I kept alt-tabbing to check how close I was to my 5-hour and weekly limits, so I built a small always-on-top widget for it

#ai #claude #widget #opensource

What it solves

Don't know how much is left → two ink drops stay on screen; they turn orange at 60% and red at 85%, so you see the cap coming
Don't know which session costs the most → Sessions view: one row per session, with the cache time left on it
Don't know which model burns the most → Models view converts usage into quota share, with thinking levels listed separately (the conversion needs Python, optional)
More tokens must mean more quota? → Compare view puts token share and quota share side by side; cache reads are cheap, so quota is the better number
Is the subscription worth it? → usage converted to its API-equivalent price, with a payback multiple
Afraid of running out early? → forecasts from the last 12 hours of usage whether the weekly quota will run out before it resets
Can't remember the renewal date? → detects your account automatically and sends a system notification before renewal
Want to look at one particular period? → 11 time ranges, plus a custom one
Worried it blocks your code? → 16 skins (paper / ink), adjustable transparency

Where the numbers come from
By default it uses Claude Code's official statusLine feature: a tiny helper receives rate_limits on stdin and writes them to a local file, and the widget reads that file. No login token is read, no network is used. There is also an optional "online query" mode that uses the undocumented /usage endpoint with your local login token – it stays off until you click Yes in a dialog that explains the risk (Anthropic's terms restrict using subscription credentials outside Claude Code, so that's your call).

Limits, honestly

Windows 10/11 only (WinForms, nothing to install besides the app)
The installer isn't code-signed, so SmartScreen will complain. SHA-256 values are on the release page, or build it yourself with the csc.exe that ships with Windows
The quota-per-dollar conversion is an estimate (~5% off)
The status line only updates while Claude Code is running, and I've seen reports that the VS Code extension doesn't trigger it

A second batch of features (a status light per session, click a session to jump to its window, a weekly HTML report, a 5-hour-cap forecast…) already runs on my machine but is not released yet – the full list is in a comment below.

Since "what's next?" is the obvious question: a second batch of features already runs on my machine but is not released yet. I'll ship it as my spare time allows (no date promised); once it's out, installed copies show a small update dot, so there's nothing to search for.

Coming next (not in 0.1.1)

Cache expires and reloading is expensive → one light per session: green = running, blue = waiting for you; the closer the cache is to expiring, the more yellow, then red
Too many sessions to find the one waiting on you → click a session name to jump to the window it lives in
Forget to keep the cache warm while busy → a system notification before it expires; optionally an email to yourself (bring your own SMTP)
Don't know who is burning quota → each session shows its speed and share over the last 15 minutes
Unsure you will last until the reset → the total row says it outright: at the current pace the 5-hour quota hits the cap in about N hours, and whether the weekly quota runs out early
Can't remember where the week went → an automatic weekly HTML report: daily cost, hourly heatmap, model × level, the most expensive sessions, change vs. last week
Can't find the costliest session → click a column header to sort; the cost column shows the API-equivalent amount
Which model did a session use? → Models view, click a session: usage per model × level and a timeline of mid-session switches, copyable
Using non-Claude models and nobody tracks the cost → an API view lists usage and estimated cost
How accurate is the conversion, and how are the numbers computed? → an estimate self-check
Gaming and worried about resources → three-level scheduling (the lightest keeps only cache reminders), plus one-click pause of background reading