TokenSightA ccusage alternative for Mac: see why your tokens go, not just how many
Updated October 9, 2026 · by the maker of TokenSight — so read the comparison with that in mind; we've tried to be fair to ccusage.
ccusage is the best-known way to check Claude Code token usage: a free, open-source command-line tool that turns your local session logs into daily, monthly and per-session reports, with costs. If you live in the terminal, it's excellent.
TokenSight is for when you want a native Mac app instead: your Claude Code and Codex limits in the menu bar, a dashboard you can click through, and Insights that point at what's burning your budget — cache rebuilds, heavy CLAUDE.md/MCP setups, context-hungry tools — and what to change.
Choose ccusage if…
- You want free and open source
- You're on Linux, Windows, a server or CI
- You need JSON in scripts or a statusline
- You use agents beyond Claude Code and Codex
- You want 5-hour block reports in the terminal
Choose TokenSight if…
- You're on a Mac and want a menu-bar app
- You use Claude Code and Codex together
- You want to know which tools and MCP servers eat context
- You want Claude's 5-hour and weekly limits in the menu bar, with alerts
- You want suggestions, not just tables
Or use both
- Both only read local logs — they don't conflict
- ccusage for scripts and statuslines
- TokenSight for the dashboard, alerts and Insights
TokenSight vs ccusage, side by side
ccusage details come from its README feature list as of October 2026. “Not listed” means we didn't find it there — it may exist or be added later.
| TokenSight | ccusage | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 7-day full trial, then free for the current cycle; $9.99 once for all-time history, export and every Insight | Free, open source |
| Platforms | macOS 13+ | Anywhere Node/Bun runs |
| Interface | Native menu-bar app + dashboard | Terminal reports |
| Agents | Claude Code, Codex | Claude Code, Codex and 15+ more |
| Daily / session / project totals | Yes | Yes |
| Cost estimates | Yes (editable rates) | Yes (custom overrides) |
| Cache read/write tokens | Yes, plus cache-hit rate | Yes |
| Codex weekly limit % and reset, from the server | Yes, with a trend chart | Not listed |
| Claude 5-hour & weekly limit % | Yes — Claude Code's own numbers via your status line (opt-in), with alerts | Not listed |
| 5-hour block report | No | Yes, with live monitoring |
| Which tools / MCP servers grow your context | Yes, per tool and per request | Not listed |
| Cache-rebuild & startup-overhead detection | Yes (Insights) | Not listed |
| Threshold alerts (50 / 80 / 95 %) | Yes | Not listed |
| JSON output / statusline | CSV & JSON export (licensed) | JSON on every report; statusline (beta) |
| Data leaves your machine? | No — only update and license checks | No usage data; fetches pricing (has an offline mode) |
What “why, not just how many” looks like
Totals tell you that you used 113M tokens this week. They don't tell you that 2.9M of them were the same context re-sent after you stepped away for coffee, or that one project starts every session 46K tokens deep because of its CLAUDE.md and MCP servers. That's what the Insights page is for:
Screenshot from a demo dataset — your numbers come from your own logs, computed on your Mac.
How much do cache rebuilds cost you?
Claude Code and Codex cache your prompt between requests. Leave a session idle past the cache lifetime — 5 minutes by default, up to an hour on some plans — (or switch models, or edit CLAUDE.md mid-session) and the next request re-sends the whole context at full price instead of the cache price. Estimate what that costs at API list prices:
On a Claude or ChatGPT subscription you don't pay per token — but re-sent context still counts toward your 5-hour and weekly limits. TokenSight's Insights count your actual rebuilds.
Try TokenSight
Install it, launch it, and it fills in from the Claude Code and Codex history already on your Mac — nothing to configure, and ccusage can keep running alongside.
Buy TokenSight — $9.99 Download free trialbrew install --cask sanv725/tap/tokensightFAQ
Is there a free ccusage alternative for Mac?
TokenSight starts with a 7-day trial of everything. After that, the free tier still covers the current weekly cycle in full: totals, charts, the per-request inspector and the top Insight. A one-time $9.99 license keeps all-time history, CSV/JSON export and every Insight. ccusage itself is free and open source.
Can I use TokenSight and ccusage at the same time?
Yes. Both only read the session logs Claude Code and Codex already write to disk, so they don't interfere with each other or with your agents.
Does TokenSight send my usage data anywhere?
No. It parses local files and your usage data never leaves your Mac. Its only network requests are update checks and, once you enter a key, a weekly license check. More on privacy.
Does TokenSight run on Linux or Windows?
No — it's a native macOS app (macOS 13+). On Linux, Windows, servers or CI, ccusage is the better choice.