visualization needs.
  • Lightweight and Efficient: Distributed as a single executable, SQLPage is built in Rust for performance and security.
  • Open Source: Completely free and highly customizable for unique project requirements.

Comparison with Alternatives

  • Vs. Retool/Appsmith: SQLPage offers deeper SQL integration and flexibility to build custom tools but currently lacks the drag-and-drop UI and integrations of No-Code tools.
  • Vs. Airtable/Knack: SQLPage supports more complex queries and dynamic interactions but requires a more technical skillset to set up and manage.
  • Vs. Traditional Frameworks (e.g., Django, Ruby on Rails): Faster setup and iteration for database-driven apps but less flexibility when advanced code-based workflows are deeply integrated into the UI.
  • Vs. BI Tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker): Adds interactivity and CRUD operations, but fewer advanced graph types.

SQLPage excels in scenarios where rapid development of data-driven web applications is needed, especially for custom tools, prototypes, or admin panels.

Ruby on Rails features and specs

  • Rapid Development
    Ruby on Rails uses conventions over configurations which allows developers to build applications quickly. It comes with a wealth of built-in tools and libraries that streamline the development process.
  • Community Support
    Rails has a vibrant and active community. This means a lot of third-party libraries (gems) are available, and you can easily find help and resources.
  • Convention over Configuration
    Rails emphasizes convention over configuration, which reduces the number of decisions developers need to make. This can increase productivity and consistency across projects.
  • Built-in Testing
    Rails comes with a strong built-in testing framework, making it easier to test your application and ensure that it works as expected.
  • Scalability Options
    Although it has a reputation for not being the most scalable framework, Rails can be made scalable with good architecture and the right tools.
  • RESTful Design
    Rails promotes RESTful application design, which means that it aligns well with best practices in web development and makes it easier to build APIs.

Possible disadvantages of Ruby on Rails

  • Performance
    Ruby on Rails can be slower than some other frameworks, particularly for applications that require a lot of computation or have high traffic.
  • Learning Curve
    While Rails makes many things easier with its conventions, this can create a steep learning curve for newcomers who need to understand the 'Rails way' of doing things.
  • Scalability Concerns
    Due to its monolithic nature, scaling Rails can be challenging, requiring significant architectural changes and optimizations.
  • Lesser Flexibility
    The conventions that make Rails easy to use can also be limiting. When you need to do something outside the typical Rails flow, it may be harder to implement.
  • Runtime Speed
    Ruby, the language that Rails is built on, is generally slower in terms of execution speed compared to other languages like Java or C++.
  • Memory Consumption
    Rails applications can consume a lot of memory, which can be a concern for large-scale applications or those with limited resources.

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites features and specs

  • SQL Execution
    Short learning curve, easy to use, interoperable with existing tools.
  • Data Visualization
    Visualize your data not only as classical charts, but also as interactive maps, lists, data cards, forms and much more
  • Forms
    Quickly build forms to insert data into your database

Analysis of Ruby on Rails

Overall verdict

  • Ruby on Rails is generally considered a good choice for web development, especially for startups and small to medium-sized businesses looking to rapidly develop and iterate on their products.

Why this product is good

  • Ruby on Rails is a popular web application framework known for its simplicity and productivity. It offers a convention over configuration approach that speeds up the development process. Its strong community and rich ecosystem of gems make it easier for developers to implement complex functionalities quickly.

Recommended for

  • Startups looking to prototype quickly
  • Developers who prefer a simple and elegant syntax
  • Teams that prioritize rapid development
  • Applications that rely on CRUD operations

Ruby on Rails videos

Ruby On Rails Biggest Waste Of Time In 2020 | Ruby on Rails Dead

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Ruby on Rails Tutorial | Build a Book Review App - Part 1

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites videos

SQLPage — Building a full web application with nothing but Postgres and SQL queries

More videos:

  • Tutorial - SQLPage tutorial video series
  • Demo - Introduction to SQLPage

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ruby on Rails and SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites)
Developer Tools
96 96%
4% 4
Web Frameworks
100 100%
0% 0
Javascript UI Libraries
0 0%
100% 100
Python Web Framework
100 100%
0% 0

Questions and Answers

As answered by people managing Ruby on Rails and SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites.

