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Best GitHub Copilot Usage Trackers for macOS (2026)
Since June 2026 GitHub Copilot bills in AI Credits, not premium requests. Inline completions stay uncapped - but chat and agent mode now spend a finite dollar pool you can blow through fast on Opus or GPT-5.5. Here are the four best ways to track it on macOS, ranked.
Last updated October 2026 · Reflects the Copilot AI Credits transition · By Soren Starck
Quick answer
For most Mac users, the best GitHub Copilot usage tracker is SessionWatcher if you want an always-visible AI Credits balance, per-model spend, burn-rate projection, and warnings before overage. Use GitHub Billing if you only need an occasional official balance check; use the IDE status indicator if a rough in-editor snapshot is enough.
Copilot usage matters more after the AI Credits model because chat and agent mode can spend down a finite credit pool while inline completions remain uncapped.
Why Copilot Usage Tracking Just Got Harder
Under the old model (“premium requests”) you knew that 1 chat = 1 request. Easy mental model. The new AI Credits system bills at per-model token rates, so a single Claude Opus 5.5 agent loop can cost 50× a GPT-5-mini chat. Your $15 / $70 / $19 monthly balance burns at wildly different speeds depending on what you ask.
The good news: completions are still uncapped on every paid plan. The trap: chat and agent mode aren't. You can be 4 days into the month and 80% through your credits without realizing it - at which point you either hit a hard stop or roll into paid additional usage depending on your settings.
We tested four ways to track this. Here's how they compare.
#1: SessionWatcher for Copilot Editor's Pick
SessionWatcher for Copilot is a native app for the Mac menu bar and the Windows taskbar that polls the GitHub Copilot billing API and surfaces your AI Credits balance, per-model spend, and projected month-end in real time.
What it tracks:
- AI Credits remaining: Live dollar balance - “$24.18 of $70 left” - not a vague percentage.
- Per-model spend: How much went to Claude Opus vs GPT-6.1 Sol vs Gemini Flash this cycle.
- Days-until-empty projection: Burn rate × remaining days = month-end forecast.
- Overage warning: Notification at 80% / 90% so you can switch models before billing kicks in.
- Plan-aware: Knows Pro ($10), Pro+ ($39), Business ($19/seat), Enterprise. Picks the right ceiling.
- Menu-bar or taskbar percentage: Glanceable, always-on, configurable display mode.
Setup: Download, paste your GitHub Personal Access Token (read-only billing scope). Tracking in 30 seconds.
Pricing: included in Pro ($59 one-time, or $24/year), covering all supported tools.
Limitations: macOS 14+ or Windows 10 (2004+)/11 only. PAT must have billing read scope.
#2: GitHub Billing Dashboard
The official source is github.com/settings/billing/summary. It shows your AI Credits balance, spend breakdown by feature, and any overage charges.
What it shows:
- Remaining AI Credits this cycle
- Spend by Copilot feature (chat, agent, completions metadata)
- Per-model breakdown if you drill down
- Historical usage
Pricing: Free.
Limitations: Lives in a browser tab. Lags by minutes for in-flight requests. No notification on threshold. No always-visible display. Have to remember to check, which most people only do after the bill arrives.
#3: Copilot IDE Status Bar (VS Code, JetBrains)
The GitHub Copilot extension shows a small status indicator in your editor with quick info - current model, sign-in status, and (in newer builds) a credits snapshot when you click in.
What it shows:
- Active model and sign-in state
- Click-through to a credit-balance popover (limited info)
- Quick model switcher
Pricing: Free (built into the extension).
Limitations: Closes when you leave the IDE. No notifications. Numbers update only on click. No projection or burn-rate analytics. No per-model historical breakdown.
SessionWatcher
Stop blowing through credits in week one.
Watch them live.
Native app for the Mac menu bar and the Windows taskbar. Track Claude, Codex and 18 more tools' usage, costs, and rate limits in real time.
“Fast, simple, and does exactly what it should. Definitely worth it.”
@nicojerome on GitHub
Prices go up Nov 1, midnight Paris time. Prices go up Nov 1
macOS 14+. Free for 7 days, no credit card.
For Mac (macOS 14+). GitHub Copilot and everything in Pro are included. Nothing is charged when it ends.
