CodeIgniter Development · Exeter · Devon · Based in Gravesend
CodeIgniter Development in Exeter, Devon
Lean, fast CodeIgniter web apps and APIs for Exeter and Devon businesses, plus expert support, maintenance, modernisation and rescue of the existing CI3 and CI4 applications you already depend on. Built properly, maintained long-term, delivered by a UK team you actually speak to.
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CodeIgniter is for lean, fast builds and keeping existing apps alive. Here is what that means in practice.
CodeIgniter is a lightweight PHP framework. Its whole appeal is what it leaves out: a tiny footprint, minimal configuration, and a gentle learning curve that lets a focused application be built and deployed quickly. Where a larger framework gives you structure for the kind of complexity you may grow into, CodeIgniter gives you speed and simplicity for the work in front of you right now. For a lean web app, an internal tool, or a focused API, that is often exactly the right trade.
There is a second, equally important reason CodeIgniter matters: an enormous amount of working software runs on it. CodeIgniter has been around since 2006, and across Exeter and Devon there are countless business-critical applications built on CodeIgniter 3, and increasingly CodeIgniter 4, that still quietly do their job every day. The developers who built them have frequently moved on. Keeping that software supported, secure, on a current PHP version, and capable of being extended is unglamorous but genuinely valuable work, and it is a large part of what we do. We will be honest with you about when a lean CodeIgniter build is the right call and when a different tool fits better.
Lean web apps, fast turnaround
When the scope is clear and modest, CodeIgniter lets us build and ship quickly without the configuration overhead of a heavier framework. Ideal for focused tools, customer portals, and applications where speed of delivery and simplicity matter more than a sprawling feature set.
Supporting existing CI applications
The work Exeter businesses ask us for most: taking over a CodeIgniter 3 or 4 application whose original developer has gone, and keeping it running. Bug fixes, small features, and a reliable point of contact for the software your operation depends on every day.
Rescuing and stabilising legacy code
An old CodeIgniter app that still works but has had no attention for years is a risk waiting to surface. We stabilise it, get it onto a supported PHP version, and address the most urgent security and reliability issues, so the software you rely on stops being a liability.
Focused REST APIs
CodeIgniter's routing and small footprint make it a sensible choice for lean, fast APIs that serve a mobile app, a front end, or a single integration. When you do not need the full weight of a larger ecosystem, a tight CodeIgniter API does the job efficiently.
Admin tools and dashboards
Internal back-office utilities, reporting dashboards, and operational admin panels where the priority is getting reliable functionality in front of staff quickly. CodeIgniter keeps these practical, fast to build, and easy to maintain.
CI3 to CI4 modernisation
CodeIgniter 4 is a substantial step up from CodeIgniter 3. We plan and carry out migrations in a controlled way, preserving the business logic that often lives only in the old code, so you move to a modern, supported version without a risky big-bang rewrite.
Laravel vs CodeIgniter vs WordPress
We build in Laravel, CodeIgniter, and WordPress. We are not going to recommend one over the others just to win a project. The right framework depends on the problem, and picking the wrong one is one of the most expensive mistakes a project can make. CodeIgniter is our pick for lean, fast builds and for supporting existing CI applications; here is an honest comparison of when each is the right choice.
| Situation | Laravel | CodeIgniter | WordPress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lean web app, fast turnaround, modest scope | Can be overkill | ✓ Best fit | Depends on content |
| Supporting or rescuing an existing CodeIgniter app | Not applicable | ✓ Best fit | Not applicable |
| Small, focused REST API | Workable, heavier | ✓ Best fit | Not suited |
| Complex application with real business logic | ✓ Best fit | Possible | Not suited |
| Heavy background processing and scheduled jobs | ✓ Best fit | Manual effort | Not suited |
| Multi-tenant SaaS application | ✓ Best fit | Possible, more work | Not suited |
| Content-led site with editorial workflow | Possible but heavy | Not suited | ✓ Best fit |
| Quick deployment, minimal configuration, small footprint | More setup | ✓ Best fit | Plugin-dependent |
If you are not sure which applies to your project, describe the problem and we will tell you what we would reach for and why, even if the honest answer is that CodeIgniter is not the right tool for it.
How we approach a CodeIgniter project
Whether we are building something lean from scratch or taking over an application someone else wrote years ago, a CodeIgniter project is only as good as the thinking that goes in first. With legacy work especially, understanding what is already there matters more than rushing to change it. Here is what we pay attention to, and the stages the work actually moves through.
Understanding the real requirement
For new builds, most briefs describe a solution someone has already half-designed; we dig into the underlying problem first. For existing apps, we work out what the software genuinely needs to do before we touch a line of it.
