# What do you think about commercial applications for Rails? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 27, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-commercial-applications-for-rails/77329 "2006-11-27T01:52:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-commercial-applications-for-rails/77329/1 "2006-11-27T01:52:40Z")
Hello all, I’m a RoR fan. I’ve read some RoR books, and I’m starting to use RoR for commercial proyects. As I use RoR more and more, I think about inexistent tools that would be great to have when developing applications in RoR. For example: an IDE with more features than RadRails. So then I think “hey! you could produce one of these tools”. Some of these tools, I believe, would be really great for improving efficiency while developing RoR applications… and here comes my question for all of you: do you think that it’s ok to produce commercial applications for RoR users? Suppose that I release a commercial IDE, and it rocks. Would you think that I suck because RoR is free, Migrations are free, the plugins are free, but my IDE isn’t free? I’m asking you this, because I’m not sure of the answer… for one part, I prefer RoR over [ASP.NET](http://ASP.NET) in part because Visual Studio is very expensive. However, if you can only expect open-source developments for RoR, you will have to wait many years to get a great IDE like Visual Studio, for Rails. When answering to this question, don’t think only about an IDE, think about smaller products, like: plugins, components, etc. Should all of them be open source? Would you buy a commercial tool to use for your Rails proyects if it is a good tool and the price is fair? Cheers, Federico F. ---
**Author:** ![pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-commercial-applications-for-rails/77329/2 "2006-11-27T02:05:23Z")
I, like many people have paid for TextMate. I could have used radrails, or some other editor, but I picked textmate because I like it. If the price and product are right, why not. Some may refuse for ‘ideological’ reasons, but if it’s a good tool, well that’s their loss. Fred ---
**Author:** ![pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-commercial-applications-for-rails/77329/3 "2006-11-27T05:02:54Z")
Frederick C. wrote: > I, like many people have paid for TextMate. I could have used radrails, > or some other editor, but I picked textmate because I like it. > If the price and product are right, why not. Some may refuse for > ‘ideological’ reasons, but if it’s a good tool, well that’s their loss. > > Fred Yep, you are right… I didn’t think about Textmate :d Your sinlge post was enough for me to see that it’s ok to have commercial applications as alternatives, even if the core of the framework is open source. I’m now thinking about all those commercial plugins, tools and components for php. I was a bit lost, because I haven’t seen commercial things for rails. Thanks, Federico F. ---
**Author:** ![pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 10:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-commercial-applications-for-rails/77329/4 "2006-11-27T10:55:05Z")
There’s nothing wrong with producing commercial software for Rails, I doubt you’ll find many mac users on this list who haven’t purchased themselves a copy of Textmate. The key change in philosophy though is that any software has to pass the value test. Gone are the days when large companies footed the bill for expensive software licenses. Many Rails developers work for small independent companies or startups so Applications like Textmate which provide excellent productivity improvements for modest investment are successful, whereas bloated, expensive applications will most likeley not be. On 11/27/06, Federico F. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > expensive. However, if you can only expect open-source developments for > > – > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). > > > – Ross R. [www.sorrylies.com](http://www.sorrylies.com) ---
**Author:** ![pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pix)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-commercial-applications-for-rails/77329/5 "2006-11-29T00:53:17Z")
Federico F. wrote: > Your sinlge post was enough for me to see that it’s ok to have > commercial applications as alternatives, even if the core of the > framework is open source. I’m now thinking about all those commercial > plugins, tools and components for php. I was a bit lost, because I > haven’t seen commercial things for rails. There’s also Arachno IDE and Komodo, and Ruby in Steel for Visual Studio. What I hope you will _never_ find in the Ruby/Rails world is tools costing $3000+ per seat. Many of the Java developers I work with, using Rational Application Developer (expensive, based on an old version of Eclipse) would rather be using the current Eclipse version. regards Justin F. ---
**Author:** ![pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@pix](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-commercial-applications-for-rails/77329/6 "2006-11-27T15:59:49Z")
Don’t forget all the books about Rails and about using Rails that aren’t free. 🙂 – Building an e-commerce site with Rails? [http://www.agilewebdevelopment.com/rails-ecommerce](http://www.agilewebdevelopment.com/rails-ecommerce)