Take over and fix your existing app, even if the developer left or AI built it
Your app has users or revenue, and it keeps breaking: it was built with AI tools, an agency left it half-built, or the developer left. I take it over, keep what works, and fix or rewrite the rest. Most takeovers cost $10,000–48,000.
Scope
What I build
Vibe-coded apps with users or revenue
Apps your previous developer left behind
Products an agency left half-built
No-code products that hit their limit
Live products that are slow or keep breaking
Codebases nobody on your team understands
Pricing
How much it costs to take over an existing app
Freelance prices in US dollars. Every takeover starts with the Launch-Ready Review ($900–1,500, 3–5 days), so you know what you have before committing to more. If you go ahead, the review fee comes off the project price. The rest depends on how much can be kept.
| Type | Price | Timeline | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stabilize and fix | $10,000–24,000 | 4–10 weeks | Fix what's breaking, close security holes, speed it up, and clean up the worst code, while the product stays live. |
| Rewrite the weak parts and finish it | $22,000–48,000 | 8–16 weeks | Keep what's solid, rewrite what won't scale, and finish the features the product still needs. |
Real examples: the social challenge app took 8 weeks and $16,000. The Chat Company took 9 weeks and $20,000. Smaller apps that only need the critical items fixed are a Production Sprint ($3,000–7,500).
Approach
How I take over a product without breaking it
Most rescue projects go wrong in one of two ways: someone patches forever and it never gets better, or someone rewrites everything and the business waits months. I do neither by default. I find out what's worth keeping first.
Get access and read everything
Code, hosting, database, domains, and third-party accounts. I map what exists, what works, and what's risky before changing anything.
Keep what works
On The Chat Company I kept about 20% of an AI-generated demo. On the agency-built social challenge app, more. Keeping good code saves you time and money.
Fix the urgent things first
Crashes, security holes, data risks, and anything that loses you customers get fixed before new features.
Rewrite what won't hold up, then keep building
Weak parts are replaced step by step, not in one big bang, so your users keep a working product the whole time.
Capabilities
What I can handle
Taking over
- Code and architecture review
- Getting access to hosting and accounts
- Documentation for what exists
- A written rescue plan
Fixing
- Bugs and crashes
- Security holes
- Slow pages and APIs
- Payments and data problems
Rewriting
- AI-generated code
- No-code to custom
- Parts that won't scale
- Step by step, while it stays live
Finishing
- Missing features
- App store releases
- Production setup
- Handover to your next developer
Typical stack
- Next.js
- React
- React Native
- Node.js
- Supabase
- Convex
Difference
Why founders hire me
AI demo to real product
The Chat Company started as a buggy, AI-generated demo. I kept about 20%, rewrote 80%, and nine weeks later it was a working SaaS. It now handles 100K+ messages a day.
Half-built by an agency, finished by me
An agency left a social challenge app half-built, and it had to move real money safely. I took it over and launched it in 8 weeks. It now has 10,000 users and $40K staked.
Honest about rewrite versus fix
The review tells you what's actually worth keeping. I don't rewrite for the sake of it, and I don't patch something that will keep breaking.
Your product stays live
Fixes and rewrites happen step by step, so your users keep a working product while the foundation gets better.
Process
How a project works
- 01
Access and review
You give me access to the code, hosting, and accounts. The Launch-Ready Review tells you in writing what to keep, what to fix, and what to rewrite, with a fixed price and timeline. The review fee comes off the project if you continue.
- 02
Stabilize
Urgent problems first: crashes, security, data, and anything that's losing you customers.
- 03
Rewrite and build
Weak parts replaced step by step, and the missing features built, while the product stays live.
- 04
Launch and look after it
A stable, documented product. Most clients keep me on the care plan from here, as the one developer who owns it and keeps building it. Or I hand it to your next developer in a state they can work with.
Clients
What clients say
“Our agency left the app half-built. Milan picked it up, fixed what was there, and finished it: the feed, the X integration, wallets, PayPal, and payouts.”
Founder Half-built AI-coded app rescued: 10,000 users and $40K staked
Guides
Before you hire
- Should you rewrite a live product, or take it over?
- How much does it cost to take over an existing app?
- Should you hire a developer for an AI-generated app?
- When should you leave no-code for a custom product?
- How much does website maintenance cost a business?
- Web developer disappeared? How to get your website back
- Business website hacked? What to do first
FAQs
How much does it cost to take over an existing app?
It starts with a Launch-Ready Review for $900–1,500, which comes off the project price if you continue. Stabilizing and fixing a live product usually costs $10,000–24,000, and rewriting the weak parts and finishing the product $22,000–48,000. The social challenge app cost $16,000 and The Chat Company $20,000.
Do I need to rewrite my app from scratch?
Usually not. Most products have parts worth keeping, and keeping them saves time and money. The review tells you what's solid and what isn't. On an AI-generated demo I kept about 20%; on agency-built apps it's often more.
Can you fix an app built with Lovable, Bolt, Cursor, or other AI tools?
Yes. AI tools get a demo working fast, but the code often breaks with real users, real data, and real payments. I keep what works, rewrite what doesn't, and make it ready for production. If it only needs the critical items fixed, that's a smaller Production Sprint.
My developer left without documentation. Can you still take over?
Yes, as long as you can get access to the code repository, hosting, database, and domain. If some of that access is missing, getting it back is the first step, and I'll help you work out where everything lives.
Can you move my product off Bubble or another no-code tool?
Yes. I rebuild it as a custom app, move the data across, and keep your users working through the switch. It's worth doing when the no-code tool is limiting speed, features, or cost.
Will my users be affected during the takeover?
As little as possible. Fixes and rewrites are done step by step, tested before release, and the product stays live throughout.