Rails 8 • Hotwire • Solid Queue • Stripe • GitHub • Kamal

Build a production-ready SaaS with Rails 8.

One book, one app, start to finish. You'll go from rails new to a deployed SaaS with authentication, background jobs, email, Stripe subscriptions, webhooks, and real-time UI. All using what ships with Rails 8.

Get the book Read sample chapters
400+ pages of practical instruction No blog tutorial fluff Built around a real SaaS app
Rails 8 Turbo 8 Stimulus Solid Queue Solid Cache Solid Cable PostgreSQL Stripe GitHub API + Webhooks Kamal 2
Build a SaaS App in Ruby on Rails 8 book cover
Most tutorials stop at CRUD and call it done. I wrote this because I couldn't find a book that actually shipped a real app. No blog clones. No enterprise rabbit holes. Just the parts that matter when you want someone to pay you.
No toy storefront No fake social clone No giant enterprise detour Just a real SaaS build

What you'll actually build

A Daily Standup app with multi-tenant teams, paid plans, real-time updates, and third-party integrations. Every chapter adds to the same codebase. I run Status Cat on the same stack.

Core product features

  • Users, teams, and standup entries with the data relationships real SaaS apps have
  • Daily tasks and blockers tied to team schedules
  • Email reminders and daily recap emails via Action Mailbox (users can reply by email)
  • Real-time UI updates without writing JavaScript

Revenue and integrations

  • Multiple plans and paid subscriptions via Stripe
  • Stripe checkout, billing portal, and safe webhook handling
  • GitHub OAuth, API access, and webhook-driven event sync
  • Rails.event for structured internal event reporting

Production architecture

  • Background jobs with Active Job and Solid Queue (including Mission Control)
  • Hotwire: Turbo 8 page morphing, Turbo Frames, and Stimulus
  • Performance: N+1 detection, caching with Solid Cache, YJIT, pagination
  • Deployment with Kamal 2, Hatchbox, or Heroku

Why this book instead of tutorials

Most Rails content either stops at CRUD or goes deep into theory with nothing to show for it. This book stays practical the whole way through. Enough depth to build a real product, no chapters just to fill pages.

What's different about it

  • One SaaS app from start to finish, not disconnected examples you can't connect
  • Modern Rails 8 patterns and defaults throughout (no outdated workarounds)
  • Covers the parts that trip people up (Stripe webhooks, real-time, deployment)
  • Explains why things are done a certain way, not just which command to run

Who this is for

  • Developers building their first real SaaS and tired of tutorials that stop halfway
  • Rails devs updating their stack to Rails 8 patterns
  • Indie hackers who want to ship something, not just study
  • Anyone who learns by building a complete thing start to finish

What's inside

14 chapters from first app to production deploy. The first half builds the Rails foundation. The second half gets into the SaaS-specific stuff: payments, email, real-time features, integrations, deployment, and more.

Foundations

  1. Ruby on Rails and Your First App: create a sample app and understand the conventions behind Rails
  2. Testing and You: why testing matters, different test types, and CI
  3. Starting Your SaaS App: system requirements, Git, Importmaps, Turbo, and TailwindCSS
  4. Users Are Everything: built-in Rails 8 authentication, friendly URLs, user invites, and account flows
  5. Business Models and Logic: the resources users interact with and how they relate to each other
  6. Service Objects: when there's too much business logic in your controllers
  7. ActiveJob and Solid Queue: where background tasks fit in, how to create, schedule, and monitor them with Mission Control

SaaS systems

  1. Mailers and You: ActionMailer from generation to edge cases, plus receiving and parsing email replies with Action Mailbox
  2. Hotwire: Turbo 8 page morphing, Turbo Frames, Stimulus, and ActionCable/SolidCable for real-time UI
  3. Stripe Payments and Subscriptions: plans, billing portal, webhooks, plan limits, and safe payment handling
  4. Third-Party Integrations: GitHub OAuth, API access, webhook handling, Rails.event for internal events, and analytics
  5. Speeding Up Rails: N+1 queries, async queries, database indexes, pagination, YJIT, and SolidCache
  6. Deploying: Kamal 2 on your own server, Hatchbox, or Heroku
  7. Going Further: Active Record encryption, AR Normalizes, error reporting, deeper Solid Queue patterns, and AI in Rails

Formats

PDF, ePub, and MOBI. Read it in whatever app you already use.

Source code

Chapter-by-chapter source so you can check your work or jump to any point in the app. (Complete Package includes this per-chapter. Book Only gets the finished app.)

Exercises + cheat sheets

End-of-chapter exercises to reinforce what you just built, and cheat sheets for the commands you'll reach for repeatedly.

Get the book

Both options include the full book. The Complete Package adds per-chapter source code, cheat sheets, exercises, community access, and the Rails 7 edition.

Most complete

Complete Package

$149
$77
  • Rails 8 eBook in PDF, ePub, and MOBI
  • Full chapter-by-chapter source code
  • Exercises and cheat sheets
  • Private Slack community
  • Copy of Build a SaaS App in Ruby on Rails 7 included
Pre Sale | $149 $77
Just the essentials

Book Only

$79
$37
  • Rails 8 eBook in PDF, ePub, and MOBI
  • Full source code for the finished app
  • Perfect if you just want the book and code
Pre Sale | $79 $37

Read a few sample chapters first

Drop your email and I'll send you a few chapters over the next few days. Get a feel for the writing style and depth before you buy.

FAQ

Do you take PayPal?

Yes. Gumroad's payment system allows you to use PayPal right on the form. When you get to the payment widget, there is a PayPal button on the upper right corner.

What else comes with it?

Depends on the package. Book Only gets the full book and finished app source code. Complete Package adds per-chapter source, exercises, cheat sheets, private Slack, and the Rails 7 edition.

Looking for Build A SaaS App in Rails 7?

You can access it at Build A SaaS App In Rails 7.

What format is the book in?

PDF, ePub, and MOBI.

What if I don't like it?

Email me and I'll refund you, no questions asked and no time limit.

Anything else?

Just send me an email at rob@succinctsoftwarellc.com

About the author

Rob Race

Hi, I'm Rob. I run Succinct Software and have been building web apps professionally for over 11 years. The techniques in this book are the ones I use in production. You can find my writing on my blog and on Twitter/X.

Status: content complete (v0.9), currently in final editing. Presale pricing applies until release.