The problemEvery fix breaks something else, and two developers give you opposite answers.
In shortCode audit services give you an independent engineer's written verdict on your codebase: keep, fix or rebuild, with evidence and a costed, ordered fix list. They suit founders and managers who cannot read the code themselves, including owners of apps built with AI tools. Our audits start at $1,500 and typically take 5–10 days.
Every time one thing gets fixed, something else breaks. A new developer calls the code a mess, the last one disagrees, and you are left to decide whether to rebuild or keep going. Or the app was built with an AI tool, it works, and nobody can tell you whether the database is open to anyone. Meanwhile every new feature takes longer than the last, and nobody can explain why.
A code audit is an independent engineer reading your codebase and telling you, in plain language, what state it is in: what is solid, what is fragile, what is dangerous and what it will cost to fix. We look at architecture, security, performance, tests, dependencies and deployment, and finish with a verdict and an ordered fix list. Every finding comes with evidence, so you do not have to take our word for it.
Maintained by Haider Ali, Founder & CEO · Updated
The situations that usually lead someone to ask for a code audit, and what the audit does about each.
The rebuild-or-refactor call, often the most expensive software decision a small company makes, becomes a guess, and money goes to whoever sounded surest.
What we doOne independent written verdict (keep, fix or rebuild) with evidence for every finding and a risk-ranked list, so the decision rests on facts.
Weeks and paid AI credits go in circles while the app works for a day and then fails again.
What we doAn engineer reads the actual code, finds the structural cause behind the loop and writes an ordered fix list that a developer, or an AI tool with better instructions, can follow.
If database rules or endpoint checks are missing, strangers can read or change customer data, API keys and payment records.
What we doWe check row-level security on every table, authentication on every endpoint, secrets in the front end and who can change payment state, then list the fixes before launch.
The new team cannot estimate anything until it rediscovers the codebase, so you pay twice: once to build it and again to understand it.
What we doWe map what exists, what works, what is broken and what only the last developer understood, so the next team quotes against facts.
Developer time disappears into maintenance, and the next big build runs over because nobody measured the existing code first.
What we doWe name the hot spots that slow delivery (missing tests, tangled modules, slow queries, fragile deploys) and order the fixes by risk and value.
You risk overpaying for hidden rework, a product that depends on one developer, or code that does not work as described.
What we doA due diligence report written for the deal team, separating the risks that affect value from the ordinary technical debt every product carries.
We would rather tell you now than take the project and disappoint you.
| Starts from | $1,500 for a small codebase |
|---|---|
| Typical timeline | 5–10 working days, including the report |
| Quoted range | $1,500–$6,000, depending on size and the number of systems |
| Best for | Founders, managers and buyers who need a straight answer about code they cannot read |
| Not for | Certified penetration tests or compliance certifications |
| What you get | A written verdict, evidence for every finding, an ordered fix list and a walkthrough call |
| How access works | NDA first, read-only repository access, revoked when the report is delivered |
| How pricing works | One fixed price, agreed before we read a line of code |
Worth knowing: The most expensive outcome of a code audit is a rewrite that did not need to happen. Struggling codebases often trace most of their pain to a few structural problems, and fixing those in place is often far cheaper than starting over. We only recommend a rebuild when the evidence clearly says so, and the report shows which parts can be kept.
How the system fits together, where the boundaries are, and which parts will block growth.
Authentication, access control, row-level security, secrets, dependencies with known vulnerabilities, and data exposure.
Slow queries, missing indexes, oversized bundles, and the requests that make pages wait.
Tests, duplication, consistency, documentation, and how long a new developer needs to become useful.
How code reaches production, backups, monitoring, and the parts only one person understands.
Keep, fix or rebuild, with effort estimates for the fixes, ordered by risk and value.
A 22-second look at a code audit: architecture, security and performance reviewed, issues ranked by risk, and a plain keep, fix or rebuild verdict. From $1,500, 5–10 days.
Every fix breaks something else. Two developers disagree. The rebuild call becomes a guess. AI credits spent going in circles. Every feature takes longer than the last. There’s a better way. Code audit: one written verdict, keep, fix or rebuild. Architecture and security review. Performance and maintainability. A verdict and roadmap. From $1,500 · 5–10 days · fixed quote. Get a fixed quote. pixelandoak.com/services/code-audit
AI builders produce working apps fast, but working is not the same as safe. In 2025 a researcher reported that 170 of 1,645 showcased Lovable projects exposed data because database rules were missing or too loose (CVE-2025-48757); Lovable has disputed parts of that report. These are the checks we run on every AI-built app:
If you are not technical, ask three questions: are there automated tests that run on every change, can a second developer deploy the app alone, and how long do small changes take? Vague answers are a warning sign.
