--- title: 48 companies you didn't know were using Rails in 2026 teaser: Rails is still alive and kicking in 2026, and a lot of companies trust it for their applications and backend infrastructure. tags: ruby on rails,health tech,fintech,saas,devtools,ecommerce,media,entertainment,education author: Valeria Graffeo published_on: 2026-02-26 --- For over twenty-two years, thoughtbot has helped teams build maintainable, scalable software with Ruby on Rails, from early-stage products to platforms serving millions of people every day. Rails is often associated with startups and MVPs. But that framing misses the bigger picture. Rails continues to power production systems across industries including financial services, healthcare, ecommerce, media, developer tools, and enterprise software. These systems handle payments, healthcare data, global logistics, and infrastructure used by millions of users. And importantly, Rails continues to be chosen not just for existing systems, but for new products built well into the 2010s and 2020s, long after alternatives like Node.js, Go, and modern Python frameworks became widely available. This is not inertia. It is an engineering decision. Rails offers a balance of speed, clarity, and long-term maintainability that makes it as relevant today as it was when thoughtbot first started working with it. Here are 48 companies you might not expect to still be using Rails in 2026, and where Rails fits into their systems today. --- ## Healthcare companies built with Rails Healthcare software sits at the intersection of complexity and responsibility. These systems manage clinical workflows, patient records, scheduling, and care delivery, often under strict regulatory and privacy requirements. Rails has become part of the foundation behind many of these platforms. Its conventions and emphasis on clarity make it well suited for systems that need to evolve over time while remaining reliable and understandable. From telehealth and practice management to research and insurance platforms, Rails continues to support software used daily by providers, patients, and healthcare organizations. * [Doximity](https://www.doximity.com/): Often called the LinkedIn for doctors, their platform runs on Rails and supports communication, scheduling, and daily workflows for millions of healthcare professionals. * [Zocdoc](https://www.zocdoc.com/): The marketplace that lets patients find and book doctors online relies on Rails to coordinate appointments, availability, and provider systems. * [SimplePractice](https://www.simplepractice.com/): A practice management platform for behavioral health used by therapists and clinics, built on Rails to handle scheduling, billing, and telehealth. * [MyFitnessPal](https://www.myfitnesspal.com/): One of the most widely used health and fitness tracking apps in the world, with Rails supporting core backend systems behind millions of daily users. * [Omada Health](https://www.omadahealth.com/): Rails supports the backend behind large-scale digital health programs focused on chronic disease prevention. --- ## Financial services and fintech companies using Rails Financial systems have very little tolerance for failure. They handle money, balances, transactions, and compliance, systems where correctness and predictability matter. Rails has quietly become part of the infrastructure behind many of these platforms. Its conventions, mature ecosystem, and focus on clarity make it well suited for building APIs, internal tools, and operational systems that need to evolve while remaining reliable. In many cases, Rails wasn't just used to get started. It became part of the long-term foundation supporting financial products used every day. * [Betterment](https://www.betterment.com/): A pioneer in automated investing, Betterment runs its platform on Rails to orchestrate portfolios, accounts, and financial workflows. * [Square](https://squareup.com/): Rails supports backend systems behind merchant tools, payments, and financial infrastructure used by millions of businesses. * [Wealthfront](https://www.wealthfront.com/): Another early leader in automated investing, Wealthfront relies on Rails to manage accounts, portfolios, and backend financial orchestration. * [Chime](https://www.chime.com/): Financial services and bank accounts with rewards, built using the solidity of Rails. --- ## Consumer platforms and marketplaces powered by Rails Rails isn't limited to startups or consumer products. It's also used inside large industrial and enterprise organizations, where software supports operations, internal tools, and infrastructure that keeps global businesses running. These systems often live behind the scenes, managing workflows, data, and internal platforms used by engineering, manufacturing, and operational teams. Rails' clarity and maintainability make it a strong fit for software that needs to evolve over long periods of time while remaining understandable and reliable. Some of the most recognizable consumer platforms and ecommerce brands run on Rails. These systems handle product catalogs, orders, payments, inventory, logistics, and customer accounts, often at global scale. Rails has proven especially effective for marketplaces and ecommerce platforms, where business logic tends to evolve constantly. Its conventions make it easier to model complex workflows clearly, and its productivity allows teams to ship and adapt quickly as products grow. From online marketplaces and retail brands to subscription platforms and logistics systems, Rails continues to support the infrastructure behind everyday consumer software. * [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/): Rails sits at the center of the platform merchants use to manage products, orders, and their entire online business. * [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/): One of the most well-known Rails success stories, with Rails still handling core marketplace workflows like bookings, payments, and user accounts. * [Instacart](https://www.instacart.com/): Rails helps coordinate the complex logistics between customers, stores, and delivery drivers in real time. * [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/): The crowdfunding platform has relied on Rails since its early days, supporting millions of creators and backers. * [Y Combinator](https://www.ycombinator.com/): The famous accelerator program, has several tools entirely built in Rails in their pocket, like Bookface and Work at a Startup. * [Indiegogo](https://www.indiegogo.com/): Rails runs the backend behind campaigns, payments, and creator tools. * [Gumroad](https://gumroad.com/): Built entirely on Rails, proving a relatively small team can run a global digital commerce platform. * [Fiverr](https://www.fiverr.com/): Rails powers the marketplace connecting freelancers with customers around the world. * [Cookpad](https://cookpad.com/): One of the largest recipe-sharing platforms globally, with Rails supporting content, accounts, and platform infrastructure. * [Reverb](https://reverb.com/): Rails runs the infrastructure behind the marketplace for buying and selling musical instruments. * [Not On The High Street](https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/): Rails powers the platform connecting independent creators with customers. * [Casper](https://casper.com/): Rails powers