What makes your product unique?

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites's answer:

SQLPage enables creating web apps entirely with SQL, bypassing traditional web programming languages, while producing clean, functional web pages.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites's answer:

  1. Simplified Development:

    • Unlike traditional web frameworks (e.g., Django, Flask, or Ruby on Rails), SQLPage eliminates the need for separate programming layers. Applications are built using SQL directly, reducing complexity and time-to-market.
    • Tools like Microsoft Access or Airtable focus on low-code development but often involve proprietary systems or limited web integration. SQLPage, being open-source, provides better customization and scalability.
  2. Direct Database Integration:

    • Compared to BI tools like Tableau or Power BI, which offer visualizations but lack direct data modification, SQLPage integrates with relational databases for both read and write operations.
    • SQLPage also offers support for multiple database types (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server) without relying on intermediate APIs or additional query tools.
  3. Full Web Application Support:

    • SQLPage supports dynamic components (forms, charts, etc.) and HTTP functionalities like authentication and JSON API creation, which many BI tools or visualization platforms lack.
    • Traditional CMS platforms like WordPress or Drupal offer dynamic content capabilities but require PHP, templates, and plugins. SQLPage achieves similar results with a simpler SQL-based model.
  4. Performance and Security:

    • Unlike server-side frameworks that often require substantial middleware (Node.js, Python servers), SQLPage is lightweight and Rust-based, delivering faster performance and secure-by-default implementations.
    • It also protects against common vulnerabilities (SQL injection, XSS) without requiring developers to manage these themselves, unlike in raw frameworks or traditional web servers.
  5. Cost-Effectiveness and Open Source:

    • SQLPage is free and open-source, offering significant advantages over proprietary platforms or tools that charge per user or usage (e.g., Salesforce, Airtable).

Best Use Case: SQLPage excels for users looking to quickly build interactive, data-driven web applications without investing in a complex tech stack or expensive proprietary platforms.

How would you describe your primary audience?

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites's answer:

Data scientists, analysts, and business intelligence teams who need to create data-driven applications without a deep expertise in web development or a lot of time to get from idea to production.

What's the story behind your product?

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites's answer:

SQLPage was designed to simplify the process of building web apps by leveraging SQL as the sole development language, reducing complexity and focusing on declarative, data-centric application design.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites's answer:

Rust for the backend. actix-web for handling HTTP requests. Handlebars for rendering HTML templates. Tabler for clean UI components.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites's answer:

Eric Bompard, the Must-Have Cashmere Brand

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Ruby on Rails and SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites

Ruby on Rails Reviews

  1. Stan
    · Founder at SaaSHub ·
    The most productive web framework

    Yes, there are other more trending frameworks; however, nothing reaches the productivity of Rails. It's simply unbeatable if you have a small team.

    For example both SaaSHub and LibHunt were built on Rails.

    🏁 Competitors: Django, Laravel

Top 9 best Frameworks for web development
The best frameworks for web development include React, Angular, Vue.js, Django, Spring, Laravel, Ruby on Rails, Flask and Express.js. Each of these frameworks has its own advantages and distinctive features, so it is important to choose the framework that best suits the needs of your project.
Source: www.kiwop.com
Top 5 Laravel Alternatives
In terms of documentation, guidelines, and libraries, Ruby on Rails is the superior framework for smaller applications. Since it entered the online scene before Laravel, its community is larger and more well-liked among programmers. When compared to other Laravel alternatives, Ruby’s code is much simpler to understand and write.
Top 10 Phoenix Framework Alternatives
While modern frameworks try to minimize the tradeoffs to a limited extent, none of them has come closer to the implementation of the Phoenix Framework, which offers Ruby on Rails levels of productivity while being one of the fastest frameworks available in the market.
10 Ruby on Rails Alternatives For Web Development in 2022
Once a prolific web development technology, in 2021, both Ruby and Ruby on Rails are considered dying technologies. The data speaks for itself. In October 2021, Ruby lost 3 ranks in the Tiobe Index compared to October 2020 and became the 16th most searched programming language. The same decline in Ruby on Rails popularity is demonstrated by Google Trends. The language...
Get Over Ruby on Rails — 3 Alternative Web Frameworks Worth Checking Out
Disclaimer: I started working on this article before the big controversy about Basecamp happened. I don’t want to make any point about this in the article. Regardless of what DHH and others are saying on different topics, Ruby on Rails is still a great piece of software and will continue to be. But there are some great alternatives as well that I would like to highlight.

