BUILDING A TIKTOK CLONE: Rails Backend with HOTWIRE, Real-Time BROADCASTING, and React Frontend with TANSTACK QUERY

RToledoDev
27 de set.
2 min de leitura

I recently tackled this by creating a full-stack TikTok clone—complete with an infinite feed, photo/video posts, and real-time comments—using cutting-edge tools for seamless performance and developer-friendly setups.

Ever wondered how to build a modern TikTok-like app from scratch?

The Backend: Rails 8 + Hotwire Magic

I started with Ruby on Rails 8 as the powerhouse backend, leveraging Hotwire (Turbo Streams) for dynamic, server-rendered updates without heavy JavaScript. Key highlights:

Real-time broadcasting powered by Solid Cable (Action Cable over Solid) for instant comment syncing across users.
Infinite-style feed for scrolling through photo and video posts—smooth and engaging.
Tailwind CSS v4 integrated via the tailwindcss-rails gem (no Node.js hassle!).
Built-in API endpoints right in Rails to serve data to the frontend—no separate service needed.
Minimal setup with SQLite3 for dev/test environments.

What caused the challenges? Tight deadlines for real-time features, ensuring low-latency updates without overwhelming the server, and balancing Hotwire's server-side rendering with API efficiency. But Rails made it straightforward!

To get started: Just run bin/dev_local after installing Ruby 3.3+ and Bundler.

Check out the repo: https://github.com/rodrigotoledo/tiktok_clone_rails

The Frontend: React + Vite with TanStack Power

For the client-side, I built a React app with Vite to consume the Rails API effortlessly. It fetches and displays the feed while handling real-time updates via WebSockets.

TanStack Query for efficient data fetching, caching, and optimistic updates—perfect for infinite scrolling and comment streams.
Tailwind CSS v4 for rapid, responsive styling that matches the backend's design system.
Hotwire-inspired partials translated to React components for blazing-fast UI refreshes.
Real-time integration pulls live comments from the Rails broadcast, keeping everything in sync.

Challenges here? Managing state across API calls and WebSocket events, plus ensuring Tailwind v4's new features (like improved theming) played nice in a Vite pipeline. TanStack Query was a game-changer for reliability!

Repo link: https://github.com/rodrigotoledo/tiktok_clone_react_vite

This duo delivers a production-ready TikTok experience with minimal overhead—proving you don't need a massive stack for big impact. Developers, prioritize your health while building (as I shared in my last post—avoid that burnout!); these tools let you ship faster without the grind.

What's your favorite stack for real-time apps? Drop your thoughts below!

#TikTokClone #RubyOnRails #Hotwire #TurboStreams #ReactJS #Vite #TanStackQuery #TailwindCSS #RealTimeWeb #WebDevelopment #FullStackDev