How to fix a vibe-coded app in India

Why do vibe-coded apps break?

AI app builders are very good at the first demo. They are weaker at what comes after: real users, real data, and a second person changing the code. The app works until it meets something the prompt never described.

The common failures are the same few:

• Login and permissions that look right but let one user see another user's data.
• A database designed screen by screen, so every new feature needs a patch on top of a patch.
• Secrets or API keys sitting in the front-end code.
• A fix in one place that breaks something unrelated, because nothing is tested.
• Pages that are slow once there are a few thousand rows.
• Hosting and billing tied to the builder's platform, so you cannot move.

None of this means the idea was wrong. It means the first version did its job: it proved the idea. Now it needs engineering.

What do we check in a vibe-coded app audit?

The audit is a read-through of the code and a click-through of the product. You get a written report you can keep, even if you never hire us.

1. Data and permissions: who can read or change what, and where the database rules live.
2. Secrets and security: exposed keys, unprotected endpoints, unsafe file uploads.
3. Structure: whether the code can be changed safely, or every edit is a gamble.
4. Reliability: errors, missing tests, what happens when an integration fails.
5. Cost and lock-in: hosting, API bills, and how hard it is to move off the builder.
6. A recommendation: stabilise, partly rebuild, or rebuild, with a price and timeline for each.

The audit costs ₹15k–25k depending on the size of the app. If you go ahead with us, that fee is credited against the fix or rebuild.

What does fixing a vibe-coded app cost in India?

These are Neyven's own prices. They are indicative; the number you pay is the fixed price in a written scope.

For comparison, one US rescue firm, Metacto, publishes a range of $50,000 to $150,000 for rescue work. Indian pricing for the same kind of app is much lower, but the scope matters more than the headline number.

When is a rebuild cheaper than a fix?

Often enough that we say it plainly. Fixing makes sense when the structure is sound and the problems are on the edges. Rebuilding is cheaper when the foundation is the problem.

• Rebuild if the database has no clear model, or permissions are enforced only in the front end.
• Rebuild if every change breaks something else and there is no way to test it.
• Rebuild if the app is small. A 6-screen app is often faster to redo cleanly than to repair.
• Fix if the product is live with paying users and the core flows work, but there are known bugs and gaps.
• Fix if the data model is reasonable and the code is readable by a stranger.

If the audit says rebuild, we say so and show the price. We would rather lose a rescue job than sell you weeks of patching on a broken base.

How does a rescue project run?

It follows the same method as any Neyven project, described on how we build. You get a written scope with a fixed price, a clickable view of what changes, and live previews as the work lands.

A person reviews every change and signs it off before release. Agents help with tests and review inside our delivery system, but they do not decide what ships. At handover you get the repository, deployment access and documentation, so any developer can pick it up.

What should you do before you contact anyone?

• Export your code to a repository you control, such as GitHub.
• Back up the database.
• Rotate any API keys that have ever been pasted into a prompt or committed to code.
• Write down the three things the app must do and the three bugs that hurt most.
• Stop adding features until the audit is done.

Frequently asked questions