Source code review services for ecommerce, websites, apps, and software
At 1902 Software, we provide independent source code review services for WordPress, Magento, Umbraco, and custom PHP and .NET applications. You get an objective assessment of your code quality, maintainability issues, and specific recommendations for improvement—with no obligation to hire us for fixes.
You can avail of our source code review as a standalone package, or mix and match it with our other review packages (Technical audit, SEO and speed audit, and UI/UX review) for a more holistic review of your site or system. To get an idea on how to get started, check out our general review process.
Why businesses request code review services
Most companies come to us for code analysis in one of these situations:
Before acquiring or investing in a digital property
You're buying a business, acquiring software, or investing in a platform. You need to know if the codebase is an asset or a liability before making financial commitments.
When considering switching developers
Your current team built something that works, but you're not sure if it's maintainable long-term. You want an independent assessment before transitioning to new developers.
After inheriting legacy code
You've taken over a system built by developers who are no longer available. The code works but nobody understands it, and you need to know what you're dealing with.
When performance issues emerge
Your site or app has become slow, unstable, or difficult to update. You suspect code quality problems but need expert confirmation and prioritized fixes.
Before scaling operations
You're planning growth and need to know if your current codebase can handle increased traffic, transactions, or feature complexity.
We limit our source code review to systems built on technologies we actually work with—WordPress, Magento, Umbraco, and custom PHP and .NET applications. We won’t review platforms we don’t have mastery of because that produces questionable results.
What we evaluate during code analysis
Our code review process examines the factors that determine long-term maintainability, performance, and cost of ownership.
Code structure and readability
We assess whether your code is well-organized or "spaghetti code"—unstructured logic that's difficult to understand and expensive to modify. Clean code structure means faster updates and lower maintenance costs.
Adherence to coding standards
We check if developers followed established standards for:
- Code organization and file structure
- Naming conventions for variables, functions, and classes
- Inline documentation and comments
- Formatting consistency (indentation, line length, syntax)
- Framework-specific best practices
Maintainability and future-proofing
We evaluate whether your code can be handed to new developers without extensive knowledge transfer. This includes:
- Documentation quality for code and database structure
- Change log completeness for tracking modifications
- Separation of custom code from core framework files
- Plugin and theme modification handling
Performance optimization opportunities
We identify code that directly impacts site speed, particularly when you've reported slow loading issues. This includes inefficient database queries, excessive API calls, and resource-heavy operations.
Theme and plugin integrity
For WordPress and Magento sites, we verify:
- Whether core CMS code has been modified (which breaks future updates)
- If commercial themes have been altered (creating upgrade problems)
- Whether plugin code has been substantially changed
- If functionality was built as plugins when theme integration would be better
Integration code quality
We examine code handling third-party integrations—payment processors, shipping APIs, CRM systems, marketing platforms—to identify connection issues, error handling gaps, and security concerns.
Security vulnerability assessment
While we're not a dedicated security firm, we identify common vulnerabilities during code audit. This includes exposed credentials, insecure data handling, missing input validation, and outdated dependencies with known exploits.
Note: We don’t perform line-by-line review of systems with millions of lines of code. Instead, we conduct targeted code analysis focused on areas affecting your goals, performance, and risk.
How our source code review works
Access requirements
We need either full access to your source code repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) or a complete code download from staging environments via secure transfer.
Review timeline
Most code reviews complete within 5-10 business days depending on system complexity and codebase size.
Deliverable
You receive a comprehensive written report documenting:
- Issues found, categorized by severity and impact
- Specific code examples demonstrating problems
- Recommendations for fixes with estimated effort levels
- Suggestions for optimization based on industry best practices
Follow-up discussion
After receiving your report, we can schedule a meeting with you or your development team to walk through findings, answer technical questions, and discuss implementation priorities.
What you can do with the code review report
You control what happens next. Common paths forward:
Take the report to your existing developer
Use our findings to have your current team address issues. The report provides technical specificity they need to make targeted improvements.
