A complete, practical Rails 8 book

Build and ship a complete SaaS with Rails 8.

This book connects the parts that turn a Rails app into a paid product: accounts, background jobs, email, Stripe subscriptions, webhooks, real-time UI, and deployment. Follow it front to back for a complete build, or use it as a practical guide to modern Rails 8 systems.

400+ finished pages Complete, working source code No-time-limit refund
Build a SaaS App in Ruby on Rails 8 book cover
The hard part is seeing how the systems fit together. Authentication, billing, background work, email, integrations, and deployment are often explained in isolation. This book keeps them in one application so you can see the boundaries, tradeoffs, and code that connects them.

What you'll actually build

Across 14 chapters you'll build a Daily Standup app with teams, paid plans, real-time updates, and third-party integrations. Every chapter adds to the same finished codebase, so you can follow the build in order or inspect the completed application.

Build the product

  • Model users, teams, schedules, and standup entries
  • Add authentication, invitations, and account boundaries
  • Update the interface in real time with Hotwire

Make it a SaaS

  • Sell multiple plans through Stripe
  • Handle billing changes and webhooks safely
  • Send, receive, and process product email

Run it in production

  • Move work into Active Job and Solid Queue
  • Find and fix common performance problems
  • Deploy with Kamal 2, Hatchbox, or Heroku
Try it before you buy it

Read a complete sample chapter

Enter your email and I'll send the first sample chapter to your inbox, followed by a few more over the next several days. You'll see the writing style, the level of detail, and how the code is explained before you spend anything.

  • Real material from the finished Rails 8 edition
  • Enough code and context to judge whether the book fits you
  • Unsubscribe whenever you want

The chapter will be delivered by email.

What's inside

The book follows one app from the first Rails commands through billing and deployment. The material is organized into four practical stages.

1. Get the foundation right

Set up Rails 8, testing, CI, TailwindCSS, Turbo, authentication, and the data model that supports the rest of the product.

2. Add product behavior

Move business logic into maintainable objects, run work in the background, send and receive email, and build real-time interactions with Hotwire.

3. Connect revenue and services

Add Stripe subscriptions, plan limits, billing webhooks, GitHub OAuth, API access, application events, and analytics.

4. Make it ready to run

Work through common performance problems, caching, pagination, deployment options, encryption, error reporting, and deeper Solid Queue patterns.

See all 14 chapters

Foundations

  1. Ruby on Rails and Your First App
  2. Testing and You
  3. Starting Your SaaS App
  4. Users Are Everything
  5. Business Models and Logic
  6. Service Objects
  7. Active Job and Solid Queue

SaaS systems

  1. Mailers and You
  2. Hotwire
  3. Stripe Payments and Subscriptions
  4. Third-Party Integrations
  5. Speeding Up Rails
  6. Deploying
  7. Going Further
Launch pricing

Get the book

The finished Rails 8 edition is available now at launch pricing. Both options include the complete book and source code for the finished app. The launch discount will not be permanent.

The essentials

Book Only

$37 $79
  • Rails 8 eBook in PDF, ePub, and MOBI
  • Full source code for the finished app
  • A direct path from the first chapter to deployment
Get Book Only for $37
Follow every chapter

Complete Package

$77 $149
Get the Complete Package for $77

Try the book without worrying about the purchase. If it isn't a fit, email me for a full refund. There is no time limit.

About the author

Rob Race

Hi, I'm Rob. I run Succinct Software and have been building web apps professionally for over 11 years. My current active Rails SaaS project is CatchHook, a webhook debugging app for inspecting and replaying requests. You can find more of my writing on my blog.

Ready now: The Rails 8 edition and its accompanying source code are complete.

A few practical questions

How much Rails should I know?

Basic Ruby familiarity helps. If Rails is newer to you, the opening chapters cover conventions, your first app, testing, and setup before moving into the SaaS systems. If you already use Rails, you can move quickly into the architecture, billing, integrations, performance, and deployment chapters.

What format is the book in?

PDF, ePub, and MOBI.

Do you take PayPal?

Yes. Gumroad lets you choose PayPal in the checkout form.

Looking for the Rails 7 edition?

You can find it at Build a SaaS App in Rails 7. It is also included with the Complete Package.

Still have a question?

Email me at rob@succinctsoftwarellc.com.