afterbuild/ops
§ S-12/app-migration

AI app migration — Lovable, Bolt, Base44,
and Replit onto a stack you own.

Fixed-fee AI app migration for teams outgrowing Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Base44, or v0. We run a Lovable-to-Next.js migration, a Bolt-to-Vercel migration, a Base44 export migration, or a move off Replit with zero data loss and under ten minutes of downtime.

price$9,999+
turnaround2–8 weeks
guaranteezero data loss, sub-10-min cutover
migrations shipped from Lovablemigrations shipped from Bolt.newmigrations shipped from Replitmigrations shipped from Base44migrations shipped from v0migrations shipped from Cursormigrations shipped from Windsurfmigrations shipped from Lovablemigrations shipped from Bolt.newmigrations shipped from Replitmigrations shipped from Base44migrations shipped from v0migrations shipped from Cursormigrations shipped from Windsurfmigrations shipped from Lovablemigrations shipped from Bolt.newmigrations shipped from Replitmigrations shipped from Base44migrations shipped from v0migrations shipped from Cursormigrations shipped from Windsurf
Quick verdict

AI app migration moves your Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Base44, or v0 app off the builder onto a stack you own — usually Next.js plus managed Postgres — with zero data loss and minutes of downtime. URLs, Stripe subscriptions, auth sessions, and SEO are all preserved. Small apps run 2 to 3 weeks from $9,999; complex migrations with integrations and warehouse data run 4 to 8 weeks, fixed fee after a 48-hour audit.

§ 01/diagnosis

Symptoms AI app migration fixes

Eight signals that tell us a migration pays for itself. If your stack hits three or more, the builder has become the tax — not the accelerator.

diagnostic matrix · symptom → root cause → migration fix
SymptomRoot cause inside the builderHow AI app migration fixes it
Lovable credits spiraling past $2k/moPer-edit pricing hits a ceiling once the app has 20+ screensLovable-to-Next.js migration onto a stack with flat hosting cost
Bolt preview works, Vercel deploy 500sBolt's StackBlitz runtime differs from Node on Vercel — env, filesystem, and import paths all driftBolt-to-Vercel migration with real env var wiring and a working `next build`
Base44 can't do SSO or multi-tenant reportingFeature ceiling — Base44's builder locks data model and auth modelBase44 export migration onto Next.js with Clerk/Auth.js SSO and a schema you can extend
Replit DB crawls past 1,000 usersSingle-file Flask/Node sprawl + SQLite or Replit DB has no pooling, no indexesMove off Replit onto managed Postgres with connection pooling and hot-query indexes
v0 frontend is beautiful, backend doesn't existv0 generates UI only — no DB, no auth, no payments, no deploy pipelinev0 migration that adds Supabase/Neon, Clerk, Stripe, and a real CI pipeline without losing the UI
Acquirer asked to see the repoBuilder-hosted apps fail engineering due diligence — no git history, no tests, no migrationsMigration onto GitHub with commit history, test coverage, migrations checked in, and SOC2-ready logs
Handing off to a full-time teamAI-built codebases are hard to onboard — no types, no structure, no docsMigration to Next.js + Postgres with TypeScript, folder conventions, and a week-one onboarding doc
Performance crashes past 100 concurrent usersBuilder default infra has no pooling, no caching, no background jobs, no CDN rulesMigration onto infrastructure tuned for your traffic — pooler, CDN, queue, monitoring
§ 02/protocol

Five-phase Lovable-to-Next.js migration schedule

Every migration runs the same five phases. The Bolt-to-Vercel migration, the Base44 export migration, and the move off Replit all share this shape — only the source tooling changes.

  1. D148h · audit

    48-hour migration audit

    We map the current Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Base44, or v0 stack, inventory every table and integration, score complexity, and return a fixed-fee plan with a realistic cutover window. Fixed $1,500, rolled into the engagement.

  2. D2W1

    Parallel-build the target stack

    We build the Next.js App Router codebase (or your chosen target) alongside the existing builder app. Nothing touches production yet — everything is testable in staging before a single user moves.

  3. D3W2

    Dry-run the data migration twice

    We replicate production data into the new stack at least twice, with integrity checks on every table. Customer IDs, Stripe subscription IDs, user sessions, and file storage all validated end-to-end against the source.

  4. D4cutover night

    Cutover during a low-traffic window

    DNS flips, short maintenance window (typically under 10 minutes), traffic moves. The old stack stays live as rollback for 30 days. Users notice only that performance improved.

  5. D5W3–W8

    Post-cutover monitoring and handoff

    We watch Sentry, logs, and conversion funnels for 7 days after cutover. Any surprise gets fixed immediately. Handoff runbook delivered before we leave.

