How to build a SaaS Rails site in one hour
22 Apr 2008A lot of us are building web applications that we sell (or hope to sell) to customers on a subscription basis, like Catch the Best. Every time you and I build one of those applications, we need to build a billing system to go along with it. I imagine you and I would build pretty similar solutions to that problem, and if you’re like me, you’d actually rather spend your time on more interesting things than a recurring billing system. Would you like to have a shortcut that would allow you to skip writing the code for managing accounts, upgrades, renewals, etc. Would you like to have a ready-made kit that would allow you to build a software-as-a-service Rails application in one hour?
If so, then check out my latest venture, Rails Kits, and the first Rails Kit, the Software as a Service Rails Kit. This Rails Kit provides a complete recurring billing solution for Rails apps. It’s actually a Rails application that you can use as a starting point for your own Rails application. It will give you a head start on building your app, complete with logins provided by the restful_authentication plugin, SSL protection provided by the SslRequirement plugin, and credit card processing provided by ActiveMerchant.
You get account management, including self-serve upgrades and downgrades, free trials, automated billing. Right off the bat you get the ability to tier your plan levels based on user limits, and it’s very easy to define your own limits (storage space, number of projects, etc.). You get support for accounts keyed on subdomains, with scoping to help ensure customers see only their own data. Check out the features list for more info.
If you want to save yourself some time building your next Rails application, check out the SaaS Rails Kit now. You’ll be up and running with an application that can start making money in no time.
Wow, just what we need for some upcoming apps. Great stuff, I’ll be sure to get a license soon.
Hey, Ben!
Speaking of SaaS and Rails, have you ever checked out morphexchange.com? Do yo think Rails Kits can be deployed there as well.
Best.
alain
Nice first kit.
With the SaaS – it is a starting point for an app? or do you run it as a separate app to handle account creation + billing etc; and build your main app independently (with some DB table cross-over)?
Perhaps slap DHH’s Startup School video in the article too to put the coolness of the kit into context.
Thanks, Dr Nic! It’s the starting point for an app, so you don’t run it separately. You could, of course, also move the models, etc. from the Kit into your existing app to add subscription functionality to it.
Friarminor, if Morph Exchange can run Rails apps, then yes. :)
Do you have any examples of sites actually using the framework/kit?
Holden, yes: Catch the Best. I have other client applications using it that haven’t quite launched yet.
I know you put in your time in getting this to work smoothly but what you are doing is selling back to the community rather than giving back to the open source community by using open source plugins/ruby gems.
Kt, I think you can read through my blog, download my sample OpenID application, download my shipping code, or even just browse through the Rails plugin directory that I maintain to see that I do make contributions back to the community.
Ben,
I know who you are, I know you are an active contributor to the Rails community and I applaud those contributions. But what I’m really trying to drive at is: this will hopefully not start a trend with the Ruby/Rails community in moving toward your “SaaS Software” paradigm.
Simple, what if restful_authentication wasn’t open sourced, and was offered as a SaaS software? This would hurt the Rails community indirectly, or any Open source community.
Kt, I understand where you’re coming from. However, this code is interesting only to developers who will be using it for a commercial purpose, so it’s a little different audience than restful_authentication, for example.
Ben;
I get where the open sourcers are coming from. But I also have experienced the difference between stuff that is given away (substruct) and stuff that isn’t (shopify).
I’m glad you are charging for it. It gives buyers a reason to be upset if it doesn’t work, and that will cause you to deliver a good product.
Sail on.
Phil