Comparison

VibeCheck vs Model Usage

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

VibeCheck

Monitor AI coding tool usage and costs in real-time from a unified dashboard. Track limits, reset times, and spending across multiple AI services. Get notified before you hit your limits to maintain coding flow.

Highlights
  • Unified dashboard for AI tool limits
  • Real-time usage percentage and requests remaining
  • Cost history charts for AI spending
  • Usage pace tracking with reserve indicators
  • Provider status monitoring for outages
  • Customizable threshold alerts
  • Home Screen widget and Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

Stop guessing how much AI you have left. VibeCheck shows real-time usage limits, reset times, and cost history for every AI coding tool you use -- Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex CLI, OpenAI API, Anthropic API, Gemini CLI, and Antigravity -- all in one unified dashboard on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. HOW IT WORKS Your Mac runs VibeCheck in the menu bar. It collects usage data directly from each provider's API and CLI, normalizes everything into a single snapshot, and sends it to your devices over your local network. No cloud. No account. Your API keys never leave your Mac. Pair once with a QR code, and your iPhone becomes a live dashboard for all your AI tool limits. WHAT YOU GET -- Unified Dashboard -- See every tool's usage percentage, requests remaining, and reset countdown in one glance. No more juggling browser tabs or terminal commands to check your limits across Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and more. -- Cost History Charts -- Track your AI spending with 30-day daily cost breakdowns. See exactly how much each provider is costing you and spot trends before they become budget surprises. -- Usage Pace Tracking -- Reserve and deficit indicators show whether you are on track to last until your limit resets. Plan your coding sessions around your remaining capacity. -- Provider Status Monitoring -- Know when your AI tools are experiencing outages or degraded performance before you hit a wall mid-session. -- Threshold Alerts -- Set custom warning thresholds. Get notified before you hit your limit, not after. -- Home Screen Widget -- A quick-glance iOS widget shows your most critical usage stats right on your Home Screen. Know your limits without even opening the app. -- Apple Watch -- Check your AI tool limits from your wrist. Approve or deny tool permission requests directly from your Watch when Claude Code or Codex asks for approval. -- Privacy by Design -- API keys and secrets stay on your Mac in the system Keychain. Your devices only receive normalized, signed usage snapshots over your local network. Nothing is sent to the cloud. Nothing is stored on a server. -- Global Keyboard Shortcut -- Press Cmd+Shift+V on your Mac to instantly check all your AI limits without switching windows or opening a browser. SUPPORTED TOOLS - Claude Code (Anthropic) -- session and daily limits - Cursor -- usage quota and plan limits - Windsurf -- usage tracking - Codex CLI (OpenAI) -- rate limits - OpenAI API -- spend and rate limits - Anthropic API -- spend and rate limits - Gemini CLI (Google) -- usage limits - Antigravity -- usage tracking WHY VIBECHECK If you use AI coding assistants daily, you have hit a rate limit mid-flow and lost your momentum. VibeCheck gives you a single place to monitor all your tools so you can plan ahead, switch tools before hitting a wall, and keep coding without interruption. One-time purchase. Works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The macOS menu bar companion app is free. REQUIREMENTS - macOS 14+ with the free VibeCheck menu bar app installed - iPhone and Mac on the same local network for pairing - iOS 17+ / iPadOS 17+ / watchOS 10+

About

Model Usage

Features
Read full description

Model Usage is a real time dashboard for your AI coding tool usage. See how much of your five hour window and weekly quota you have used, watch your session tick up live, and get notified before you hit a limit. HOW IT WORKS A small client runs on your computer and reads the usage files that your AI coding tools already write locally. It forwards that usage to a server address you control. The apps pair with that server over a QR code or short pair code. No account, no email, no login. LIVE WHERE YOU ALREADY LOOK - Live Activity: a glanceable card with your current session and weekly usage, visible on the lock screen and Dynamic Island. - Home Screen widgets: compact and expanded sizes that show your session, weekly totals, and rate multipliers at a glance. - Lock Screen widgets: a tiny usage indicator right next to the clock. PAIRS WITH THE REST OF YOUR DEVICES Once you are paired on one device, the same setup flows to every companion app automatically. Send a snapshot to anyone in a conversation with the Model Usage messaging app. PRIVACY BY DESIGN No analytics. No tracking. No accounts. No advertising SDKs. Your usage data goes from your computer to a server you choose, and then to your own devices. Model Usage never sees it. FEATURES - AI coding tool usage tracking, side by side - Five hour session window and weekly window - Live Activity with Dynamic Island integration - Companion apps across every size of screen - Messaging app for sharing usage snapshots - Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets in all sizes - Live rate multiplier awareness. Rate changes are reflected in real time. - Open pair code or QR flow. No account required. - Dark mode throughout SETUP IN UNDER A MINUTE 1. Install the desktop client. 2. Copy the pair code. 3. Enter it in the app. That is it. The setup guide lives at modelusage.app/setup. Model Usage is built by a solo developer and does not collect, store, or share any personal data. See modelusage.app/privacy for details.

Screenshots

VibeCheck4 screens
Model Usage3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Model Usage at none against VibeCheck's 1. Model Usage also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and device support (6 vs 3). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. VibeCheck sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Model Usage asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VibeCheck ships an update weekly, Model Usage every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
VibeCheck versus Model Usage: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVibeCheckModel Usage
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBaturay Berker CeylanRayan Khan

In-app purchases

1 purchases

VibeCheck

One-time1
  • macOS App Companion$4.99
None

Model Usage

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VibeCheck free?
VibeCheck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Model Usage free?
Model Usage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do VibeCheck or Model Usage have ads?
Neither VibeCheck nor Model Usage shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VibeCheck or Model Usage?
VibeCheck ships an update weekly, and Model Usage every 3 days. Most recently, VibeCheck was updated on September 21, 2026 and Model Usage on September 3, 2026.

Other comparisons