# NOTCHY LIMIT

> A free, open-source macOS app that turns your MacBook's notch or menu bar into a real-time AI usage monitor. It tracks how close you are to your usage limits across 8 AI providers, so you see them before you hit them.

NOTCHY LIMIT is built in native Swift, is MIT licensed, and sends zero telemetry. There are no accounts, no servers, and no upsells. Credentials stay in the macOS Keychain or your CLI's own files and are only ever sent to the provider you configured.

- Website: https://notchylimit.com/
- Current version: 0.6.0
- Requires: macOS 12.0 Monterey or later (Apple silicon or Intel)
- Price: free forever, MIT licensed

## What it does
- Tracks AI usage limits for Claude, Codex, Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, ElevenLabs and Perplexity.
- Lives in the MacBook notch as a Dynamic Island style pill, or in the menu bar on any Mac.
- Auto-detects Claude, Codex and Gemini from the login your official CLI already stored, so the "big three" need no API key. The other five take a key entered once.
- Expands on hover to show session usage, weekly quota and the reset countdown.
- Fires in-app alerts at 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% usage, with no system notification permissions required.

## Install
- Homebrew (recommended): `brew install --cask I-N-SILVA/notchy/notchy`
- DMG: download the latest release from GitHub, then right-click the app and choose Open on first launch.
- Source: clone the repository and build with the README instructions.

The Homebrew cask clears the macOS Gatekeeper prompt automatically. The DMG does not, because the app is not yet signed with an Apple Developer ID.

## Common questions

**Do I need an API key?**
Not for Claude, Codex or Gemini. Those are auto-detected from the login your official CLI already stored. OpenAI, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, ElevenLabs and Perplexity take a key you enter once, kept in the macOS Keychain and only ever sent to that provider.

**Does it work on a Mac without a notch?**
Yes. Menu-bar mode runs on any Mac. On notched MacBooks you additionally get the Dynamic Island style pill.

**Where do my credentials go?**
Nowhere but the provider you configured. Tokens live in the macOS Keychain or your CLI's own files. They are never logged and never sent to the developer, because there is no server, no account and no telemetry.

**Why does macOS warn me on first launch?**
The app is open source but not yet signed with an Apple Developer ID. The Homebrew cask handles this for you. For the DMG, right-click and choose Open, or run the `xattr` command from the README.

**Is it really free?**
Yes. MIT licensed, free forever, no account, no upsells, no paywalls. Support is voluntary via Ko-fi.

**What is it useful for?**
Knowing how much of your Claude, Codex or Gemini session and weekly quota you have left without leaving your editor or refreshing a dashboard, so you can pace long sessions and avoid being cut off mid-task.

## Links
- Source code: https://github.com/I-N-SILVA/NOTCHYLIMIT
- Latest release: https://github.com/I-N-SILVA/NOTCHYLIMIT/releases/latest
- Author: Ian Silva (https://twitter.com/I_N_SILVA)
- Support: https://ko-fi.com/iamnsilva