I built TokenBar because AI usage got hard to ignore.
The problem was not just cost. It was cost with no visibility.
I would open a tool, ask a few questions, ship faster, and then get hit with a bill later that did not match the feeling of progress. That is a bad loop. If you cannot see what you are spending while you work, you stop making good tradeoffs.
TokenBar is my answer to that. It sits in the menu bar and makes token usage visible in real time. No guessing. No waiting until the invoice arrives to learn what happened.
What I wanted:
- instant feedback while I work
- fewer surprise bills
- a simple way to notice when a workflow is wasteful
- something I could keep on all day without thinking about it
The main lesson was simple: if a cost matters, surface it where the decision happens.
That applies to AI, but also to a lot of solo dev work. When feedback is delayed, you make sloppy choices. When the signal is immediate, you naturally tighten up.
TokenBar is a $5 lifetime app for people who want that visibility while they build with AI.
If you have felt the same pain, that is why I made it.
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