Usage Buddy

Usage Buddy is a Windows desktop app that puts usage limits and reset times for several AI coding accounts in one view. It currently supports Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor, including more than one account from the same provider. Each account can have a clear label such as Personal or Work, which makes it easier to see where capacity remains before starting another coding session. The app is aimed at people who otherwise keep switching between provider pages or command line tools just to check an allowance. It monitors subscription allowances rather than acting as another coding agent or editor.

The dashboard shows the usage windows reported for each connected account, the amount remaining, and the next reset time. Different plans can expose different meters, so an account might show a short session window, a weekly allowance, a monthly limit, or separate Cursor model groups. Usage Buddy keeps those provider-specific readings together instead of pretending every service has the same quota model. An expired authentication state is surfaced in the account row so the user knows when a connection needs attention. Adding an account begins inside the app, then uses the relevant provider's command line tool and browser authorization flow. The user can repeat that process for each login and label the connections individually.

Updates can run automatically every 5, 15, or 30 minutes, and there is also a manual refresh. Users choose a warning threshold, then receive a notification when an account is running low or becomes available again. That turns quota checking into background monitoring rather than a repeated manual task. The tool doesn't buy capacity, change a provider's limits, or predict how many prompts remain. It reads the available usage and reset information so a developer can decide whether to continue, wait, or switch to another connected account. This is particularly useful when short usage windows and weekly limits reset at different times.

Privacy is a central part of the desktop design. Usage Buddy says account credentials and usage data remain on the PC rather than being synchronized through its own cloud. Account labels, plan details, usage readings, reset times, statuses, errors, and preferences are stored in a local SQLite database. Provider credentials remain in the separate profiles managed by the relevant provider tools, not in the Usage Buddy database. The license key and local activation identifiers are protected with Windows encryption. License activation sends the key, a license instance identifier, and a device label to Dodo Payments for validation, and automatic updates can contact GitHub. Those necessary service calls are separate from the coding account readings, which the product says stay local.

The app fits developers and teams who actively rotate among several subscriptions or keep separate client, personal, and work accounts. It can prevent a long session from starting on an account that is close to a limit, and it gives users a quick way to compare when different allowances return. Someone with a single account may get enough information from that provider's native dashboard or status command. Usage Buddy becomes more useful as the number of providers and accounts grows, especially when their reset schedules don't line up. The unlimited account allowance also means the license cost doesn't rise when a user adds another supported login.

Its narrow scope is also the main tradeoff. The current release runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 version 1809 or newer and Windows 11. Mac and Linux aren't available yet, and there is intentionally no cloud sync for carrying the dashboard between computers. Support is limited to Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor, so it isn't a general cost monitor for every AI API or coding assistant. The published connection guide uses provider logins and doesn't claim support for separately billed API key usage. Users also need the supported provider command line tool installed before adding its account, which adds a setup step for someone who only uses browser interfaces.

Usage Buddy is paid software with a lifetime license rather than a subscription. The official site currently lists the license at $4.99, with unlimited connected accounts, automatic refresh and alerts, free future updates, and local credential handling. A license key is required to run the app, and checkout is handled by Dodo Payments. Buyers who lose the key can request recovery by email, and the site publishes a 14-day refund request window subject to its policy. The low one-time price makes it easy to justify for a developer juggling several accounts, but Windows-only availability and the supported provider list should be checked before purchase.