---
{"title": "ccusage alternatives in 2026: three options compared", "description": "Compares ccusage alternatives for 2026: CodexBar, Usagebar and Connections Usage, with what each one shows, the systems it runs on, and what it costs.", "url": "https://uncommoncomforts.com/ccusage-alternatives/", "date": "2026-10-11"}
---
Compares ccusage alternatives for 2026: CodexBar, Usagebar and Connections Usage, with what each one shows, the systems it runs on, and what it costs.

ccusage reports token usage and costs from local data [^1]. If you want limit figures and reset times instead, CodexBar tracks AI coding limits in the macOS menu bar [^2], Usagebar shows Claude Code limits and session context from the menu bar [^3], and Connections Usage shows several linked Claude accounts side by side [^4].

| Option | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| CodexBar | Free and open source [^2] | macOS 14 or later [^2] |
| Usagebar | One-time $9 purchase with lifetime updates [^3] | Mac app [^3] |
| Connections Usage | Connections Free costs $0 and Connections Pro is $39.99 a month [^4] [^4] | A website, with nothing to install [^4] |

## Why people who run things look past ccusage

ccusage reads local usage data from command line coding agents [^1] and turns it into daily, weekly, monthly, and session reports [^1]. Its daily and monthly reports show token usage and costs grouped by date [^1] and by month [^1], and it shows costs in USD for each day, month, and session [^1]. It can also export data as JSON for anyone who wants the numbers in another program [^1]. Connections Usage shows how much of each linked Claude account's session limit has been used and the exact clock time the window resets. [^4] [^4] ccusage has a 5-hour blocks report that tracks usage within Claude's billing windows [^1], so that question can be asked of it. Connections Usage shows linked Claude accounts as cards, a table, or a comparison chart, with each account's session limit and reset time shown. [^4] [^4] [^4] ccusage's unified reports cover usage across supported coding agents [^1].

## CodexBar: shows AI coding limits in the macOS menu bar

CodexBar tracks AI coding limits in your menu bar [^2]. It tracks usage windows, credit balances, and reset countdowns across AI tools [^2], with session, weekly, and monthly windows for each AI service [^2]. Where a service exposes them, it also shows credit balances and monthly spend [^2]. It is free and open source and runs on macOS 14 or later [^2]. A bundled command line program gives the same usage output as the menu bar [^2], and widgets are offered for supported services [^2]. Its page says no passwords are stored [^2].

## Usagebar: shows Claude Code limits and session context on a Mac

Usagebar tracks Claude Code usage limits and remaining session context from the macOS menu bar [^3]. It shows 5-hour and weekly limits at a glance [^3], with reset timers for the next usage window [^3]. It gives usage alerts at 50%, 75%, and 90% [^3] and warns when session context is running low [^3]. It uses your existing Claude Code credentials through Keychain, the macOS password store [^3], and detects your plan once you run Claude Code and log in once [^3]. Its page says it does not store your password [^3], does not sync credentials to any server [^3], and does not read anything beyond what it needs to show your limits [^3]. It is a Mac app sold for a one-time $9 purchase with lifetime updates [^3].

## Connections Usage: shows linked Claude accounts side by side

Connections Usage is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a website, so it works on any device and there is nothing to install [^4]. You link a Claude account by clicking Log in with Claude [^4]. Each linked Claude account shows how much of its session limit has been used [^4], and it also shows the weekly limit for a single model, labeled with that model's name [^4]. Each limit shows the exact clock time it resets [^4]. If you link two or more Claude accounts, you can view them as cards, as a table, or as a comparison chart [^4], and with two or more accounts it suggests the usable account with the most free quota left [^4]. Usage numbers refresh every hour in the background [^4], and a search box at the top filters the account list [^4]. On each account's page you can enter its plan, monthly price, and renewal date [^4]. A cost summary adds up the monthly prices you entered [^4], and the overview lists accounts with the soonest renewal first [^4]. A new account is filed under the company you have selected [^4]. Each linked provider account is billed per 30-day unit [^4]. Connections Free costs nothing and lets you link one Claude account [^4] [^4], and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you [^4]. Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product [^4]. Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product [^4]. Paid plans have no cap on how many accounts you can link [^4].

## How to pick the right ccusage alternative

Start with the question you need answered. If you want reports of token usage across many coding agents, ccusage's unified reports cover that [^1]. If you want limit figures for several AI services on a Mac, CodexBar shows usage windows and reset countdowns across them [^2]. If you want Claude Code limits and session context in the menu bar, Usagebar shows those [^3]. If you have two or more Claude accounts and want them side by side on any device, Connections Usage shows them as cards, a table, or a comparison chart [^4].

Then check the practical points. Your computer matters, because CodexBar runs on macOS 14 or later [^2] and Usagebar is a Mac app [^3]. Your login matters too: Usagebar uses your existing Claude Code credentials through Keychain [^3], while CodexBar's page says no passwords are stored [^2]. Price matters as well: Usagebar is a one-time $9 purchase [^3], and Connections Usage's free plan covers one Claude account, with Connections Pro as its first paid plan [^4] [^4]. Check ccusage's own page for pricing before you decide, since the facts available here do not cover it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a free alternative to ccusage?

CodexBar is free and open source and runs on macOS 14 or later [^2]. Connections Free costs nothing and lets you link one Claude account [^4] [^4]. On that plan, going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you [^4]. Usagebar is not free: it is a Mac app sold for a one-time $9 purchase with lifetime updates [^3].

### Does Connections Usage work with more than one Claude account?

Yes. If you link two or more Claude accounts, you can view them as cards, as a table, or as a comparison chart [^4]. With two or more accounts, it suggests the usable account with the most free quota left [^4]. Paid plans have no cap on how many accounts you can link [^4], while the free plan lets you link one [^4].

### How much does Usagebar cost?

Usagebar is a Mac app offered for a one-time $9 purchase [^3]. The price includes lifetime updates [^3]. CodexBar is free and open source [^2]. Connections Free costs $0 [^4], and Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month [^4].

### Does CodexBar store passwords?

CodexBar's page says no passwords are stored [^2]. It tracks usage windows, credit balances, and reset countdowns across AI tools [^2], and it includes a bundled command line program with the same usage output as the menu bar [^2]. Check the page itself for how it reads each service's data, because the facts available here do not describe that.

### Does Usagebar need Claude Code installed?

Usagebar detects Claude Code credentials after Claude Code has been run and you have logged in once [^3]. It uses those existing credentials through Keychain, the macOS password store [^3]. Its page says credentials stay on your machine except when it calls Anthropic's usage API directly [^3]. Connections Usage works differently: you link a Claude account by clicking Log in with Claude [^4].

There is a plan named Connections Free. [^4] On the free plan you can link one Claude account. [^4] - [Visit Connections Usage](/go/ccusage-alternatives)

## Sources

[^1]: ccusage, github.com/ryoppippi/ccusage, read 2026-10-08 (https://github.com/ryoppippi/ccusage)
[^2]: CodexBar, codexbar.app, read 2026-10-08 (https://codexbar.app)
[^3]: Usagebar, usagebar.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://usagebar.com)
[^4]: Connections Usage's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/ccusage-alternatives)