CodeIgniter developers

Hire a CodeIgniter developer for CI3 upkeep or the move to CI4

Plenty of business systems built on CodeIgniter still work and still need care. Hire a developer who knows both major versions, for fixes, new modules, PHP compatibility and a staged upgrade.

  • CodeIgniter 3 and 4
  • Fixes without rewrites
  • Project manager included
Hire a CodeIgniter Developer See our work
What your developer brings
  • CodeIgniter 3 maintenance
  • CodeIgniter 4 development
  • Staged upgrades
  • Query Builder and database work
  • Authentication and access control
  • APIs and integrations
Request developer profiles Reply within one business day. NDA on request.
Why hire

Why CodeIgniter owners hire instead of rebuilding

If you are looking for a CodeIgniter developer, you probably already have a CodeIgniter application. It might be a billing system, a school portal or a logistics dashboard, built years ago because the framework was light, fast and easy to host. It still does the job. The trouble is finding someone to work on it.

Developers entering the market learn other frameworks, and the ones who know CodeIgniter 3 are often keen to leave it behind. So owners get quoted a full rebuild when all they asked for was a new report and compatibility with a newer PHP release. We take a different view. A working system deserves maintenance, and a move to CodeIgniter 4 or elsewhere should happen in stages, when it pays for itself. Our developers do both kinds of work.

  • Candidates are thin on the ground

    Job ads for CodeIgniter draw few replies, and many applicants have only used it in a tutorial. Recruiting for an older framework can take longer than the fix you needed.

  • Agencies push a rebuild

    You ask for maintenance and receive a proposal to start again in another framework. The budget and the risk are out of proportion to a system that mostly works.

  • PHP upgrades are forcing your hand

    The host is moving to a newer PHP release and the application throws warnings on it. Someone has to patch the framework, the libraries and your own code before the cutoff.

  • Knowledge sits with one freelancer

    The developer who has looked after it for years is winding down or hard to reach. There is no second person who knows how the custom libraries and hooks fit together.

Skills

Version 3 and version 4 skills in one hire

CodeIgniter 3 and CodeIgniter 4 are different enough to count as two skills. We shortlist developers who have shipped work in both.

CodeIgniter 3 maintenance

Controllers, models, libraries, helpers and hooks in the classic application folder, extended core classes such as MY_Controller, and HMVC setups, kept working on newer PHP releases.

CodeIgniter 4 development

Namespaced controllers, Models and Entities, Filters, the spark command line, migrations, seeders and environment files, structured the way the newer framework intends.

Staged upgrades

A module-by-module move from CodeIgniter 3 to 4, with both versions sharing the database and the sign-in during the transition so users are not locked out.

Query Builder and database work

Queries rewritten through the Query Builder with bound parameters, indexes added, long reports paginated or moved to background jobs, and schema changes captured as migrations.

Authentication and access control

Home-grown login code replaced or hardened: hashed passwords, CSRF protection, session settings, role checks in one place, and CodeIgniter Shield on version 4 projects.

APIs and integrations

REST endpoints for mobile apps and partners, payment and SMS gateways, accounting exports and scheduled tasks, built to match the existing application structure.

Hand over

CodeIgniter tasks we take off your plate

01

Keeping a CodeIgniter 3 system healthy

PHP compatibility patches, security fixes, bug reports from staff and small features, handled every month so the system stays supported without a rebuild.

02

A staged move to CodeIgniter 4

The new application is set up beside the old one, modules are ported in order of value, and each release retires a piece of the old code.

03

New modules for a growing business

An inventory screen, a customer portal, a set of management reports, added in the same conventions as the existing code so the application stays coherent.

04

Security review of an older application

Raw queries, unescaped output, unprotected forms and upload handling checked across the codebase, with the fixes applied in order of exposure and retested.

In depth

Two kinds of engagement, one developer

Start by deciding which engagement this is

There are two honest answers to "what should we do with our CodeIgniter application", and they lead to different weeks. One is to keep it on CodeIgniter 3, patched and tidy, because it meets the need. The other is to move it to CodeIgniter 4 over time. Your developer helps you choose in the first fortnight, after reading the code. They look at its size, how much logic lives in controllers, which third-party libraries have no modern equivalent and how well it runs on the PHP release your host requires.

When the plan is upkeep

A maintenance week is driven by tickets from the people who use the system. The developer reproduces the problem on a staging copy, fixes it on a branch and adds a regression test where the code allows it. Alongside tickets they work down a standing list: PHP deprecations, queries built by string concatenation, logic repeated across controllers. Releases are small and frequent. This is a good fit for the part-time model if the system is stable.

