A menu bar token tracker works because the signal stays close to the work.

Monitoring tools only help if people actually look at them. A menu bar counter works because it is visible enough to matter without forcing a context switch every time you want to check a session.

That is especially useful when repeated requests or editor tools keep generating usage in the background while your attention is on code or output.

Browser dashboards are easy to ignore during active development. They require deliberate checking, which means the expensive session often keeps moving until after the useful moment has passed.

A menu bar utility solves the timing problem by keeping the signal near the rest of the workflow instead of behind another destination.

TokenBar is designed around macOS and the menu bar on purpose. It is meant to feel like a lightweight always-on signal, not a platform that asks for more of your attention than the problem deserves.

That makes it particularly useful for OpenAI, Claude, supported Cursor workflows, and mixed AI workflows that stay active while you keep working.