Technical debt is measured in practice by how much time goes to maintenance instead of new features, how often changes cause new bugs, and which parts of the code change and break most. Stripe's 2018 Developer Coefficient survey found developers spend more than 17 hours a week on maintenance work such as debugging and refactoring.
| Option | What it looks at | Who it is for | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automated scan | Known library flaws and style rules | Developers | A tool report with no judgment about your product |
| Code review | One change or pull request at a time | Your own developers | Comments on that change |
| Code audit (this service) | The whole codebase: structure, security, performance, tests, deployment | Founders, managers and buyers | A verdict (keep, fix or rebuild) and an ordered fix list |
| Security audit | How the running app can be attacked | Teams facing a launch or a customer review | Tested findings, fixes and a retest |
| Certified penetration test | Attack testing by an accredited firm | Auditors and contracts | A formal report for compliance |
Before buying or investing in a software business, a code audit answers the questions a pitch deck cannot: does the product work the way it is described, who really understands it, how much hidden work is waiting, and what would break if the founding developer left.
Due diligence reports are written for the deal team, with the risks that affect value separated from the ordinary technical debt every product carries. They suit small acquisitions, such as a single-founder SaaS or an app bought from its builder, where a large consultancy would be out of proportion.
The stacks we work in every day. For anything else, we will say honestly whether we are the right reviewers.
React, Next.js, TypeScript, JavaScript bundles
Node.js, PHP, serverless functions, REST and GraphQL APIs
Postgres, MySQL, Supabase, Firebase
WordPress and WooCommerce, Shopify, Vercel, Cloudflare
Not sure whether a code audit is what you actually need? Send over what you are trying to fix and we will tell you straight — including if a smaller job would do it.
Ask us first →Which decision the audit supports, which repositories and systems are in scope, and the deadline.
One price, agreed before we read a line of code.
The code read, run and measured, with a short call midway to check our understanding.
A written report and a call to go through it, including the questions you did not think to ask.
AI agents from our Quality & Security division do the work, in parallel. Haider Ali, founder and CEO, agrees the plan with you and signs off everything before it reaches you.
Real work that uses the same skills. Every card links to something you can open and inspect yourself.
Code audits start at $1,500 for a small codebase and are quoted at $1,500–$6,000 depending on size and how many systems are involved. Technical due diligence for an acquisition tends to sit at the upper end because of the deadline and the report format. You get one fixed price before we read a line of code.
Five to ten working days for most codebases, including the written report and a walkthrough call. Urgent due diligence can move faster if repository access is ready on day one. A short call midway checks our understanding, so the final report has no surprises about how the system is meant to work.
A code review looks at one change at a time, usually before it is merged, and is done by your own developers. A code audit looks at the whole codebase at once, by someone independent, and ends with a verdict on its overall state: keep, fix or rebuild, with an ordered list of fixes and their effort.
No. A code audit reads the code and covers structure, security, performance, tests and deployment. A penetration test attacks the running app, and a certified one comes from an accredited firm. Our code audit includes a security review, but it is not a certified pentest or a compliance certification.
Yes. AI-built apps often work on the surface while database rules, endpoint checks and secrets were never set up properly. We read the generated code like any other, test the database rules, and write the fixes so a developer, or the AI tool with clearer instructions, can apply them.
Only if the evidence clearly says so. A rewrite that did not need to happen is the most expensive outcome an audit can lead to, and fixing specific problems in place is often cheaper. When we do recommend a rebuild, the report shows why, what it would involve and which parts can be kept.
Ask whether there are automated tests and whether they run on every change, whether a second developer could deploy the app alone, and how long small changes take. Vague answers are a warning sign, not proof. An audit gives you a measured answer, with evidence you can show the developer.
If you want us to. The audit stands on its own and is written so your own developers can act on it. If we do the fixes, the audit is not wasted, because the work is already scoped and priced. Either way, you keep the report and the ordered fix list.
Yes, before we see any code. We work from read-only repository access, ask for infrastructure access only if it is in scope, and you revoke it when the report is delivered. Beyond access, we need an hour with whoever knows the system best and a sentence on the decision the audit should inform.
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