An honest code audit first
When we take over a CodeIgniter application, we audit it before we promise anything. We tell you plainly whether it is sound and just needs support, or whether technical debt is worth addressing, and we never push a rewrite you do not need.
Sound data architecture
The database schema and data model are decisions you live with for years. On new builds we design them deliberately; on existing apps we respect what is there and improve it carefully, because a careless change to a live data model is expensive to undo.
Security and PHP version currency
So much legacy CodeIgniter runs on outdated, unsupported PHP. Getting an application onto a current, supported version and closing off the obvious security exposures is often the single most valuable thing we can do for a business that depends on it.
Maintainable by anyone competent
We keep the codebase readable and conventional, so you are never locked into a single developer. If you ever bring the work in-house or move to another team, the code makes sense to them rather than holding you hostage.
A clear migration path when needed
If the right move is CI3 to CI4, or eventually to Laravel, we map it out honestly: what changes, what risks exist, and how we preserve the business logic that often lives only in the old code. No surprises late in the work.
From first conversation to long-term support
We run CodeIgniter projects in clear stages so you always know where things stand, what is being decided, and what comes next. Because you deal directly with Rob and Jason rather than an account manager, there is no layer of translation between what you ask for and what gets built. This is the same process whether you are in Exeter, London, or anywhere else in the UK, and it works just as well for taking over an existing application as for a new build.
- Discovery, audit and scopingFor new work we get to the bottom of what the application needs to do. For existing apps we audit the codebase, the PHP version, and any technical debt. The output is a clear scope and a fixed-price proposal based on what we actually find, not a placeholder estimate.
- Stabilise or planIf we have inherited an application at risk, we stabilise it first: supported PHP, urgent security fixes, reliable hosting. For a new build, we plan the data model and structure before writing code, keeping things deliberately lean.
- Build or improve in working incrementsWe work against a staging environment you can access throughout, so you see real progress rather than waiting for a single big reveal. Feedback happens while it is still cheap to act on, whether we are adding features or refactoring carefully.
- Testing and quality assuranceThorough testing of the workflows your users actually follow, and automated tests around the logic that matters where it makes sense. We test the awkward edge cases, not just the happy path that always demos well.
- Deployment and go-liveA controlled deployment with a clear plan and sensible rollback, taken with extra care where a live, business-critical application is involved. Going live should be an event you have rehearsed, not a leap of faith.
- Handover and ongoing supportDocumentation, access, and a straightforward handover, followed by whatever ongoing support arrangement suits you, from occasional changes to a regular development retainer. Keeping CodeIgniter applications supported over the long term is one of the things we do best.
We have built and maintained PHP software since 2011, and run our business on our own CRM since 2011.
We do not just build applications and walk away. The CRM we built to run our own business has been in continuous use since 2011 and is maintained to this day. It is direct evidence that we build and support software designed to be depended upon for well over a decade, through multiple framework and language versions. That same discipline, keeping software reliable, secure and maintainable over the long term, is exactly what supporting and modernising a legacy CodeIgniter application demands.
A Kent team trusted with national software work
Telegraph Media Group, Hearst Communications, CDS Global, AX Paris, Motel Rocks
These are not the typical clients of a regional development agency. They are the kind of businesses that usually work with large London firms. They work with us because the technical depth is there and the overhead is not, and because they get the founders directly rather than a managed account. Distance has never been the issue: most of our work has been delivered remotely for years.
Across that work we choose the right PHP tool for each job. CodeIgniter is what we reach for when a build needs to be lean and fast, or when a business depends on an existing CodeIgniter application that needs to keep running reliably and securely. The same engineering care we apply to our most demanding bespoke systems goes into keeping those leaner applications dependable year after year.
- Telegraph Media Group: custom operational software built on PHP, maintained and extended over years
- Hearst Communications: bespoke systems development for a global publishing operation
- CDS Global: multi-year PHP development engagement on business-critical operational software
- AX Paris: bespoke ERP-style back-office connecting Shopify to warehouse and despatch workflows. Case study.
- Motel Rocks: integration middleware connecting Shopify to Oracle NetSuite and 3PL providers. Case study.
Working with Exeter and Devon businesses
Exeter is the commercial and administrative capital of the South West, with a diverse economy that blends the University of Exeter and its research base, the Met Office's headquarters and the science and data cluster around it, a substantial professional, legal and financial services presence, and a busy tourism, hospitality and retail sector. Across the wider Devon economy, from Plymouth and Torbay to Barnstaple and the rural and coastal towns, there is also a strong food, agriculture and marine base. That mix produces a great deal of practical software: booking and customer portals, internal tools, integrations, reporting systems, and the kind of bespoke applications that off-the-shelf products never quite fit.
