Software project rescue for apps that stalled.
The developer left, the agency went quiet, or the AI-built demo stopped working. We take over the code you already paid for, tell you honestly what is there, and get it shipped.
Four situations we take over.
The developer left
The developer or agency left mid-project
They stopped replying, moved on, or the contract ended with the app half built. We work from your repository, find what is done, what is faked and what is missing, and carry on from there.
AI-built or no-code
The AI-built app breaks past the demo
It was fast to start in Lovable, Bolt, Replit or Cursor, then logins, payments or real data stopped working. We make it hold up with real users. The dedicated page covers this in depth.
Finish my app
It is mostly built and you need it launched
The screens exist but the product does not work end to end. We scope what is left, price it as a fixed quote and build the remainder, so you get a working release instead of an open-ended retainer.
Inherited code
Inherited code nobody understands
You bought a company, lost the engineer who knew it, or took over a system with no documentation. We read it, write down how it works and what is risky, and make it safe to change.
We ship and maintain our own products.
These are our own apps, not client rescues, and we do not list client names. Each public listing names Acefina LLC as the developer.
Android app
LocatAlert
A GPS location alarm that rings as you approach your stop, per its site. On Google Play; its site says the iPhone version is waiting for App Store review.
Android app
BillsClear
A bill tracker built around your pay schedule. On Google Play and the App Store.
Android app
Pagehour
A reading tracker with a timer and streaks. On Google Play and the App Store.
On the web, we also run VisualSentinel, a website monitoring product with a free plan of 3 monitors. For how we scope a first release, see MVP development services.
Get a free reviewThe developer left mid-project. Here is what we do first.
A developer who stops replying, or a contract that ends with the app half built, leaves code nobody can describe. The first job is to find out what state it is in, in writing, before anything is changed.
Recover access before touching code
We list every place your product lives and who controls it. Accounts in a former developer's name cause the most delay, so we sort those first.
- The repository, and whether the latest work is actually in it rather than on one laptop
- Hosting and cloud accounts, the domain registrar and DNS
- App store developer accounts, if the product is mobile
- Third-party services such as payments, email, maps and analytics
Separate what is built from what is faked
We run the product end to end and mark each feature as working, partly working, mocked or missing, so the remaining work is priced from facts.
Prove you can ship without them
We check that someone else can build and deploy the app from a clean checkout. If not, that is the first item in the plan.
Inherited code: read it first, change it second.
You bought a company or took over a system with no handover. We write down how it works before we alter it.
Map it
How the system fits together
Services, data stores, jobs and integrations, and where each one runs, as a plain-language map.
Find the risk
What breaks if someone touches it
Untested parts, hard-coded values and single points of failure, ranked by what they could cost you.
Protect it
Safety net before changes
Checks around sign-up, payment and data export, so a fix cannot quietly break them.
Hand it on
Documentation you keep
How to run, deploy and recover it, written for someone new to the project.
Seven risks we look for before we plan a fix.
Each is a way a stalled project can hurt you while it sits there.
- Ownership: whether code, domain, cloud and store accounts are in your name
- Secrets: passwords, API keys or tokens committed to the repository or pasted into a tool
- Data safety: whether a backup exists and whether anyone has tested restoring it
- Access control: whether one customer can reach another customer's data
- Dependencies: outdated packages with known security problems
- Deployment: whether the app can be released repeatably, with a way back if a release fails
- Third-party lock-in: services running under someone else's account or an expired trial
What we need from you to start.
For the free review, a link and a few lines are enough.
- The code
- Read access to the repository on GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket, or a zip of the code if that is all you have.
- Where it runs
- The live URL and which hosting or cloud account it is deployed to.
- Your accounts
- The domain registrar, app store accounts and third-party services, so we can tell you which you still control.
- What happened
- A few lines: what was agreed, what exists, what stopped, and what finished means. Contracts and specs help.
- Not needed
- We do not ask for production passwords or secrets for the audit, and you should not send them through the contact form.
A low-risk path from stuck to shipped.
Free review
You send the repo or app link and tell us what is wrong. We read it and tell you in plain language what we see and whether we are the right people to fix it. The first review is free and there is no sales call. You decide whether to book the audit.
Fixed-scope audit
We go through the code, the data model, the deployment and the security basics, and give you a written report: what works, what is broken, what is risky, and the order to fix it in. US$399 fixed for one app, with the report in 3 business days.
Fixed quote, then the work
You get a written plan and a fixed quote for the stabilise-or-finish work. You approve it, or you take the report and go elsewhere. Either way you keep everything we produced.
Tell us where it is stuck.
Send the repo link or app URL and a few lines on what happened. You get a straight answer on what we would do and what we would not.
One audit, one price, a report in three days.
US$399
Fixed, for one app and one repository.
