Upgrade & Optimize
Your Rails app is
slowing you down.
Let's fix that.
Running on an outdated Rails version, drowning in AI-generated code, or watching performance degrade with every new feature — these are solvable problems. We've solved them hundreds of times.
Two Services, One Team
Upgrade your Rails version
or fix what AI wrote
Two distinct problems, both costing you velocity. We handle them with the same rigour: systematic analysis, clear plan, verified execution.
Track A
Rails Version Upgrade
Running Rails 5 or 6 in 2026 is a security liability and a hiring problem. We upgrade your application version by version — safely, with full test coverage, and zero downtime on deployment.
1
Dependency Audit
We map every gem, identify incompatibilities, and quantify the full upgrade scope before writing a line of code.
2
Test Suite Baseline
If coverage is thin, we expand it first. You can't safely upgrade what you can't verify.
3
Version-by-Version Upgrade
We upgrade one major version at a time with a full green test suite at each step. No skipping, no shortcuts.
4
Framework Defaults
We run
app:update, review every generated diff, and apply new configurations safely — no unexpected behavior.5
Zero-Downtime Deployment
Staged rollout through your existing pipeline. We stay on-call through go-live and monitor for regressions.
Track B
AI Code Fix
AI-generated code can get you to 80%. The other 20% — hidden bugs, missing tests, security gaps, and architectural blind spots — is what we fix before it costs you in production.
1
Full Code Audit
We review every AI-generated file for correctness, security, and architectural fit within your existing application.
2
Refactoring
We rewrite the problematic sections — not patch them. Clean, idiomatic Rails code that your team can maintain.
3
Test Coverage
Every fixed component gets unit and integration tests. CI integration so regressions never reach production again.
4
Security Hardening
We remediate auth issues, injection risks, hardcoded secrets, and outdated gems identified during the audit.
5
Architectural Review
We align the AI-generated code with your application's existing patterns and document decisions for your team.
Why It Matters
Every version behind
costs you more
An outdated Rails version isn't just a technical debt item — it's a compounding liability that touches security, performance, hiring, and developer productivity every day you don't address it.
🔒
Security Vulnerabilities
Older Rails versions have known, public CVEs. Running them in production is an active risk — not a theoretical one. Every patch release you've missed is a potential attack vector.
🐌
Performance Left on the Table
Each Rails major release brings meaningful performance improvements. Apps on Rails 5 or 6 are leaving measurable response time and memory efficiency gains unclaimed.
👩💻
Hiring Gets Harder
Senior Rails engineers don't want to work on legacy codebases. An outdated stack narrows your hiring pool and signals technical disfunction to candidates.
📦
Gem Compatibility Breaks
The Rails ecosystem moves forward. Gems drop support for old versions, forcing you to freeze dependencies or fork — both of which compound your technical debt faster.
🤖
AI Code Creates New Risk
AI-generated code is fast but context-blind. It doesn't know your architecture, your security requirements, or your scaling constraints. Unreviewed, it introduces subtle problems that surface in production.
⏱
The Longer You Wait
A Rails 6 -> 8 upgrade today is a defined project. A Rails 4 -> 8 upgrade in two years is a near-rewrite. The gap compounds. The right time to upgrade is always now.
AI Code Reality
Functional isn't the
same as production-ready
AI tools accelerate development significantly. But they generate code that works in isolation, without knowledge of your application's architecture, performance requirements, or security posture. Here's what we find in AI-generated Rails code every week.
✗
N+1 queries no one noticed
AI generates associations without eager loading. Works fine in tests with 10 records. Falls over in production with 10,000.
✗
Context-blind architecture
Code that works standalone but violates your existing patterns — creating maintenance debt from the first merge.
✗
Missing authentication & authorization
AI generates happy-path code. Auth edge cases — mass assignment, missing before_actions, insecure direct object references — don't make it into the prompt.
✗
Zero test coverage
AI writes code, not tests. Untested AI code merges silently and creates a floor below which quality can only fall.
✗
Hardcoded values & credentials
Secrets in source, magic numbers in logic, environment-specific values hardcoded. Common in AI output, dangerous in production.
N+1 Query Fix
- def index
- @orders = Order.all
+ def index
+ @orders = Order.includes(:user, :line_items)
+ .order(created_at: :desc)
+ .page(params[:page])
Missing Authorization
- def show
- @order = Order.find(params[:id])
+ before_action :authenticate_user!
+ before_action :authorize_order!, only: [:show, :edit]
def show
+ @order = current_user.orders.find(params[:id])
Hardcoded Value
- TAX_RATE = 0.08
+ TAX_RATE = ENV.fetch("TAX_RATE", "0.08").to_f
Our Process
Systematic, verified,
zero surprises
Whether we're upgrading Rails or fixing AI code, the same rigour applies: understand the full scope before starting, verify at every step, never ship without confidence.
STEP 01
Scope Assessment
We read your codebase, map dependencies, identify risks, and deliver a written scope with timeline and cost before any work begins.
STEP 02
Test Baseline
We establish or expand your test suite to the coverage level required to safely proceed. No green tests, no moving forward.
STEP 03
Staged Execution
Work proceeds in verified increments. You see progress each week. Staging environment mirrors production throughout.
STEP 04
Production Deployment
Zero-downtime rollout with rollback plan in place. We monitor for 48 hours post-deploy and stay available for any issues.
FAQ
Common questions
It depends on your current version, codebase size, and test coverage. A Rails 7 -> 8 upgrade on a well-tested app can take 2-4 weeks. A Rails 5 -> 8 jump with thin test coverage on a large app can take 8-12 weeks. We'll give you a specific estimate after reviewing your codebase — never before.
Yes. We work on a parallel upgrade branch and coordinate merges with your team. We've run many upgrades alongside active feature development — it requires good branch management but it's standard practice for us.
We address it as part of the engagement. We don't proceed with an upgrade on an untested codebase — that's how breakage happens. We'll scope the test coverage work as a phase before the upgrade begins, so you know the full cost upfront.
It matters in terms of risk surface, but we don't require you to know. We audit the full codebase regardless. AI-generated code often has identifiable patterns — we know what to look for and where problems typically hide.
Yes — our free Rails code audit covers architecture, performance, and security in 2-3 business days. It's a good starting point if you want to understand the scope before committing to a paid engagement.
Get Started
Not sure where
your app stands?
Start with a free audit. We'll tell you exactly what version you should be on, what the AI-generated code risks are, and where your biggest performance wins are — at no cost.
Related Services
Often paired together
Ready to modernize
your Rails app?
Get a free audit in 2-3 days. We'll map your upgrade path and give you a clear scope — no commitment required.