ecommerce systems behind the mattress brand's rapid growth. --- ## Software platforms and developer tools running on Rails Rails has long been a natural fit for software platforms and developer tools. These systems tend to have complex domain logic, evolving requirements, and long lifespans, all areas where Rails' conventions and clarity make a real difference. Many of these platforms started on Rails and never left. Others chose Rails even after newer backend frameworks became popular, valuing its productivity and maintainability over time. From code hosting and cloud infrastructure to email delivery and internal tooling platforms, Rails continues to support software used by millions of developers and businesses every day. * [GitHub](https://github.com/): The world's largest code host, owned by Microsoft, still runs on a Rails monolith at its core, handling repositories, authentication, permissions, and the workflows developers use every day. * [GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/): Built entirely on Rails, the platform supports everything from source control and CI pipelines to issue tracking and project management. * [HEY](https://www.hey.com/): Launched in 2020 by the creators of Rails, the email service was deliberately built on modern Rails and Hotwire from the start. * [Zendesk](https://www.zendesk.com/): Customer support teams worldwide depend on systems backed by Rails to manage tickets, workflows, and communication. * [Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/): Messaging infrastructure, conversations, and customer workflows are coordinated through backend systems built on Rails. * [Kit](https://kit.com/): Built entirely on Rails, the platform supports email marketing, automation, and creator businesses used by millions. * [DigitalOcean](https://www.digitalocean.com/): The control panel developers use to provision servers, configure infrastructure, and manage billing is powered by Rails. * [SendGrid](https://sendgrid.com/): Rails supports dashboards and internal tools behind one of the world's largest email delivery platforms, owned by Twilio. * [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/): Company profiles, subscriptions, and backend data systems are all managed through a Rails application. * [Gusto](https://gusto.com/): Payroll calculations, tax compliance, and employee management run on Rails, supporting businesses across the United States. * [CloudBees](https://www.cloudbees.com/): Enterprise teams rely on platforms backed by Rails to manage CI/CD pipelines and developer workflows. * [Basecamp](https://basecamp.com/): Built Rails, and still uses it with Hotwire to power its latest products. --- ## Industrial and enterprise systems powered by Rails Rails isn't just used by startups and SaaS companies. It also appears inside large industrial and enterprise organizations, often powering internal tools that support engineering, operations, and critical workflows. These systems rarely get public attention, but they play an essential role in how large companies build, ship, and operate products at global scale. Rails' clarity and maintainability make it a practical choice for software that needs to remain understandable and adaptable over many years. * [Tesla](https://www.tesla.com/): Behind its vehicles and energy products, Tesla uses Rails in internal platforms that support operational tools and engineering workflows. * [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/): Known globally for financial data terminals and market infrastructure, Bloomberg uses Rails in internal systems supporting its software and data platforms. * [UL Solutions](https://www.ul.com/): The safety certification company relies on Rails in software used to manage testing, compliance, and certification workflows. * [General Motors](https://www.gm.com/): One of the world's largest automakers uses Rails in internal applications supporting engineering and enterprise operations. * [Bosch](https://www.bosch.com/): The multinational engineering and technology company uses Rails in internal platforms that support its global software and hardware operations. --- ## Media and entertainment platforms built with Rails Media platforms manage a constant flow of content, users, and interactions. Behind the scenes, they rely on systems that coordinate publishing workflows, subscriptions, creator tools, and internal dashboards. Rails has become part of that infrastructure. Its conventions and maintainability make it well suited for platforms that need to evolve continuously while remaining reliable, especially as content and audiences grow over time. * [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/): The live streaming platform used by millions of creators relies on Rails in backend systems supporting accounts, subscriptions, and creator infrastructure. * [SoundCloud](https://soundcloud.com/): One of the early Rails success stories, SoundCloud built its platform on Rails and continues to use it as part of its backend today. * [Scribd](https://www.scribd.com/): The digital reading subscription service uses Rails to support content access, subscriptions, and platform workflows. * [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/): The book discovery platform, now owned by Amazon, was built on Rails and still relies on it for core backend systems. * [Dribbble](https://dribbble.com/): Rails supports the design community platform where millions of designers share work and connect. * [iTunes/Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/): While Ruby on Rails is not the core language used for the consumer app, it is used on the company's analytics platform. --- ## Education platforms running on Rails Education platforms need to manage users, content, progress, and interactions across millions of learners. These systems evolve constantly, adapting to new formats, new tools, and new ways of delivering learning online. Rails provides a foundation that makes this possible. Its conventions and productivity make it well suited for platforms that need to grow and adapt while remaining maintainable over time. * [Treehouse](https://teamtreehouse.com/): Rails powers backend systems supporting subscriptions, course delivery, and user management. * [Teachable](https://www.teachable.com/): Built on Rails, Teachable enables creators to build and sell their own online courses. * [GoRails](https://gorails.com/): The Rails learning platform itself runs on Rails, powering lessons, subscriptions, and user accounts. * [NoRedInk](https://www.noredink.com/): Rails supports backend systems behind the writing platform used by millions of students and teachers and builds stronger writers through interest-based curriculum, adaptive exercises, and actionable data. --- ## Building software, and teams, that last Rails continues to power production systems inside companies operating at massive scale, from marketplaces and fintech platforms to healthcare, media, and developer tools. thoughtbot partners with teams to design, build, and evolve Rails applications that are clear, maintainable, and built to last. That includes helping launch new products, improve existing systems, and support teams as they grow. If you're thinking about building or evolving a Rails application, we would love to help. [Let's chat](https://thoughtbot.com/hire-us).