Laravel and PHP development
CodeIgniter development services for CI3 and CI4 applications
I offer CodeIgniter development services for businesses that already run on CodeIgniter 3 and for new projects where CodeIgniter 4 is the sensible, lightweight choice. Most of my CodeIgniter work is on live systems: adding features, fixing bugs that appeared after a PHP upgrade, connecting APIs and keeping old code safe. You talk to the developer who reads and writes the code, not an account manager.
What’s included
- Feature development on existing CodeIgniter 3 applications, without breaking what works
- New CodeIgniter 4 development: modules, admin panels, portals and REST APIs
- CodeIgniter customization of products built on CI, including Perfex CRM modules
- Bug fixing on inherited code: PHP 8 deprecations, session errors, broken forms and slow queries
- Third-party API integrations: payment gateways, SMS and WhatsApp providers, accounting tools
- MySQL work: schema changes, indexes, query fixes and safe data corrections
- Security fixes: CSRF, XSS filtering, file uploads, SQL injection in raw queries
- Deployment on cPanel, VPS or shared hosting, with cron jobs and environment configs
- Written notes on what I changed, so the next developer is not starting blind
CodeIgniter development services: what I do and who it suits
My CodeIgniter development services suit three kinds of client. Business owners whose CRM, booking system or internal tool was built in CodeIgniter 3 years ago and still needs new features. Agencies that inherited a CI project and need someone who will not panic at a MY_Controller full of shared logic. And teams starting something small and fast that want CodeIgniter 4 development instead of a heavier framework.
It is not the right service if you want me to keep patching a CodeIgniter 2 app on an unsupported PHP version forever. In that case the honest advice is to plan a move, either a CodeIgniter 3 to 4 migration if you want to stay on CodeIgniter, or a rebuild in Laravel if the app has outgrown it.
- Existing CI3 apps that need features, fixes or integrations
- New CodeIgniter 4 apps, APIs and admin panels
- CodeIgniter customization inside products such as Perfex CRM
- Agencies that need a CodeIgniter developer for overflow or white-label work
Is CodeIgniter still worth using in 2026?
Yes, for the right project. CodeIgniter 4 is actively maintained: the current 4.7 line requires PHP 8.2 or newer with the intl and mbstring extensions, and only the latest CI4 release receives fixes, so staying current matters. It is small, fast, easy to host on ordinary cPanel accounts and quick for a new developer to understand.
CodeIgniter 3 is a different story. Its last official release is 3.1.13, the project describes it as being in maintenance with mostly security updates, and no official 3.x release has added support for PHP 8.2 or later. Plenty of CI3 apps still run well, but every PHP upgrade on your host is now a small risk. I keep CI3 systems running and stable, and I tell you plainly when the cost of patching is about to exceed the cost of moving.
For a brand new product with queues, complex permissions and a long roadmap, I usually recommend Laravel instead. I compare the two in Laravel vs CodeIgniter, and the choice is yours.
Taking over and fixing an existing CodeIgniter 3 app
Most CodeIgniter web development I see is inherited. The original developer has gone, there are no tests, and the code mixes patterns from different years. I start by reading it: config.php and database.php, the hooks, any HMVC setup such as Modular Extensions, base controllers, custom libraries in application/libraries, and the cron entries that call controllers from the CLI.
The problems repeat across projects. Sessions stored in files that fill the disk. Raw SQL built with string concatenation next to safe Query Builder calls. $config['base_url'] left empty so links break behind a proxy or on HTTPS. On PHP 8.1 and 8.2, deprecation warnings about dynamic properties and null values passed to string functions flood the logs, and some of them hide real bugs. I fix the cause, not just the log level.
I also do a lot of CodeIgniter customization inside products built on CI3. Perfex CRM is the common one: modules, hooks, invoice templates and integrations. That work has its own page: Perfex CRM customization and module development.
Why hire a CodeIgniter developer who also works in Laravel
When clients hire CodeIgniter developers through a marketplace, they often get someone who knows CI3 from tutorials or someone who only knows modern frameworks and wants to rewrite everything. I have shipped CodeIgniter 3 code in production and I work in Laravel and PHP 8 every day. That means I can keep your CI app tidy now and, when the time comes, plan a move that does not throw away working business logic.