When the plan is a move to version 4

We do not port everything and switch over in one night. The CodeIgniter 4 application is created alongside the old one, pointed at the same database, with shared login so users move between old and new screens without noticing. Modules are rebuilt one at a time, each with migrations and tests the old code never had, and traffic is routed to the new version as each one is ready. The old application shrinks until it can be switched off. Our CodeIgniter 3 to 4 upgrade page explains the sequencing in more detail.

Hand-over, review and testing

Either way, tasks reach the developer through a board, with an example record for bugs and a short description of the screen for new features. Code goes through pull requests. A second developer reviews changes that touch money, permissions or shared tables. Older CodeIgniter code is hard to unit test, so we lean on staging checks with realistic data and add automated tests as modules are modernized.

How to judge the developer

Ask them to explain your application's request flow from route to view, including any hooks and base controllers, by the end of week two. Someone who can do that clearly will maintain it safely. Someone who answers with a pitch for another framework is telling you what they would prefer to work on. If a broader cleanup is on your mind, see legacy PHP modernization.

Engagement models

Three ways to work with your developer

Part timeFull time Most chosenHourly
Effort4 hours a day8 hours a day8 hours a day
AllocationSharedDedicatedDedicated
Minimum term40 hours a month120 hours a month160 hours a month
BillingWeekly, in advanceMonthly, in advanceMonthly, in advance
ReportingOn completionWeeklyDaily
SupportChat, emailChat, emailChat, email, calls

Five working days a week. Rates depend on the role and seniority, and are quoted after a free consultation.

Process

How your developer settles into the application

  1. 1

    Code and server access

    We receive the repository or a copy of the files, a database dump and details of the PHP release and extensions on the current server.

  2. 2

    Local and staging setup

    The application is brought up locally and on a staging server, with configuration moved out of hard-coded files where needed.

  3. 3

    Code read-through

    Routes, base controllers, hooks, custom libraries and the busiest models are documented, along with anything that blocks a PHP upgrade.

  4. 4

    Keep or move decision

    You get a recommendation with reasons: maintain on CodeIgniter 3, upgrade in stages, or a mix of the two, module by module.

  5. 5

    Working backlog

    Tickets and technical cleanup are ranked together in one list, and releases settle into a regular, low-risk pattern your staff can plan around.

What you get

What the work leaves behind

  • A documented request flow for your application
  • A clear keep-or-upgrade recommendation
  • Compatibility with the PHP release your host requires
  • Migrations and tests added as modules are touched
  • A team, not one person, that knows your system
FAQ

Straight answers on CodeIgniter work

Do you still take on CodeIgniter 3 projects?
Yes. We maintain CodeIgniter 3 applications, patch them for newer PHP releases and add features. Our CodeIgniter 3 development and support page describes what that covers. We will also tell you plainly when staying on version 3 stops making sense.
Is moving from CodeIgniter 3 to 4 an upgrade or a rewrite?
Closer to a rewrite, done in pieces. Version 4 changed the folder structure, added namespaces and replaced several core classes, so code cannot be copied across unchanged. Business logic and the database usually carry over, which is why a staged port is less work than starting from nothing.
Should we switch to Laravel instead?
It depends on where the application is heading. If you plan heavy new development, queues, a large API or a bigger team, Laravel has more built in. If the system is stable and changes are modest, staying within CodeIgniter is the lighter option. We can staff either route.
How does the developer avoid breaking a system that has no tests?
By working on a staging copy with realistic data, keeping each release small and checking the affected screens by hand with your staff before go-live. Automated tests are added gradually, beginning with calculations and anything that touches payments, so the safety net grows with each month of work.
Can the developer also fix the front end?
Yes, within the stack these applications normally use: server-rendered views with Bootstrap and jQuery, data tables, charts and form validation. If you want a modern JavaScript front end on top of a CodeIgniter API, that is possible too, and worth a separate conversation about scope.
How many hours a month does maintenance need?
For a stable internal system, the part-time model is often enough. During a PHP upgrade or a move to CodeIgniter 4 you will want a dedicated developer for some months. The engagement table on this page shows the minimums, and we suggest a level after reviewing the code.
Related

CodeIgniter Development

CodeIgniter 3 to 4 Upgrade

Legacy PHP Modernization

PHP Developer

Laravel Developer
Hire a developer

Show us your CodeIgniter system

Let us know which version it runs, what it does for your business and what is worrying you. We reply within one business day with questions and matching resumes.

  • Free consultation and quote
  • NDA on request
  • You own the source code
  • Reply within one business day
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