CodeIgniter Development · New Builds & Legacy Support · UK Team
CodeIgniter Development
Fast, lean web applications and reliable long-term support for existing CodeIgniter systems. Whether you are building something new or keeping a business-critical legacy application running, our team knows CodeIgniter properly.
Trusted by:
CodeIgniter work falls into two categories
New builds
Projects where CodeIgniter is the right choice
When a project is well-scoped and does not need the full weight of a Laravel build, CodeIgniter is faster to work with and produces lean, performant code. Internal tools, API endpoints, lightweight web applications, and projects where simplicity is a genuine virtue rather than a compromise.
We will tell you if a different framework would serve your project better. CodeIgniter is not always the answer, but when it is, it is a very good one.
Legacy support
Existing CodeIgniter applications that need a home
A large number of business-critical web applications are running on CodeIgniter 3 or earlier. When the original developer has moved on, the agency has closed, or the business has outgrown the original scope, these systems need proper ongoing support from people who actually know the framework.
We take on CodeIgniter systems, get to know them properly, and keep them running. This is a significant part of what we do and we are good at it.
CodeIgniter services we deliver
Every service below is something we actively provide for current clients.
Custom CodeIgniter web applications
Lean, fast web applications built from scratch. Internal tools, portals, operational systems, and applications where CodeIgniter's lightweight approach is the right fit for the scope.
Taking over existing CodeIgniter systems
We take on CodeIgniter codebases from businesses who have lost their original developer or agency. Code review, documentation, security review, and then ongoing support and development.
CodeIgniter 3 to CodeIgniter 4 migration
CI3 is no longer officially maintained. We assess whether upgrading to CI4 is the right decision for your specific application, and if it is, we manage the migration properly without breaking what works.
Optimisation and performance improvement
Slow queries, inefficient code, missing indexes, poorly structured data access. We diagnose what is causing performance problems in CodeIgniter applications and fix them properly.
API and system integrations
Connecting CodeIgniter applications to third-party systems, building API endpoints, and extending existing applications to communicate with modern platforms and data sources.
Security review and hardening
Older CodeIgniter applications often have security vulnerabilities accumulated over years of incremental development. We review, identify, and fix them without breaking the existing functionality.
The situation with older CodeIgniter systems
CodeIgniter 3 reached end of life. Security updates have stopped.
If your application is running on CodeIgniter 3 or earlier, it is no longer receiving security patches from the CodeIgniter team. This does not mean it will break tomorrow, but it does mean that known vulnerabilities will not be patched at the framework level. The longer an EOL application runs in production, the higher the risk.
We look after CodeIgniter systems that other agencies have walked away from
The typical situation: a business is running a web application built on CodeIgniter 3 that handles something important. The original developer left or the agency closed. The system works, mostly, but nobody is maintaining it, nobody knows it well enough to change it safely, and the business has been deferring the "we should sort this out" conversation for a couple of years.
We handle exactly this. We take the system on, review it properly, document what we find, and then provide whatever level of support the business needs: from occasional bug fixes to a full monthly retainer covering ongoing development. We do not insist on a full rebuild if the system is fundamentally sound.
- Code review and documentation of undocumented systems
- Security audit and hardening of EOL CodeIgniter applications
- Performance diagnosis and optimisation
- Feature additions and extensions to existing functionality
- Assessment of whether upgrade to CI4 or migration to Laravel makes sense
- Ongoing support and maintenance retainer
Is manual work costing you more than you think?
Our free efficiency checklist takes 20 minutes to work through. It covers 26 specific questions across manual processes, system integration, software evaluation, and automation opportunities. At the end you will know exactly where your biggest gains are.
- Find out how much time your team is losing to manual data entry and workarounds
- Identify which systems should be connected but aren't
- Spot the automation opportunities that would save the most time
- Understand whether your current software is fit for purpose or just familiar
- Get a scored result that tells you where to focus first
Get the free checklist
Enter your email and we will send it straight to your inbox.
We will also send you occasional updates on automation, Shopify, and custom software. You can unsubscribe at any time.
What our clients say
20 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.
Working with Dev Partners to redesign and modernise our WMS system: the whole process has been thoroughly professional from the outset and a delight to work with. Cannot recommend enough.
Great agency. Have used Dev Partners for several years and they have built 20+ sites for us, in addition to taking on our legacy websites, upgrading and maintaining. Easy to work with and some great practical ideas to improve our digital offerings.
Jones Hire have been working with Dev Partners on several projects, which have been very successful. They linked our catering database to a new improved website so clients can easily place and update orders, created a custom warehouse picking app to fulfil all our challenging requirements, and are currently developing a custom transport app to streamline our loading and delivery process.
We have been trying to reinvent our website for over 5 years, trying to make it convert and failing each time. Spoke to Rob at Dev Partners, the team helped create our new site and the improvement was instant.