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites Reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ruby on Rails should be more popular than SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites. It has been mentiond 143 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ruby on Rails mentions (143)

  • 🔥 Why Everyone Is Talking About HTMX: The Game-Changer for Web Development
    🌍 Who Should Use HTMX? ✅ Django / Flask / Rails developers ✅ Express / Node.js backend lovers ✅ Fullstack devs who want LESS frontend headache ✅ Teams jo SSR + SEO ko priority dete hain. - Source: dev.to / 19 days ago
  • Unlocking Opportunities: How to Thrive as a Ruby Engineer in Today's Tech Landscape
    Ruby on Rails open source projects. Contribute and learn at the same time. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Open Source: A Goldmine for Indie Hackers
    Speed of Development: Frameworks such as Django or Rails accelerate the development process. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Indie Hacking with Open Source Tools: Innovating on a Budget
    This ecosystem is fueled by repositories hosting powerful languages, functions, and versatile tools—from backend frameworks like Django and Ruby on Rails to containerization with Docker and distributed version control via Git. Moreover, indie hackers can also utilize open source design tools (e.g. GIMP, Inkscape) and analytics platforms such as Matomo. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Charybdis ORM: Building High-Performance Distributed Rust Backends with ScyllaDB
    Ruby on Rails (RoR) is one of the most renowned web frameworks. When combined with SQL databases, RoR transforms into a powerhouse for developing back-end (or even full-stack) applications. It resolves numerous issues out of the box, sometimes without developers even realizing it. For example, with the right callbacks, complex business logic for a single API action is automatically wrapped within a transaction,... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
View more

SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites mentions (20)

  • The Demise of the Mildly Dynamic Website
    This article resonates with me. I do love "mildly dynamic websites", and have fond memories of my days hacking together PHP websites 15 years ago. And what I am working on today might be called a bridge for the "dynamicity gap". I'm making an open source server to write web apps entirely in SQL ( https://sql.ophir.dev/ ). It has the "one file per page" logic of PHP, and makes it easy to add bits of dynamic... - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • SQLPage – Building a full web application with nothing but SQL queries [video]
    Saving a few clicks for readers: Project page: https://sql.ophir.dev/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Bruno
    I am currently looking for a solution to run automated tests on a sql website generator I am working on ( https://sql.ophir.dev ) I wanted to use hurl (https://hurl.dev/), but Bruno's UI seems to be useful while developing the tests... Has someone tried both ? Which is better for automated testing, including when the response type is html and not json? - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Apache Superset
    Full fledged BI tools like Superset and Metabase are amazing for their intended use cases. But they may be an overkill if your primary use case is to infrequently build semi-interactive reports for non-technical end-users and your use cases are are mostly covered by standard graphs & tables. Esp. So if you are familiar with SQL and have access to the underlying data source. Two nifty utilities I have found to be... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • PostgREST: Providing HTML Content Using Htmx
    I feel obligated to add a shameless plug here. The idea is very close to a project I presented at pgconf.eu last week: SQLPage https://sql.ophir.dev/ SQLPage has the same goal as postgrest+htmx, but is a little bit higher level. It let's you build your application using prepackaged components you can invoke directly from SQL, without having to write any HTML, CSS, or JS. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ruby on Rails and SQLPage - Build SQL-only websites, you can also consider the following products

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

htmx - high power tools for HTML

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Postgres.js - Postgres.js - The Fastest full featured PostgreSQL client for Node.js - porsager/postgres

ASP.NET - ASP.NET is a free web framework for building great Web sites and Web applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Aircall for HubSpot - Document and organize every phone call instantly in HubSpot