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.
Jaime Orts-Caroff
I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields
Alvin Voo
I’ve watched the tech landscape evolve over the last decade—from the structured days of Java Server Pages to the current "wild west" of Agentic-driven development. While AI can "vibe" a frontend into existence, I specialize in the architecture that keeps it from collapsing.
My expertise lies in the critical backend infrastructure: the parts that must be fast, secure, and scalable. I thrive on high-pressure environments, such as when I had only three weeks to architect and launch an Ethereum redemption system with minimal prior crypto knowledge, turning it into a major revenue stream.
What I bring to your project:
Forensic Debugging: I don't just "patch" bugs; I use tools like Datadog and Explain Analyzers to map out bottlenecks and resolve root causes—like significantly reducing memory usage by optimizing complex DB joins.
Full-Stack Context: Deep experience in Node.js and React, ensuring backends play perfectly with mobile and web teams.
Sanity in the Age of AI: I bridge the gap between "best practices" and modern speed, ensuring your project isn't just built fast, but built to last.
prajwalfullstack
Hi Im a full stack developer, a vibe coded MVP to Market ready product, I'm here to help
Krishna Sai Kuncha
Experienced Professional Full stack Developer with 8+ years of experience across react, python, js, ts, golang and react-native. Developed inhouse websearch tooling for AI before websearch was solved : )
Costea Adrian
Embedded Engineer specilizing in perception systems. Latest project was a adas camera calibration system.
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
Matt Butler
Software Engineer @ AWS
Sage Fulcher
Hey I'm Sage! Im a Boston area software engineer who grew up in South Florida. Ive worked at a ton of cool places like a telehealth kidney care startup that took part in a billion dollar merger (Cricket health/Interwell health), a boutique design agency where I got to work on a ton of exciting startups including a photography education app, a collegiate Esports league and more (Philosophie), a data analytics as a service startup in Cambridge (MA) as well as at Phillips and MIT Lincoln Lab where I designed and developed novel network security visualizations and analytics. I've been writing code and furiously devoted to using computers to make people’s lives easier for about 17 years. My degree is in making computers make pretty lights and sounds. Outside of work I love hip hop, the Celtics, professional wrestling, magic the gathering, photography, drumming, and guitars (both making and playing them)
Yovel Cohen
I got a lot of experience in building Long-horizon AI Agents in production, Backend apps that scale to millions of users and frontend knowledge as well.
Victor Denisov
Developer
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.