§ 03/before-after

What a Lovable-to-Next.js migration actually ships

The diff below is the single most common file we replace on a Lovable export: a client-side Supabase fetch with the anon key in the browser, migrated to a Server Component with the service-role key held server-side and RLS scoped by session.

src/app/(dashboard)/invoices/page.tsx
tsx
01// BEFORE — src/pages/dashboard.jsx  (Lovable export)02// Client-side fetch. Supabase anon key in browser. No types.03import { supabase } from '../lib/supabaseClient'04import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'05 06export default function Dashboard() {07  const [invoices, setInvoices] = useState([])08  useEffect(() => {09    supabase10      .from('invoices')11      .select('*')12      .then(({ data }) => setInvoices(data || []))13  }, [])14  return <InvoiceTable rows={invoices} />15}16 17// AFTER — src/app/(dashboard)/invoices/page.tsx  (Next.js App Router)18// Server Component. Service-role key stays on the server.19// RLS scoped by user session. Fully typed. 301 from /dashboard.20import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js'21import { cookies } from 'next/headers'22import { redirect } from 'next/navigation'23import type { Invoice } from '@/types/invoice'24import { InvoiceTable } from '@/components/invoice-table'25 26export const revalidate = 027 28export default async function InvoicesPage() {29  const session = await getSession(await cookies())30  if (!session) redirect('/login')31 32  const db = createClient(33    process.env.SUPABASE_URL!,34    process.env.SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY!,35    { auth: { persistSession: false } }36  )37  const { data, error } = await db38    .from('invoices')39    .select('id, amount, status, created_at')40    .eq('user_id', session.userId)41    .returns<Invoice[]>()42 43  if (error) throw error44  return <InvoiceTable rows={data ?? []} />45}
before: Lovable export · client fetch, anon key in bundle. after: Next.js App Router · Server Component, service-role key, typed rows, 301 redirect from the legacy /dashboard path.
§ 04/deliverables

What AI app migration engagements ship

Twelve deliverables cover the full migration surface. Price scales with data volume, integration count, and whether the target stack already exists.

  • 0148-hour migration audit with a written risk assessment, data-loss model, and fixed-fee plan
  • 02Lovable-to-Next.js source conversion preserving the App Router structure your next engineer expects
  • 03Bolt-to-Vercel migration that re-homes the StackBlitz preview onto real GitHub + Vercel CI/CD
  • 04Base44 export migration onto Next.js or your team's existing stack — SSO, RBAC, and custom reporting intact
  • 05Replit export onto Fly, Railway, or Vercel with managed Postgres replacing Replit DB or SQLite
  • 06Zero-loss database migration with two staging dry-runs, integrity checks, and a 30-day rollback window
  • 07Supabase, Firebase, or Replit DB re-homed to managed Postgres (Neon, Supabase Pro, RDS) with pooling
  • 08Auth session preservation — existing users stay logged in through the cutover, no forced re-auth
  • 09URL preservation via 301 redirects, canonical rewrites, and sitemap handover to Google Search Console
  • 10Stripe subscription continuity — customer IDs, subscription IDs, invoices, and webhooks all move intact
  • 11CI/CD pipeline on GitHub Actions with preview deploys, branch protection, and tested rollback
  • 12Handoff runbook so your next engineer owns the migrated stack without re-hiring us
§ 05/pricing

Fixed-fee migration pricing

48-hour audit sets the exact number. Nothing bills hourly after that. The old stack stays warm for 30 days as rollback insurance — included.

They ran our Lovable-to-Next.js migration in 11 days. Ten minutes of downtime at 3am. We haven't thought about Lovable since.
Fintech MVP founder· post-migration · $14k fixed fee
app-migration
price
$9,999
turnaround
2–8 weeks
scope
One source builder → one target stack. Data, auth, URLs, integrations preserved.
guarantee
zero data loss, sub-10-min cutover
Book migration audit ($1,500)
§ 06/alternatives

AI app migration vs hourly dev vs full rewrite

DimensionHourly contractorFull rewriteAI app migration
Cost$15k–$60k open-ended$80k–$250k+From $9,999, fixed
TimelineUnknown, usually drifts3–6 months2–8 weeks
Data loss riskDepends on the engineerMedium — new schema often driftsZero · two staging dry-runs
URL preservationUsually forgottenUsually broken301s on every legacy path
Rollback planRarelyRarely30-day warm rollback included
Handoff qualityUnowned, undocumentedStrong, if the team lastsRunbook + types + CI

Pick AI app migration if

  • Your Lovable credits have passed $1.5k/mo and are still rising
  • Your Bolt-to-Vercel migration has failed twice and the preview still looks fine
  • Your Base44 export migration is blocked by a missing SSO or reporting feature
  • You need to move off Replit before next quarter's user spike
  • An acquirer, investor, or incoming CTO needs to see a git-hosted repo with tests
  • You need auth, Stripe, and data all preserved — no forced re-registration or re-subscribe