Rather buy now? Pro covers GitHub Copilot: $24 a year or $59 once →
#4: DIY (GitHub API + Custom Scripts)
GitHub exposes Copilot billing data through its REST API. With a Personal Access Token you can build your own poller, status-bar widget, or alerting system.
Typical approaches:
- Cron job hitting
GET /users/{user}/settings/billing/usageon a schedule - SwiftBar plugins that render the balance in the menu bar
- Custom Slack alerts that fire at threshold
- Grafana dashboards for team-wide Copilot Business view
Pricing: Free, plus your time.
Limitations: Billing API rate-limits if you poll too often. Authentication scope footguns - easy to over-permission your PAT. Per-model rate card changes break your math. Most teams ship v1 then abandon at the first API breaking change.
Comparison: All 4 Options at a Glance
| Feature | SessionWatcher | Billing UI | IDE status | DIY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live AI Credits balance | Yes | Delayed | On click | Varies |
| Per-model spend | Yes | Drill-down | No | DIY |
| Month-end projection | Yes | No | No | DIY |
| Overage warning | Yes | No | No | DIY |
| Always-on display | Menu bar / taskbar | No | In IDE only | DIY |
| Setup time | 30 seconds | None | None | Hours+ |
| Price | $59 one-time (Pro) | Free | Free | Free + time |
Tracking Copilot Usage on Windows
Plenty of Copilot users are on Windows, and SessionWatcher now is too. SessionWatcher for Windows puts the same AI Credits readout in the Windows taskbar on Windows 11; on Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) it sits in a small window next to the taskbar. Copilot tracking is part of the same Pro licence, which covers up to 5 devices, any mix of Macs and Windows PCs. For every Windows option, see the best AI usage trackers for Windows.
The Verdict
For developers who use Copilot Chat or Agent mode more than a few times a day, SessionWatcher for Copilot is the cheapest way to keep a hard cap on your monthly AI Credits without leaving your editor.
If you stick to completions (uncapped) and only occasionally chat, the billing page is enough. The moment you touch Opus or GPT-5.5 in agent mode regularly, Pro will pay for itself in one prevented overage.
On Copilot Business and want SessionWatcher for the whole team? Pro for Teams gives each teammate their own Pro licence at $40 per seat per year (or $4 per seat per month, 3-seat minimum), on one invoice. It covers Macs only for now, and it is not a team-wide dashboard: each person sees their own usage on their own machine.
SessionWatcherThe Copilot tracker that knows your AI Credits.
All supported tools, one license. No subscription.
Native app for the Mac menu bar and the Windows taskbar. Track Claude, Codex and 18 more tools' usage, costs, and rate limits in real time.
“Fast, simple, and does exactly what it should. Definitely worth it.”
@nicojerome on GitHub
Prices go up Nov 1, midnight Paris time. Prices go up Nov 1
macOS 14+. Free for 7 days, no credit card.
For Mac (macOS 14+). GitHub Copilot and everything in Pro are included. Nothing is charged when it ends.
Rather buy now? Pro covers GitHub Copilot: $24 a year or $59 once →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Copilot usage tracker for Mac?
SessionWatcher for Copilot. Menu-bar readout (taskbar on Windows), real-time AI Credit balance, per-model spend, overage notifications. Part of Pro, $59 one-time.
Is there a GitHub Copilot usage tracker for Windows?
Yes - SessionWatcher for Windows tracks Copilot AI Credits the same way the Mac app does, with the live readout in the Windows taskbar on Windows 11, or in a small window next to the taskbar on Windows 10 (version 2004 or later). It is part of the same Pro licence, and one licence key works on Mac and Windows. GitHub's billing page is a web page, so it works on any OS. See also the best AI usage trackers for Windows.
How are AI Credits priced?
Each AI Credit is $0.01. Different models consume credits at different rates - see the official rate card at docs.github.com for current numbers.
Are inline completions still uncapped?
Yes - Tab completions remain uncapped on Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise. Only chat and agent-mode requests bill against AI Credits.
How much does SessionWatcher for Copilot cost?
Included in Pro ($59 one-time, or $24/year), covering all supported tools, including Claude, Codex, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini, opencode, Antigravity, Z.ai, Grok, OpenRouter, Devin, and Kimi Code.