Agent HUD vs CodexBar: Mac Usage Monitor Comparison
CodexBar suits a menu-bar workflow with provider limits, cost history, Mac widgets and optional SSH session discovery. Agent HUD suits a notch or Dynamic Dock workflow with supported Mac approvals, turn reminders and optional iPhone and Apple Watch viewing. Both offer free local Mac monitoring.
Choose the workflow you need
Choose CodexBar if you want provider readings in the menu bar, a bundled CLI, or live sessions on SSH hosts. Its provider list covers many services beyond Claude Code and Codex; check the source and account requirements for yours.
Choose Agent HUD if you want activity and quotas around the Mac notch or any screen edge, supported permission requests in the same panel, and session statistics. Add Agent HUD Remote when you want to view your Macs from iPhone or Apple Watch.
Capabilities side by side
| Need | Agent HUD | CodexBar |
|---|---|---|
| Mac display | Notch or Dynamic Dock, with placement remembered per display. | Menu-bar provider icons or a merged provider switcher. |
| Quota and resets | Reported account windows, reset times and recent burn-rate forecasts. | Provider windows, reset countdowns and pace displays. |
| Live sessions | Local running and waiting states where the client supports them. | Optional local and SSH sessions for Codex, Claude Code, pi and OMP. |
| Mac approvals | Deny or allow supported requests; Claude Code questions can also be answered. | Permission-waiting state is outside the documented Agent Sessions feature's scope; in-place approval support was not confirmed. |
| Turn completion | HUD reminders for supported clients; selecting one opens session statistics. | Quota notifications are documented; turn-completion reminders were not confirmed in the reviewed sources. |
| Token and cost history | Session, model and token-kind statistics; per-turn and per-call details where recorded. | Local Claude/Codex cost scans and a Usage & Spend view with supported model, project and session breakdowns. |
| Other screens and devices | Four-edge Dynamic Dock on external screens; Remote adds iPhone, widgets and Apple Watch viewing. | Mac widgets and a self-hosted web dashboard; phone projects are maintained separately from the compared Mac repository. |
| Free and paid | Local Mac features are free; the Open Mac core is Apache-2.0. Remote viewing is paid. | Free and open source under MIT. |
Comparing quota with token history
Both products can show quota windows and local usage estimates. Check which account a reading belongs to, when it was captured, and which token kinds a total includes before comparing numbers.
Agent HUD separates five token kinds without overlap. Its default Token view excludes cache reads, while session totals include them. API-price cost estimates describe the recorded calls' estimated API value, separately from a subscription bill or remaining quota.
CodexBar documents local cost scans and provider-specific spending views. Its UI marks incomplete estimates and unavailable data; compare equivalent sources and periods rather than treating every cost figure as a bill.
Returning to a session or answering a request
CodexBar's optional Agent Sessions list can show live local or SSH sessions and focus the owning terminal, editor or desktop app. That is useful if your work also runs on another host.
Agent HUD's approvals happen on this Mac. Keep Client hooks enabled; Codex additionally needs the hook trusted in its own settings. Review the requested command, file or tool input before answering. An unanswered request returns to the client's own permission flow.
On Mac, Agent HUD completion and quota reminders appear on the HUD, rather than in Notification Centre. Running detection, approvals and completion reminders are separate capabilities; check the client page for each one.
External monitors, iPhone and Apple Watch
Agent HUD does not require a physical notch. Drag Dynamic Dock to the top, right, bottom or left edge, and choose placement separately on each display. Hovering opens the usage panel inward from that edge.
CodexBar's WidgetKit extension is packaged for macOS. Its CLI can also serve a web dashboard, with additional configuration for access across a network. A separate HemSoft/codexbar-ios project documents iPhone and Watch functionality; this comparison covers steipete's Mac project, not that separately maintained app.
Agent HUD Remote brings Mac quota, activity and statistics to the free iPhone and Apple Watch apps. iPhone widgets and Live Activities provide additional views. Use the same Apple Account in system settings; Watch receives data through its paired iPhone. Permission replies remain a Mac feature.
CodexBar's Mac widget documentation
Sources and comparison limits
This comparison follows the linked official product documentation, checked on 7 October 2026. It is published by Agent HUD and is a capability comparison, not a performance benchmark. A feature marked unconfirmed was not established by these sources; that does not prove it is absent.
Before choosing, check the current download and test your own client, account, display and workflow. Provider access and available readings can change independently of either monitor.
Common questions
- Is Agent HUD a free CodexBar alternative on Mac?
- Both offer free local Mac monitoring. Agent HUD combines a notch or Dynamic Dock panel with supported approvals, completion reminders and statistics. Its optional Remote viewing is paid.
- Can CodexBar show live coding sessions?
- Yes. Its official Agent Sessions guide documents optional local and SSH sessions for Codex, Claude Code, pi and OMP, with actions to focus the owning app.
- Do I need a notch to use Agent HUD?
- No. Dynamic Dock works along any of the four edges on Macs and external displays without a notch, with settings saved per display.
- Which one should I choose for iPhone or Apple Watch?
- Agent HUD Remote provides iPhone and Apple Watch apps for viewing Mac data. CodexBar's Mac project has widgets and a self-hosted web dashboard; a separate HemSoft/codexbar-ios project documents phone and Watch functionality. Check that project's current release if considering it.
Related tasks and tools
Get Agent HUD for your Mac
Download the Mac release. Local monitoring, quotas, tokens and supported approvals are free. macOS 14 or later is required; available readings depend on the client.
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · The behaviour described here is documented in full, with the code it comes from, in Agent HUD Open. github.com/jazzenchen/agent-hud-open