If you were searching for a CodeIgniter development company in India, you get one senior engineer instead. I am based in Ahmedabad and work remotely with clients in different time zones; we agree on update times at the start. There is no handoff between sales, project manager and a junior: the person on the call is the person writing the code. For larger systems you can see how I work in the export operations ERP case study, a Laravel 12 project I led through go-live.
What affects the cost of CodeIgniter work
I do not publish prices, because two CodeIgniter jobs that sound the same can differ by weeks. You get a fixed quote after a short call or a written brief, and for unclear bugs I may suggest a small paid investigation first.
- The state of the code: consistent MVC with Query Builder is quick to work in, logic spread across views and helpers is not
- CI version and PHP version on the server, and whether a PHP upgrade is forced on you
- Whether a staging copy and a recent database dump exist, or I need to build them
- Number of third-party integrations and how well they are documented
- How much testing and documentation you want delivered with the change
How the work runs
Access and a first read
You share the repository (or a zip), a database dump with personal data removed and the hosting details. I read the code and write back what I found, including risks you may not know about.
Local and staging copies
I set the app up locally on the same PHP version as your server and, where possible, on a staging URL, so nothing is tested on live customers.
Scope and fixed quote
We agree the exact list of changes, what is out of scope and how you will check each item. Then I send a fixed quote and a realistic date.
Build in small, reviewable steps
Work goes into Git in small commits. You see progress on staging and can test each feature before it reaches production.
Deploy and hand over
I deploy during a quiet window, watch the logs, and leave notes on what changed, new config values and any cron jobs added.
Tools and technologies
- CodeIgniter 4.7
- CodeIgniter 3.1.13
- PHP 8.2 to 8.4
- MySQL and MariaDB
- Query Builder
- jQuery and Bootstrap
- REST APIs and webhooks
- Perfex CRM
- Composer
- Git
- cPanel and WHM
- Linux VPS and cron
About past work
Client work for this service is private, so it is not shown here. On a call I can walk you through comparable projects, what was done and how it turned out. The case studies show how I approach engineering problems in general.
Questions
Can you take over and fix an existing CodeIgniter 3 app?
Yes, most of my CodeIgniter work starts this way. I read the code and logs first, set up a local copy, and send you a short written list of problems and priorities before I change anything.
Do you work with both CodeIgniter 3 and CodeIgniter 4?
Yes. I maintain CI3 applications and build new features or full apps in CI4. The two are quite different frameworks, so I will always tell you which version a change is written for and why.
Should I use CodeIgniter or Laravel for a new project?
CodeIgniter 4 suits small to mid-sized apps that need to be light, fast and easy to host. For products with queues, complex roles, many integrations or a long roadmap, I usually recommend Laravel development because the ecosystem saves time later.
Can you build custom modules for software built on CodeIgniter, like Perfex CRM?
Yes. Perfex CRM runs on CodeIgniter 3, and I build modules for it using its hooks so your changes survive Perfex updates. The same approach applies to other CI-based products.
My CodeIgniter site broke after the host upgraded PHP. Can you fix it?
Usually, yes. The common causes are deprecated dynamic properties, null values passed to string functions, and old session handlers. I fix the errors in code, and if the app is on CodeIgniter 3, I also explain your longer-term options.
Can CodeIgniter apps run on shared hosting or cPanel?
Yes, that is one of CodeIgniter's strengths. CodeIgniter 4 needs PHP 8.2 or newer with intl and mbstring enabled, and its public folder should be the document root, which most cPanel hosts allow.
Can I hire CodeIgniter developer hours each month instead of a single project?
Yes. Besides fixed-scope projects, you can reserve a block of hours each month for fixes and small features on a CI3 or CI4 app. The hourly, fixed-scope and monthly options work the same way as on the hire a Laravel developer page.
Will I own the code you write?
Yes. All code is committed to your repository and you own it once the work is paid for. I do not lock clients into private libraries or hosting.
Related services
Further reading
Tell me what you are building.
A few lines about the project, who will use it and when it needs to ship are enough to start. You get a straight answer on whether codeigniter development is the right fit, and what it would take.
- Status
- Available for new projects
- Reply time
- I reply within an hour during working hours.
- Working hours
- 9 AM to 9 PM IST (UTC+5:30)
- Languages
- English, Hindi, Gujarati
Prefer email? Write to jaygajjar.dev@gmail.com.