A great deal of that software is built on PHP, and plenty of it on CodeIgniter. That is the work CodeIgniter is well suited to, and it is the work we do, whether building something new and lean or supporting and modernising an application a business already relies on. We are not local to Exeter, and we are not going to pretend otherwise: Gravesend is around 210 miles away. What we offer instead is a genuinely senior UK team, working entirely in-house with no offshore arm, available to you directly rather than through layers of account management.
In practice that distance changes nothing about the quality of the work. Most of our projects, including for national clients, are delivered remotely with regular video calls and a shared staging environment you can see progress on. We come down to Exeter for a kick-off workshop or a key milestone when being in the room genuinely helps, and otherwise we keep the overhead, and your costs, sensibly low.
How to choose a CodeIgniter developer in Exeter
Whether you end up working with us, a local Exeter agency, or a freelancer, these are the questions worth asking before you commit. With CodeIgniter, where so much work involves inheriting someone else's code, the answers tell you a lot about what you are actually buying.
Who actually writes the code?
Some agencies pitch with senior people and deliver via juniors or offshore teams you never meet. Ask directly who will work on your application and who you call when something breaks. At Dev Partners it is the founders and an in-house UK team, with no offshore.
Will they take on legacy CI work?
Plenty of developers want only greenfield builds and will quietly steer you toward an unnecessary rewrite. Ask whether they genuinely support and maintain existing CodeIgniter 3 and 4 applications. Inheriting and stabilising other people's code is core to what we do.
Is the framework choice honest?
A developer who recommends one framework for everything is selling, not advising. The right partner will tell you when Laravel or even WordPress is the better fit, and will explain why CodeIgniter is or is not the right tool for your budget and scope.
How do they handle handover?
You should never be locked in by code only one person understands. Ask about documentation, coding standards, and what happens if you want to take the work in-house or to another team. Conventional, readable CodeIgniter is the answer.
What does ongoing support look like?
An application is not finished at launch, and legacy software especially needs steady care. Ask how they keep PHP and CodeIgniter versions current, how they handle security updates, and what a support or retainer arrangement actually costs.
How do they scope and price?
A low headline figure that grows through change requests is not a bargain, and a quote given before auditing legacy code is a guess. Ask how they scope, whether you get a fixed price, and what is and is not included. We scope on what we actually find.
Find out what you are actually running
If the original developer has gone, the documentation does not match the code, and nobody is confident enough to change anything, that is the normal starting point rather than an unusual one. Our Legacy Application Audit is a written report within five working days covering security, database structure, scalability and maintainability, and a straight verdict on whether to stabilise, upgrade or rebuild. Give us a call and we will talk it over first. We do not push rewrites you do not need.
What our clients say
19 clients. A few of their words.
A well-rounded team, ensuring a full suite of expertise & resource is always available. CDS Global have seen the successful completion of major projects over the years where Dev Partners' ability to grasp the underlying business needs to provide a future-proof solution has been invaluable.
We have worked with Jason & his team to develop our Shopify store, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. The design is clean, modern, and perfectly aligned with our brand identity, while the build is fast, responsive, and easy to manage on the backend. They clearly understood our vision and delivered a store we're genuinely proud of. Highly recommend to any brand looking for a top-quality Shopify partner.
After ongoing issues and delays with our previous developers, we brought in Rob & Jason at Dev Partners to take over all our websites and bespoke software. What a breath of fresh air, fully focused, excellent pre-launch designs and clear communication throughout. Highly recommended.
BPC Energy Ltd turned to Dev Partners for a complete turnkey solution, and they exceeded our expectations. The team handled everything from project management to development and support with real care and attention. They understood what we were aiming for, stayed on top of every detail, and always delivered on schedule with excellent quality.
Want your software, servers and tech plan handled as one monthly arrangement? See Your tech department.
CodeIgniter development in Exeter: questions answered
The questions Exeter and Devon businesses ask us most often about CodeIgniter projects.
Yes. Dev Partners is based in Gravesend, Kent, and we work with businesses across the whole of the UK, including Exeter and the wider Devon region. CodeIgniter development is delivered remotely as standard, and the distance makes no difference to the quality of the work.
You deal directly with the founders, Rob and Jason, throughout the project. We travel to Exeter for a kick-off workshop or key milestones when it genuinely adds value, and otherwise keep the overhead low.
