CodexBar Lite

Name: CodexBar Lite
Brand: CodexBar Lite

A free macOS menu bar app that shows your OpenAI Codex usage at a glance.

softwareDevOps & CI/CDmacosmenu-barcodex-cli

What is CodexBar Lite?

CodexBar Lite is a lightweight, open-source macOS menu bar app built for developers who use OpenAI's Codex CLI and want to keep an eye on usage without switching windows. It reads the existing local Codex CLI session to display live usage percentage, time until the next reset, and remaining credits directly from the menu bar, with no browser cookies, Keychain access, or API keys required. The app refreshes automatically on a configurable interval, caches data so it keeps working offline, and can send threshold notifications at 80 percent, 90 percent, and full exhaustion so developers are not caught mid-task with a blocked session. It is distributed for Apple Silicon Macs and updates itself over the air via Sparkle, with the full source available on GitHub.

SpecificationsAI-estimated

deploymentDesktop App

open source✅ Yes

api available❌ No

support optionsGitHub issues

key integrationsOpenAI Codex CLI

Key Features of CodexBar Lite

Reads the existing Codex CLI session locally instead of requiring a separate login or API key.

Displays usage as either percentage used or percentage remaining, based on user preference.

Sends notifications at configurable thresholds so developers know before hitting a usage cap.

Refreshes automatically at a user-defined interval, defaulting to every 5 minutes.

Continues showing the last known usage data when offline using a local cache.

Launches automatically at login so it is always running in the background.

Ships as fully open-source software with the code available for review on GitHub.

Updates over the air using the Sparkle framework.

Use Cases for CodexBar Lite

Avoiding mid-session cutoffs

Developers relying on Codex CLI for daily coding can watch remaining usage and pace their sessions before hitting a hard limit.

Team usage awareness

Individual contributors on a shared Codex plan can monitor their own consumption without checking a web dashboard.

Pros & Cons of CodexBar Lite

Pros

Completely free with no paid tier or upsell
Requires no API keys, cookies, or Keychain permissions
Open source, so the code can be audited before installing
Very lightweight, single-purpose menu bar app

Cons

Only supports OpenAI Codex, not other AI coding tools
Requires Apple Silicon and the Codex CLI already installed
Not yet Apple-notarized, which can trigger extra install steps

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CodexBar Lite need my OpenAI API key?

No, it reuses your existing Codex CLI session and never asks for an API key or password.

Is CodexBar Lite different from the full CodexBar app?

Yes, CodexBar Lite is a minimal, free, single-provider version focused only on Codex, while the full CodexBar app tracks many AI coding providers.

What Macs does it support?

It requires an Apple Silicon (arm64) Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or later.

Pricing Overview

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Free

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