We have been working with Rob and the team for about 10 years now. Dev Partners helped us build a completely bespoke CRM from scratch which manages our daily business and is always well maintained. We have been able to use the system and roll it out in our new franchise branches.
We collaborated with Dev Partners on the front end of a fairly complex telemarketing platform. Rob and Jason took the time to properly understand the moving parts, asked the right questions, and delivered a clean, intuitive interface that's made the system far easier for our team to use.
I have been working with the team at Dev Partners for the last 3 years and we have always been impressed with the speed in which they act on things for us, along with the honest open communication. The team are a valuable and vital part of our supply chain.
We've had a program for our business in the electronic security sector that Dev Partners developed and keep up to date. They've never let us down, always there when needed. Thanks Rob and the team.
Dev Partners have been working with us for just over 2 years. They have significantly upgraded and redesigned our existing web platforms, and always deliver a first class service.
Dev Partners helped us build an event website. The team were very knowledgeable, easy to work with and quick to deliver a high quality product.
Working with Dev Partners has been an exceptional experience. Their team is highly skilled, professional, and committed to delivering results. What truly sets them apart is their communication and transparency; we always felt informed, supported, and confident.
We've worked with Dev Partners a few times to support us on bespoke web build tasks. They're very easy to work with, approachable, and explain the detail in a way that's understandable. A great partner for technical issues at sensible prices.
Excellent customer service backed up with solid experience. As a media business we have had five websites built by Dev Partners. I would certainly recommend them.
Found Dev Partners and they were great, nothing too much trouble. They managed to help us with integrating our old existing system with Shopify.
I've worked with Rob and his team off and on for many years and have always found them to be professional, knowledgeable, and best of all, they listen to their clients and deliver what is required.
We have worked with Dev Partners for 7 years and can highly recommend them for their expertise and excellent customer service.
CodeIgniter development questions
The questions we get most often about CodeIgniter projects, both new builds and legacy systems.
CodeIgniter is a lightweight PHP framework used to build web applications quickly and efficiently. It is particularly well suited to projects where speed of development matters, where a full Laravel-scale framework would be disproportionate, or where an existing CodeIgniter codebase needs support, extension, or modernisation. Many businesses running applications built 5 to 15 years ago are running CodeIgniter.
Yes. CodeIgniter 4 is actively maintained and regularly updated. More importantly, a very large number of production web applications are running on CodeIgniter 3 and older versions and need ongoing support, bug fixes, and feature development. We actively maintain and extend many CodeIgniter systems for clients.
For certain new builds, particularly where lean architecture and fast delivery matter, CodeIgniter remains a sensible choice in 2025.
Yes. This is one of our most common CodeIgniter engagements. We take over existing CodeIgniter codebases from businesses who have lost their original developer, need to add new features, or want to improve performance and security. We start with a code review to understand the state of what has been built, give you an honest assessment, and then work to whatever scope you need.
We do not insist on rewriting everything. If the application is fundamentally sound, we build on it. If there are specific problems worth addressing, we scope those separately.
It depends on what your application does and how much active development it still receives. CodeIgniter 3 is no longer officially maintained and is missing the security updates and modern PHP compatibility that CI4 provides. If your application is business-critical and actively developed, upgrading is worth considering. If it is stable and changes rarely, the risk and cost of upgrading may outweigh the benefits.
We can review your specific situation and give you an honest recommendation, including the option of migrating to Laravel if that makes more sense for the long term.
When the project requirements are well-defined and do not need Laravel's more complex capabilities: simpler applications, internal tools, lean APIs, or situations where a lighter framework suits the scale of the work. Also when an existing CodeIgniter codebase is the starting point and a full rewrite is not justified.
We use both frameworks and will recommend the right one for your specific project. We have no commercial reason to push you toward one or the other.
Yes, but it is not always the right decision. We assess whether migration is genuinely beneficial for your specific application before recommending it. If the application is well-built in CodeIgniter, works reliably, and the team are comfortable with it, a migration to Laravel may add cost and risk without meaningful benefit.
We give you the honest view rather than recommending migration because it would mean more billable work for us.
CodeIgniter project or legacy system? Talk to us.
Whether you need something built or something supported, we know CodeIgniter properly.
Tell us about your situation. New build, inherited system, performance problem, or security concern. We will give you a straight view on what makes sense.
Common starting points:
- New CodeIgniter web application from scratch
- Taking over and supporting an existing CI codebase
- CodeIgniter 3 to CI4 upgrade assessment
- Performance or security issues in a legacy application
- Ongoing development retainer for an existing system
We reply to all enquiries within one working day.
Book a Free Consultation
Tell us about your CodeIgniter project or system and we will be in touch within one working day.