CodeIgniter is a lightweight, fast PHP framework with a very small footprint. It is our choice when a project needs to be built quickly and run fast without the weight of a larger framework: lean web apps, focused APIs, internal tools, and dashboards where Laravel would be overkill. It is also the right tool for supporting and modernising the many existing CodeIgniter applications businesses still rely on.
For very complex applications Laravel often fits better, and for content-led sites WordPress usually wins. We will tell you honestly which framework fits your project rather than pushing the one that suits us.
Yes, and it is one of the things Exeter businesses come to us for most. A great deal of working software runs on CodeIgniter 3 and CodeIgniter 4, and the original developers have often moved on. We take over existing CI applications, start with a proper code audit, and give you an honest assessment of the codebase and any technical debt.
From there we support, maintain, extend or modernise it to whatever scope makes sense. We do not insist on a rewrite when the existing application is sound; if it works and just needs steady care, that is what we provide.
That is a very common situation and exactly the kind of work we take on. Many businesses depend on a CodeIgniter 3 application built years ago that still works but has had no attention for a long time, often on an outdated, unsupported PHP version.
We stabilise it first, get it onto a supported PHP version, address the most urgent security and reliability issues, and then plan any modernisation or migration to CodeIgniter 4 in a controlled way. The priority is keeping the software you depend on running safely while we improve it.
Lean web applications and internal tools, focused REST APIs and integrations, admin dashboards and back-office utilities, and quick-turnaround builds where a heavier framework would be unnecessary. Just as often we are supporting, maintaining, modernising or rescuing existing CodeIgniter 3 and CodeIgniter 4 applications.
Exeter and the wider Devon economy span tourism and hospitality, higher education and research, professional and financial services, food and agriculture and a growing digital sector, and a lot of that work runs on exactly the kind of practical PHP software CodeIgniter is well suited to.
It depends on the work. A focused CodeIgniter build or a clearly scoped piece of support starts from a few thousand pounds. Taking over, modernising or migrating a larger legacy application costs more and depends on what the code audit finds.
We scope carefully and give you a fixed-price proposal based on what we actually find, rather than an estimate designed to win the work and adjust later. For ongoing support we offer straightforward retainer arrangements.
Almost all of our project work is delivered remotely, and that has been true for years across our entire client base, including national names. The quality of a CodeIgniter application has nothing to do with where the developer is sitting when they write it.
We run regular video calls, share progress on a staging environment you can access, and stay reachable directly. Exeter is around 210 miles from Gravesend; we travel down when a workshop or milestone genuinely benefits from being in the room, and otherwise keep the overhead, and your costs, low.
No. Dev Partners has been a 100% UK in-house team since we were founded in 2011. There is no offshore arm and no subcontracting of the build. The people who scope your project are the people who write the code and the people you can call when something needs attention.
For Exeter clients that means you get a genuinely senior UK team without the cost structure of a large London or regional agency.
It depends entirely on the application and where it is heading. If the app is well-suited to CodeIgniter and you simply need it on a current, supported version, migrating from CI3 to CI4 keeps things lean and familiar. If the application has grown complex, needs heavy background processing, or is becoming a larger platform, moving to Laravel may be the better long-term choice.
We assess the codebase honestly and recommend the path that serves the business, not the one that bills the most hours. Sometimes the right answer is to do neither yet and simply keep the existing application well supported.
Yes. We run our own business on a CRM we built ourselves, written in PHP and in continuous use since 2011. It matters because it is direct evidence that we build and maintain serious PHP software over the long term, not just for the length of a project.
The same discipline we apply to keeping our own software reliable, secure and maintainable for over a decade is exactly what we bring to supporting and modernising the CodeIgniter applications our clients depend on.
Plenty of solid businesses still run happily on CodeIgniter, and there's no shame in that. Whether you need it kept healthy or carefully moved onto something newer, we'll give you the honest trade-offs first rather than a pitch for whatever we'd rather build.
CodeIgniter project in Exeter or Devon? Talk to us.
Describe the problem and we will tell you whether CodeIgniter is the right tool and what it would involve.
New lean app, focused API, or taking over an existing CodeIgniter application that already runs your business; we give you an honest view on approach and cost before any work starts. You speak directly to the founders, not an account manager, and the team building it is fully UK-based and in-house.
We can also help with:
- Lean CodeIgniter web applications and internal tools
- Support and maintenance of existing CI3 and CI4 apps
- Rescuing and stabilising neglected legacy CodeIgniter code
- CodeIgniter 3 to CodeIgniter 4 modernisation and migration
- Focused REST APIs and integrations
- Ongoing CodeIgniter development retainers and support
We reply to all enquiries within one working day.
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