Fix it or rebuild it
App Rescue and Rebuilds
App rescue and rebuilds for apps that are broken, stuck in store review, or left behind by a developer who moved on. We review what you have, tell you plainly whether to fix it or rebuild it, and quote the work as a fixed price.
Get a fixed quote in 24 hours
Send the store link or describe what is wrong. You get a plain answer and a fixed quote within 24 hours of a short call.
Thank you
We have your details and will reply within 24 hours.
What a rescue or rebuild costs
Fixes are quoted as a fixed price after the review, because the price depends on what the review finds. A rebuild is priced like a new app of the same size:
- Rebuild: single-platform app$5,000 to $12,0004 to 8 weeks
- Rebuild: iOS and Android app$8,000 to $18,0006 to 10 weeks
- Rebuild: complex app$25,000 to $50,000+3 to 6 months
After a rescue, maintenance typically runs 15 to 20% of the build cost per year, and it is optional. Every project gets a written, fixed-scope quote before work starts. See the full price sheet or estimate your app.
Who this service is for
App rescue fits businesses whose developer or agency has stopped replying, apps that crash or were removed from a store, apps blocked by a new Apple or Google requirement, and products that have grown slow and hard to change. If you do not have an app yet, see MVP development instead.
What's included
- A code, account and infrastructure review with a plain-language report
- A clear recommendation: fix, partly rebuild, or rebuild, with the reasons
- Recovery of store accounts, signing keys and cloud access where you own them
- Urgent fixes for crashes, failed payments and store rejections
- Updates for current Apple and Google requirements, such as SDK and target API levels
- A rebuild on a modern stack when repair would cost more over time
- A handover so the app is never stuck with one person again
What is not included
- Recovering accounts that are registered to someone else, which needs their cooperation or the platform's process
- New features beyond the agreed rescue, which are quoted separately
- Hosting and store fees, which stay on your accounts
Anything on this list can still be quoted as a separate line, so nothing is hidden inside the main price.
How the engagement runs
- First call. You tell us what is wrong and what access you have. We tell you what we need to look at.
- Review. We check whether the code builds, what state it is in, who controls the store accounts and keys, and what the backend depends on.
- Plain report and fixed quote. What is healthy, what is not, and whether fixing or rebuilding costs less over the next few years, with one price for the work.
- Fix or rebuild. Urgent issues first, then the rest in weekly cycles with a build you can test on your phone.
- Handover and support. Documentation, access in your name, and an optional maintenance plan so it does not happen again.
Every step ends with something you can open and check: a document, a prototype or a build on your own phone. Read the full four-step process for how milestones and payments line up.
Deliverables and what you own
- A written review report
- A fix-or-rebuild recommendation with the reasons
- The fixed or rebuilt app in your store accounts
- All code, keys and access documented in your name
You own all of it on final payment. Nothing is licensed back to us and nothing is held on our accounts.
How we approach it
Most rescues start with access, not code. If the store accounts, signing keys or cloud services are registered to a former developer, that is the first thing to solve, because without them nobody can ship an update. We check this before anything else and tell you what is in your control.
Then we decide between fixing and rebuilding on cost, not taste. A codebase on old frameworks with no tests can cost more to keep alive than to replace. A sound codebase with a few bad bugs should be fixed. You get the reasoning in writing so you can check it with anyone you like.
Tools we use
- Swift, Kotlin, React Native and Flutter codebases
- Firebase, Node.js and common backend stacks
- Crash reporting and monitoring tools
- App Store Connect and Google Play Console account recovery processes
What drives the cost
Most apps we build land between $5,000 and $25,000, and these drivers decide where yours sits in that range. Your quote is fixed-scope once they are known. See our price sheet or try the app cost calculator.
| Cost driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Access | Code and accounts you already control make a rescue faster. Recovering them adds time. |
| Code health | Missing tests, old frameworks and no documentation make every fix slower. |
| Fix or rebuild | A rebuild is priced like a new app of the same size. Fixes are priced on the work the review finds. |
| Urgency | An app that is down or removed from a store gets a faster, larger team, which costs more. |
Timelines and what moves them
- Review and report. usually within a week of getting access
- Urgent fixes. days to a few weeks
- Full rebuild. same as a new build of that size, 4 to 14 weeks for most apps
What shortens or extends these ranges:
- How quickly access to code and accounts can be handed over
- Store review times after resubmission
- How much undocumented behaviour has to be worked out from the old code
Risks and how we handle them
- Accounts held by a former developer. We check access first and walk you through the Apple and Google processes if you need to recover an account.
- Fixing code that should be replaced. The review compares the cost of both paths before you commit.
- Losing user data in a rebuild. Data migration is planned and tested before switch-over, with a rollback plan.
How to prepare before you ask for a quote
You do not need a specification. These five things are enough for us to scope accurately:
- The store links for the app
- Whatever code access you have, even if it is old
- Who controls the Apple and Google developer accounts
- What is broken and since when
- Any deadline, such as a store removal notice
Why choose us
- A plain answer on fix versus rebuild, with the reasons in writing
- Senior engineers who have worked in Swift, Kotlin, React Native and Flutter
- A fixed price for the agreed work
- Everything handed back in your name
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Usually, yes. The key questions are whether you have the source code and who controls the store accounts and signing keys. We check those first, then review the code and quote the takeover as a fixed price.
It depends on what the review finds, so the fix is quoted as a fixed price after the review. If we recommend a rebuild, it is priced like a new app of the same size: $5,000 to $12,000 for a single-platform app, $8,000 to $18,000 for iOS and Android, and from about $25,000 for complex apps.
Fix it when the code is sound and the problems are specific. Rebuild it when it runs on old frameworks, has no tests, and every change breaks something else. We compare the cost of both paths in the review report.
Yes. Rejections often come from new requirements, such as the current SDK or target API level, privacy forms or in-app account deletion. We fix the cause and resubmit.
It helps a lot. Without it, the app usually has to be rebuilt, but your designs, store listing and backend data can often be kept.
Not if it is planned. Any data migration is tested before switch-over, and we keep a rollback plan.
Free quote
Tell us about your app
A senior engineer reads your brief and replies within 24 hours with questions and a fixed-scope estimate. No obligation and no sales sequence.
- Written, fixed-scope quote before any work starts
- You own the code, designs and accounts
- Typical apps from $4,999 CAD
Request your free quote
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Thank you
We have received your project details and will reply within 24 hours.