Free VS Code extension
Claude Code usage meter for VS Code
Claude Code & Codex Usage Meter puts your Claude Code five-hour and weekly usage, and Codex's limits, in the VS Code status bar, with reset times and a warning before you hit the wall. It is free and works without Paneherd.
Install Usage Meter Open VSX version
What it shows
Claude 5h 32% 7d 14% Codex 5h 8% 7d 3%- Claude Code's five-hour session and weekly usage, as percentages.
- Codex's usage windows, read from its local session logs.
- Reset times on hover; click for details and settings.
- A warning past a percentage you choose (85% by default); the item turns yellow there and red at 95%.
Set it up
- Install the extension from the Marketplace or Open VSX.
- Codex needs nothing: its limits come from the session logs Codex already writes on your computer.
- Claude Code reports its limits only to a status line command, so the extension offers to add one to Claude Code's
settings.jsonthe first time it runs. If you already have a status line, it leaves it alone unless you choose to wrap it. Usage Meter: Stop Reading Claude Code Limits puts your settings back. - Send a first prompt in Claude Code. The figures appear after the first reply of a session.
Claude Code shows these limits to claude.ai Pro and Max subscribers. If you sign in with an API key there is nothing to show; see Claude Code usage vs API usage.
What it does not do
- It sends nothing anywhere: no account, no telemetry.
- It does not call any Anthropic or OpenAI service and does not use your login tokens.
- It shows what Claude Code and Codex report. If a window has reset since the last reply, it is hidden until the next one.
How it differs from other usage trackers
Other trackers exist, and some are good. What this one is built around:
- It reads what Claude Code and Codex already report, instead of estimating from token counts, so the figures are the ones the tools themselves report.
- Claude Code and Codex in one status bar item, so you see both allowances without switching tools.
- No network calls. It never contacts Anthropic or OpenAI and never touches your login tokens.
- A prompt cache clock. The tooltip shows when your current session's cache runs out and how big the rewrite would be, because the first reply after a long break can cost a noticeable share of your limit.
- Open source (MIT), so you can check what the status line command saves: source on GitHub.
It does not track API spend or cost per project; for that you need a tool built on API billing data.
Meter or Paneherd?
The meter is one status bar item. Paneherd is the larger tool: Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Cursor and Gemini sessions in one VS Code grid, with usage limits at the top of its sidebar and an estimate of which pane is spending the most. Use the meter if you only want the numbers. Paneherd reads the same Claude report, so its figures stay current even when Claude Code runs in another terminal. Paneherd also has an optional setting that asks Anthropic for live figures between replies; the Usage Meter never does.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Claude Code usage meter for VS Code?
Yes, this one. It is free, local and open source (MIT).
Does it work when Claude Code runs in another terminal?
Yes, once the status line is set up: the extension reads the shared local report, whichever terminal or editor Claude Code runs in.
Does it show API spend?
No. It shows plan usage windows, which API keys do not have.
Related: what the Claude Code usage limit is, when it resets and why it runs out so fast.