Menu‑bar app tracks Claude usage
A new open‑source macOS menu‑bar app was shared that monitors Claude API usage and costs—handy for devs running local tooling or prototypes that call Claude from macOS. The project surfaced on X with positive community traction. (x.com)
Tom Dörr’s MAGI//ARCHIVE curated multiple recent GitHub menu‑bar projects that surface Claude usage tools, explicitly listing masorange/ClaudeUsageTracker and P233/claude-usage.app. (tom-doerr.github.io) Artzainnn’s ClaudeUsageBar reports both the 5‑hour “session” and 7‑day “weekly” limits, uses a color‑coded menu‑bar icon, issues notifications at 25/50/75/90% thresholds, and is published under an MIT license. (github.com) Multiple projects implement live polling of Anthropic’s usage endpoints by reading an OAuth token from the macOS Keychain and calling the usage API, a pattern discussed in a Show HN thread and in several repository READMEs. (news.ycombinator.com) Some maintainers avoid storing credentials by running the local Claude Code CLI and capturing the /usage output (exact behavior documented in the CCUsageBar repo), which trades token exposure for a requirement that Claude Code be installed. (github.com) Distribution methods vary: Claude Usage Tracker’s v2.0.0 release added official Apple code‑signing and Sparkle auto‑updates for notarized installs, while other projects still provide DMG releases or recommend Homebrew casks. (vibesparking.com) Team and hybrid tools such as CodeQuota and ClaudeCounter explicitly surface Pro/Team metrics (including Sonnet usage) and offer optional CLI/statusline integrations for cross‑workflow monitoring. (codequota.dev) Community signals include a Show HN thread and multiple active GitHub repositories with recent commits and forks, demonstrating developer demand for in‑place usage and cost visibility to avoid mid‑session rate limits. (news.ycombinator.com)
