I Paid Someone to Build My App and Now It's Broken
You hired a freelancer on Fiverr, Upwork, or another platform to build your app or website. It worked for a while, but now something is broken. Maybe the developer disappeared, isn't responding, or wants more money to fix what should have worked in the first place.
This is one of the most frustrating situations — you already spent money, you have a product that half-works, and you don't know enough about the code to understand what went wrong. The original developer might have cut corners, left messy code, or built something that was never meant to last.
You need someone new to look at the code, figure out what's broken, and actually fix it — without starting from scratch and losing everything you already paid for.
Error Messages You Might See
Common Causes
- Developer used shortcuts — Many budget freelancers copy-paste code from templates or use AI without testing properly, leaving hidden problems
- No documentation — The developer didn't leave any notes about how the app works, making it nearly impossible to maintain
- Hosting or server expired — The developer set up hosting under their own account, and the subscription ran out
- Hardcoded credentials — Passwords and API keys were written directly into the code instead of being stored securely, and they've since changed or expired
- No version control — There's no history of changes, so there's no way to undo what broke
How to Fix It
- Get access to everything — Make sure you have the code, hosting login, domain registrar login, and any database passwords before doing anything else
- Don't let the original developer make more changes — If they already broke it, more changes from them could make things worse
- Get a second opinion — Have a different developer review the code and give you an honest assessment of what it'll take to fix
- Check if the hosting is still active — Log into your hosting provider and make sure the subscription hasn't lapsed
- Document what's broken — Write down exactly what works, what doesn't, and any error messages you see so the next developer can start quickly
Real developers can help you.
rayush33
JavaScript (React.js, React Native, Node.js) Developer with demonstrated industry experience of 4+ years, actively looking for opportunities to hone my skills as well as help small-scale business owners with solutions to technical problems
AUXLE
I am a Full Stack Developer experienced in building Websites, Web apps and Cross Platform Mobile Apps for Startups and Companies.
MFox
Full-stack professional senior engineer (15+years). Extensive experience in software development, qa, and IP networking.
Daniel Vázquez
Software Engineer with over 10 years of experience on Startups, Government, big tech industry & consulting.
Simon A.
I'm a backend developer building APIs, emulators, and interactive game systems. Professionally, I've developed Java/Spring reporting solutions, managed relational and NoSQL databases, and implemented CI/CD workflows.
Jaime Orts-Caroff
I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields
Dor Yaloz
SW engineer with 6+ years of experience,
I worked with React/Node/Python
did projects with React+Capacitor.js for ios
Supabase expert
Costea Adrian
Embedded Engineer specilizing in perception systems. Latest project was a adas camera calibration system.
Vlad Temian
15+ years shipping production infrastructure for startups. Former CTO at qed.builders (acquired by The Sandbox).
Cursor ambassador and agentic tooling builder.
I've scaled systems, automated deployments, and built observability tools for AI coding workflows. I specialize in taking vibe-coded apps from broken prototype to production-ready: fixing Supabase auth/RLS, Stripe integrations, deployment pipelines, and cleaning up AI-generated spaghetti.
I build tools in this space (agentprobe, claudebin, micode) and understand both sides: how AI generates code and why it breaks.
https://blog.vtemian.com/
Caio Rodrigues
I'm a full-stack developer focused on building practical and scalable web applications. My main experience is with **React, TypeScript, and modern frontend architectures**, where I prioritize clean code, component reusability, and maintainable project structures.
I have strong experience working with **dynamic forms, state management (Redux / React Hook Form), and complex data-driven interfaces**. I enjoy solving real-world problems by turning ideas into reliable software that companies can actually use in their daily operations.
Beyond coding, I care about **software quality and architecture**, following best practices for componentization, code organization, and performance optimization.
I'm also comfortable working across the stack when needed, integrating APIs, handling business logic, and helping transform prototypes into production-ready systems.
My goal is always to deliver solutions that are **simple, efficient, and genuinely useful for the people using them.**
Describe what's wrong in plain English. No technical knowledge needed.
Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
Should I ask the original developer to fix it?
If they're still responsive and the project is under warranty or guarantee, you can try. But if they've disappeared or are asking for more money for basic fixes, it's usually better to find someone new who can properly assess the code.
Do I need to start over from scratch?
Usually not. A good developer can review the existing code and fix what's broken. Starting over is only necessary if the original code is so messy that fixing it would cost more than rebuilding.