The first time I opened an API invoice and saw a number I did not expect, I had that annoying founder feeling: this is either a stupid expense or the start of a product.
I kept hitting the same problem. I could not tell when AI usage was getting expensive until the invoice showed up.
TokenBar exists to fix that. It sits in the Mac menu bar and shows cost in real time, so you can see the meter while you work instead of finding out at the end of the month.
What I wanted was simple:
- no spreadsheet
- no dashboard tab I would forget to open
- no guessing
- no surprise bill
I built it as a local Mac app because I wanted something fast and invisible enough to stay out of the way.
The bigger lesson was not just about AI spend. It was about visibility.
If you build with Claude, Cursor, or anything token based, you should know what it is costing while you are using it.
If that sounds useful, TokenBar is here: https://tokenbar.site
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