NostalgiaPHP vs Ruby on Rails
Framework heavyweight meets folder of files.
Rails in a Nutshell
- Rails popularized the modern web framework: MVC, migrations, scaffolding, ORM, helpers, asset pipeline, gems, the works.
- Convention over configuration: you get generators, opinionated folder structures, helpers, and rails-specific idioms.
- It’s fantastic if you’re building a web app with data models, users, authentication, dashboards, and lots of interactions.
- The tradeoff: complexity. You need Ruby, Bundler, Rails installed. You inherit conventions. You have to learn “the Rails way.”
NostalgiaPHP in a Nutshell
- Not a framework at all. Just plain PHP + folders.
- Your “database” is Markdown files.
- Your “views” are PHP partials and templates.
- Your “routes” are basically
index.phpwithif/else. - Deployment = drop the folder on a server that has PHP.
- Backup = copy the folder.
It’s not trying to be Rails lite. It’s the opposite philosophy: strip away everything until the files themselves are the source of truth.
Key Contrasts
| Dimension | Rails | NostalgiaPHP |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Install Ruby, Rails, Bundler, configure DB | Upload folder to server with PHP |
| Content | Database tables & ActiveRecord models | Markdown files with front-matter |
| Architecture | MVC (models, views, controllers) | Pages, collections, partials |
| Flexibility | Tons of plugins (gems) | Roll your own partials/templates |
| Performance | Runs Ruby app server (Puma/Passenger) | Served directly by Apache/Nginx + PHP |
| Scaling | Suited for apps with lots of business logic | Suited for content-heavy small sites |
| Learning | Learn Rails conventions | Know PHP basics, Markdown, HTML, CSS |
| Deployment | Capistrano, Heroku, containerization | Copy folder to webroot, done |
Who They’re For
- Rails: web application developers who need complexity: user accounts, APIs, dashboards, background jobs, scaling.
- NostalgiaPHP: people who want to ship a website, not an app. Something closer to “digital documents + light design.”
The Overlap
Ironically, both Rails and NostalgiaPHP were born from the same itch: stop reinventing the wheel.
- Rails said: “We keep writing the same controllers, migrations, and forms. Let’s codify them into a framework.”
- NostalgiaPHP says: “We keep writing the same header, footer, and blog loop. Let’s boil it down to a folder of Markdown and a few PHP files.”
👉 So if Rails is a Swiss Army knife with every attachment, NostalgiaPHP is a pocketknife — sharp, portable, good enough for most jobs, but not pretending to be a power tool.