Claude Code Usage Monitor is a free, open source terminal tool. It shows your Claude Code usage live, with a burn rate and a prediction of when you will run out. Cost Doctor is a paid Mac menu bar app that covers Claude Code and Codex, names the session that is costly and why, and tells you when something has failed.
| Claude Code Usage Monitor | Cost Doctor | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Live monitor in the terminal, written in Python (3.9 or later) | Mac menu bar app |
| Price | Free, open source (MIT) | $19 once, 14-day free trial |
| Install | uv tool install claude-monitor, or pip or pipx | Download from this site |
| Platforms | Install steps for macOS, Linux and Windows | macOS 13 and later, Apple silicon and Intel |
| Tools covered | Claude Code | Claude Code and Codex |
| Reads local logs | Yes, your Claude session history | Yes, nothing leaves your Mac |
| Views | Live, daily, monthly, session and burn rate | Today, the last 7 and 30 days, and each session, always visible |
| When you will run out | Yes, from your burn rate | Yes, for the 5-hour and weekly limits |
| Says what to do about a costly session | Not its focus | Yes: compact, trim overhead, or cut subagents |
| Alerts when a check fails or a session stalls | Not in its README | Yes, with a red screen frame |
What the other tool does and costs is taken from its own page, as checked in November 2026. Tools change; check their page for the current details.
Choose Claude Code Usage Monitor if
- You like a live view in a terminal pane next to your session.
- You work on Linux or Windows as well as a Mac.
- You want something free.
Choose Cost Doctor if
- You want the answer in the menu bar without keeping a terminal open.
- You use Codex as well as Claude Code.
- You leave agents running and need to know the moment a check fails.
Both read local files and do not conflict. You can run both.
See it on your own sessions
Cost Doctor is a Mac menu bar app that reads the logs Claude Code and Codex already write. It names the session that is using your tokens, says why, and turns your screen red when a check fails while an agent sits waiting. Nothing leaves your Mac.
Download the free trialHow it works14 days free, no account. Then $19 once, plus tax where it applies. For Apple silicon and Intel Macs on macOS 13 or later.