Get quotes from other development companies
Share the report with prospective developers to get accurate quotes for remediation work. Clear problem documentation helps vendors bid realistically.
Have our team fix the issues
If you prefer, 1902 Software can implement the fixes we recommend. We know the code intimately after reviewing it, which often makes us the fastest path to resolution.
The report is yours to use however serves your business best.
Combine code review with other audits
Source code review can be performed standalone or combined with complementary audits for complete system assessment:
Technical infrastructure audit
Evaluate server configuration, hosting setup, security hardening, backup systems, and deployment processes.
SEO and performance audit
Analyze site speed, Core Web Vitals, technical search engine optimization issues, and page load bottlenecks.
UI/UX review
Assess user interface design, navigation structure, conversion optimization opportunities, and accessibility compliance.
Combined reviews provide a complete picture of your digital property’s health—from infrastructure through code to user experience.
Why businesses choose 1902 Software for code analysis
We only review what we know
Our code review services cover WordPress, Magento, Umbraco, PHP, and .NET systems exclusively because these are platforms we've developed on and worked with extensively. We understand not just syntax but architectural decisions, framework evolution, and platform-specific best practices that only come from decades of active development work.
Independent assessment with no sales pressure
We provide objective code analysis even if you never hire us for remediation. Our reputation depends on honest evaluation, not inflating problems to generate work.
Detailed technical reporting
You get specific code examples, file references, and technical explanations—not vague generalizations. Your developers can act immediately on our findings.
Global experience, local accountability
We've reviewed code for businesses across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Every reviewer works directly for 1902 Software, never outsourced contractors.
Get your source code reviewed
Whether you’re evaluating an acquisition, preparing for developer transition, or investigating performance problems—an independent code review provides clarity before you invest time and money in fixes.
Contact us to discuss your code review needs and timeline.
Commonly asked questions
What platforms and languages can you review?
We review WordPress, Magento, Umbraco, custom PHP applications, and custom .NET applications exclusively. These are platforms we’ve actively developed on/with over years (for some, even decades). We only review systems we have mastery of because reviewing unfamiliar technologies produces questionable results. This ensures you get expert assessment based on architectural knowledge and platform-specific best practices, not generic code scanning.
Do you fix the issues you find, or just report them?
The code review identifies problems and provides specific recommendations. You can take the report to your existing developer, get quotes from other companies, or have our team implement fixes. The report is yours with no obligation to use our services for remediation. We provide independent assessment even if you never hire us, because our reputation depends on honest evaluation.
How detailed is the code review report?
You receive specific code examples, file references, and technical explanations, not vague generalizations. Each issue includes severity classification, impact assessment, and recommended fixes with estimated effort levels. Your developers can act immediately on findings without additional interpretation. The report documents actual problems with enough technical specificity for any competent developer to understand and address.
What do you need from us to conduct a code review?
We need full access to your source code repository or a complete code download from staging environments via secure transfer. For comprehensive review, we may also need access to database structure, configuration files, and documentation if available. More access enables deeper analysis, but we can work with whatever you’re able to provide securely.
How long does a source code review take?
Most code reviews complete within 5-10 business days depending on system complexity and codebase size. Simple WordPress sites with minimal custom code can be reviewed faster than enterprise Magento stores with extensive customizations or large custom .NET applications. We provide specific timeline estimates during initial scoping based on your system’s characteristics.
Do you review every single line of code, or is it a sampling?
We don’t perform line-by-line review of systems with millions of lines of code—that’s neither practical nor valuable. Instead, we conduct targeted code analysis focused on areas affecting your specific goals, performance concerns, and risk factors. We examine critical functionality, integration points, custom modifications, and areas you’ve flagged as problematic. This approach identifies the issues that actually matter for your business.
Book a consultation to explore how AI and 1902 Software can transform your next ecommerce project — faster, smarter, and more cost-efficiently.