- Turnaround
- Written report in 3 business days after we have access
- If you go ahead
- The full US$399 is credited to the fix if you book it within 30 days
- Payment
- Invoiced once the free review confirms the scope
What the audit includes
- We read the repository and run the app, not only the code
- A written report: findings ranked by risk, each tied to the file or area it affects
- A prioritised fix list you can hand to any developer
- A clear verdict for each area: keep it, fix it in place, or rebuild that part
Unusually large codebase, or several services? The free review tells you, and you get a fixed quote before you pay anything.
Three steps, each with a fixed price before you commit.
- 1. Free review
- Free. We reply within 1 business day with what we see, what we would do and what we would not.
- 2. Audit
- US$399 fixed for one app and one repository. The written report arrives 3 business days after we have access.
- 3. Fixed quote and work
- Priced after the report, with a schedule based on your code, not a standard duration. You approve it or take the report elsewhere. The full US$399 is credited to the work if you book it within 30 days.
Only want the report? The audit is also sold on its own as code audit services. See what the report looks like in a sample code audit report.
A working app and a clear picture, not a pile of promises.
- A plain-language picture of what exists, what does not and what is risky
- A prioritised plan: what to fix first so the app stops breaking
- A fixed quote for stabilising or finishing the work, before you commit
- Work done in your repository and your accounts, so you stay in control
- Documentation of how the system runs, so the next person is not lost
Founders and teams in the US, UK, EU and Australia.
This is for a founder with a product that is mostly built, or a small team that lost its developer. You do not need a technical co-founder to talk to us. We explain things in business terms and agree a regular call window that overlaps your working day.
Want to see what we have built? Browse our selected work.
Find the right starting point.
Vibe coding cleanup
Vibe Coding Cleanup Services for AI-Built Apps
Cleanup and hardening of AI-generated applications: authentication, data model, security, performance and deployment, without a full rewrite where the code can be kept.
Read moreCode audit services
Code Audit Services: US$399 Fixed-Price Written Report
Fixed-scope software code audit producing a written report with prioritised fixes, covering security, architecture, data, performance and deployment.
Read moreMVP development services
MVP Development Services: Prototype to Production
MVP development for startups: scope, build, test and release a web or mobile product, including taking an AI prototype into production.
Read moreNeed something else? See all our services.
Questions we get before people start.
Who owns the code?
You do. Once the work is paid for, the code we write for your project is yours, as our terms state. We work in your repository and your hosting and cloud accounts, so we never hold your code, your domain or your data hostage. Ownership is written into the agreement before work starts.
Can you work with our existing repo, or do we have to start again?
We work with what you have. Where the existing code is sound, we stabilise and finish it. If part of it cannot be saved, the audit says so and shows which part, and you decide.
What if the previous developer will not hand over access?
Send us what you do have: the repo, a deployed URL, hosting or domain logins, even a zip of the code. In the free review we tell you what we can do with that and which accounts you need to recover first.
How does pricing work?
The review is free. The audit is US$399 fixed for one app and one repository, with the written report in 3 business days. After it you get a fixed quote for the stabilise or finish work, and the US$399 is credited to it if you go ahead within 30 days. If your system is unusually large, the free review says so and quotes it before you pay.
What about time zones?
We work remotely with teams in the US, UK, EU and Australia. We agree a regular call window that overlaps your day and keep written updates between calls.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes. Send us yours before you share anything sensitive, or ask and we will send ours.
Is this different from a code audit?
The audit is the first paid step of a rescue. If you only want the written report and plan to fix things yourself or with someone else, you can buy the code audit on its own.
What is a software project rescue?
It is a takeover of a project that has stalled, failed or been abandoned. We find out what exists, what is broken and what is missing, then stabilise the code and finish the work against a fixed quote so the product can launch.
How do I take over a software project from a previous developer?
Start by securing access: the repository, hosting, domain and any third-party accounts. Then have the code reviewed before anyone changes it, so you know what state it is in. We do both in the free review and the audit.
Can a half-built app be finished by a different developer?
Usually yes, if the code is readable and you hold the accounts. The audit tells you which parts can be kept and which cannot. Parts that cannot be saved are named, with what rebuilding them involves, before you commit.
How much does it cost to fix or finish an unfinished app?
There is no standard price, because it depends on what is built. The review is free, the audit is US$399 fixed, and the fix is a fixed quote you approve after reading the report. The audit price is credited to the work if you book it within 30 days.
How do I get my code back from a developer who will not hand it over?
Check your contract first, because ownership depends on what was agreed and we cannot give legal advice. Ask for the repository and account transfers in writing. If you only have a deployed site or a partial copy, send it and we tell you what can be recovered.
Stop paying for a project that is not moving.
Free review first. A US$399 audit, credited to the fix. Your code stays yours.