Track Claude Usage from Your Mac Menu Bar
Keep Claude plan usage, reset timing, and supported Claude Code activity visible while you work—without repeatedly opening Settings or Claude Console.
How Claude rate limits work
- Claude plan consumption varies by model, context, attachments, features, and effort rather than one guaranteed message count.
- Subscription usage is shared across Claude, Claude Code, and Claude Desktop when you sign in with the same plan.
- API-key usage is billed separately and governed by organization RPM, ITPM, OTPM, and spend limits.
What AIUsageBar shows you
- Supported plan usage and remaining capacity
- Reset timing returned for your Claude account
- Per-session and daily usage trends
- Supported Claude Code and API activity signals
What Claude Usage Does AIUsageBar Track?
Claude usage can come from the web app, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or a pay-as-you-go Claude API account. AIUsageBar keeps the supported usage percentage, reset timing, and account activity available in the Mac menu bar so you can check capacity without leaving your work.
Claude and Claude Console remain the source of truth for official limits, usage credits, and billing. The menu bar view is the operational layer for noticing pace before a long chat or coding session reaches its limit.
Claude Subscription Limits Are Usage-Based
Anthropic does not promise one fixed number of messages. Consumption varies with model, context length, attachments, features, and effort. Pro includes more usage than Free; Max offers 5x or 20x Pro capacity and can also include weekly limits. Your account's Settings → Usage page shows the next reset.
When Claude Code is signed in with a Pro or Max subscription, usage is shared across Claude, Claude Code, and Claude Desktop. When Claude Code uses an API key, it is billed separately through Claude Console at API rates.
Claude API and Console Limits
Claude API throughput is controlled with requests per minute, input tokens per minute, and output tokens per minute. Monthly spend limits are separate. Claude Console organizations use Start, Build, Scale, or Custom tiers, and the Limits page shows the values that actually apply to the organization and its workspaces.
A 429 API response includes a retry delay and rate-limit headers. Anthropic recommends respecting retry-after, smoothing bursts, and using prompt caching where it improves effective input-token throughput. Read the current Claude API rate-limit documentation.
Why Keep Claude Usage in the Menu Bar?
Claude usage is easiest to manage before a large task begins. A persistent view helps you see whether the current window has room for a repository-wide refactor, long research task, or extended conversation—and when capacity returns if it does not.
If you use multiple providers, the same view helps you compare Claude with Codex, Cursor, Gemini, Copilot, and other tools before choosing where to run the next task.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Claude publish an exact message limit?
No universal count is guaranteed. Prompt size, conversation history, model, features, and effort can all change how quickly the included usage is consumed.
Does Claude Code count against my Claude plan?
Yes when Claude Code is authenticated with the subscription. If it is authenticated with an API key, usage is billed separately through Claude Console.
Can I continue after reaching a subscription limit?
You can wait for the displayed reset, move to a higher-capacity plan, or enable optional usage credits where your plan supports them. Credit charges are separate from the subscription.
Where do I see Claude API limits?
Open the Limits page in Claude Console. The Usage page shows request and token charts; eligible organizations can also query usage, cost, and configured limits through Admin APIs.