If you're on Windows, you can still develop with Ruby and Rails . Let's walk through your options and the steps involved.
There are two main options:
️ Option A: Use WSL (Recommended)
WSL stands for Windows Subsystem for Linux — it lets you run a full Linux environment on Windows without dual-booting or using a virtual machine.
Best for: Developers who want a smooth Rails experience and compatibility with Linux tools.
Steps to Set Up Rails with WSL
Install WSL
wsl --install
This will install Ubuntu by default.
Update and install dependencies inside Ubuntu terminal
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install curl git build-essential libssl-dev libreadline-dev zlib1g-dev
Install Ruby (using a version manager like rbenv or rvm)
curl -fsSL https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv-installer/raw/main/bin/rbenv-installer | bash
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
rbenv install 3.3.0
rbenv global 3.3.0
Install Rails
gem install rails
Verify installations
ruby -v
rails -v
️ Option B: Use RubyInstaller for Windows (Native Ruby)
If you don’t want to use WSL, you can install Ruby directly in Windows.
Steps for Native Windows Setup
Download Ruby Installer
Go to: https://rubyinstaller.org
Download a version like Ruby+Devkit 3.3.X.
Run the Installer
- Make sure you check the box that says “Add Ruby executables to your PATH”.
- Choose to run
ridk install after installation (this installs DevKit, MSYS2).
Install Rails
Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:
gem install rails
Check Versions
ruby -v
rails -v
Note: Some gems (e.g., pg for PostgreSQL) can be tricky to install on native Windows due to compilation issues. That’s why WSL is highly recommended.
Database Setup for Windows
Common Tools
| Tool | Windows Option |
| Ruby | RubyInstaller OR rbenv via WSL |
| Rails | gem install rails |
| Git | Git for Windows |
| Code Editor | VS Code |
| Terminal (WSL) | Ubuntu app from Microsoft Store |
Summary: Which Setup is Best?
| Setup | Pros | Cons |
| WSL | Most compatible, Linux-like environment | Slightly more setup effort |
| RubyInstaller | Simple to install, native Windows | Compatibility issues with some gems/tools |
Recommendation: Use WSL + Ubuntu for the best Rails development experience on Windows.