Don't pick AI app migration if

  • Your Lovable app is still under $500/mo in credits and under 500 users — stay put
  • You haven't decided on the target stack — we'll help in the free diagnostic first
  • You want a ground-up rewrite with new features — that's Finish My MVP, not migration
  • Your primary issue is a single broken Stripe or auth flow — use Integration Fix ($799)
  • You need a migration in under 10 days — our shortest shipped window is 14 days
  • The current app has no paying users and you'd rather rebuild cleanly — we'll say so
§ 07/when-to-migrate

When Lovable-to-Next.js migration pays for itself

You're hitting pricing or feature ceilings on the builder. Lovable credits are spiraling, Replit's hosting costs more than managed infra, or Base44's SSO and multi-tenant limits are blocking an enterprise deal. AI app migration unlocks the ceiling. Users say they feel trapped, stuck, can't export, locked in — the fix is to get off before the next pricing change.

You're handing off to a full-time engineering team. AI builders generate code that's hard to onboard into. A migrated Next.js + Postgres codebase is something a senior engineer can read on day one. The handoff doesn't start with a rewrite quote.

You're preparing for due diligence or acquisition. Investors want to see a repo that can survive without the builder. Industry benchmarks — see our 2026 vibe-coding research — put AI-generated-code vulnerability rates close to half. The migration is also a security pass, because we audit RLS, webhooks, auth, and secrets on the way through.

You're outgrowing the builder's performance. Queries fine at 10 users crawl at 1,000. Connection pools exhaust. Background jobs don't exist. Migration lands you on infrastructure designed for the traffic you're about to have.

§ 09/faq

AI app migration questions we get every week

Why would I run an AI app migration off Lovable, Bolt, Replit, or Base44?

Four reasons come up. Pricing that escalates with scale (Lovable credits, Replit hosting). Lock-in when you want to hand off to a full-time team. Feature ceilings the builder can't clear — SSO, multi-tenant, custom reporting. Performance under load the builder's stack can't support. If none of those apply, stay on the builder — we'll say so honestly in the 48-hour audit.

Will users notice a Lovable-to-Next.js migration?

If we do it right, only that things got faster. Sessions persist — we preserve the Supabase JWT signing keys or mirror Clerk sessions. URLs resolve via 301 redirects on every legacy path. Stripe customer IDs and subscription IDs are preserved. The maintenance window is under 10 minutes, usually 3am in the lowest-traffic timezone.

Can you migrate only the database, keeping the frontend on Base44 or Lovable?

Yes. A common first step is moving the database to managed Postgres while the UI stays on the builder. The builder continues issuing client requests, but queries hit a real pooled Postgres with indexes and backups. This is the fastest way to get performance relief before a full migration — usually 1 to 2 weeks, $4,999 to $7,499.

What's the data-loss risk on a Replit-to-Vercel or Bolt-to-Vercel migration?

Zero, if the migration is done right. We replicate data at least twice into staging, run integrity checks on every table, and keep the old database live as rollback for 30 days post-cutover. Across 50+ migrations we haven't lost a row. Industry benchmarks find roughly half of AI-generated code contains vulnerabilities (see our 2026 research), but data migration itself is a mature discipline with predictable guardrails.

How long does AI app migration take and what does it cost?

Small apps (one domain, under 10k rows, straightforward auth): 2 to 3 weeks from $9,999. Medium apps (multiple integrations, Stripe subscriptions, tens of thousands of users): 4 to 6 weeks, $15k to $25k. Complex apps (multi-tenant, SSO, warehouse sync, custom reporting): 6 to 8 weeks, $25k+. Always fixed fee after the 48-hour audit.

Do you support migration to stacks other than Next.js?

Yes. Next.js + Postgres is the default because it's where most AI-built apps land comfortably, but we migrate to Remix, Nuxt, SvelteKit, or a custom Node/Python backend where it fits. Tell us what your future engineers will extend, and we target that.

Can you move us off Replit without losing the single-file Flask or Node app?

Yes. We keep the business logic, refactor the single-file sprawl into modules, replace Replit DB or SQLite with managed Postgres, add migrations and tests, and wire GitHub Actions CI. The app you had works; the app you have afterwards is one a senior engineer can extend.

What about SEO — will rankings drop after a Lovable-to-Next.js migration?

No, when the URL map is preserved. We 301 every legacy path, rebuild the sitemap, keep canonicals consistent, submit the new sitemap to Google Search Console, and monitor Search Console coverage for 30 days post-cutover. Migrations done this way typically show no ranking dip.

Next step

Outgrown your builder? Let's migrate.

Free 30-minute diagnostic, or book the 48-hour migration audit directly. Fixed-fee plan with cutover window follows.