Best Synthetic Usage Trackers for macOS
Synthetic behaves unlike most providers, and it catches people out. The 5-hour request bucket does not sit empty until a reset time and then refill. It regenerates in steps, topping back up while you work, so capacity returns gradually rather than all at once.
That single detail decides which tracker is useful. A plain countdown tells you when the window ends, which is often much later than when you can carry on working. What you actually want to know is how fast it is coming back.
The synthetic.new dashboard
The official dashboard is authoritative and free, and it is where you manage your subscription and keys. As with every dashboard, the catch is that you have to go and look, and a browser tab does not interrupt you when a lane is nearly spent.
It is also awkward if you run more than one Synthetic account, which is common: you end up switching between them to answer a question about your combined capacity.
DIY scripts
Synthetic exposes usage through its API, so a script can print your lanes wherever you like. It works, and it is free if your time is.
The part people underestimate is the regeneration maths. Turning a raw lane reading into “you get 5% back every so often, which is about 25 requests” is more fiddly than it looks, and getting it wrong produces a number that is worse than none because you will trust it.
SessionWatcher in the menu bar
SessionWatcher keeps both lanes in the macOS menu bar: the 5-hour request bucket with its regeneration note, and weekly credits shown as both a percentage and the dollar value they represent. Searches used this hour and your subscription status sit alongside them.
Multiple accounts are tracked separately, each with its own limits and label, rather than being flattened into one figure that hides which key is nearly spent.
Synthetic is part of Pro at $59 one-time, or $24 per year. It needs an API key, stored in the macOS Keychain, and stays off until you add one. If Synthetic is the only tool you use, the dashboard may well be enough – the case for Pro is watching it beside Claude Code, Codex and twelve other tools in one place.
Common questions
- How does the Synthetic 5-hour limit actually work?
- It regenerates in steps rather than resetting all at once. Instead of being locked out until a fixed reset time, the bucket tops back up incrementally, so capacity returns gradually while you work. SessionWatcher shows the regeneration note alongside the percentage, for example "+5% (25 requests)", because the countdown on its own is misleading: you often get usable capacity back well before it reaches zero.
- What does SessionWatcher track for Synthetic?
- Two percentage lanes, the 5-hour request bucket and weekly credits, plus the dollar view of those credits, your searches used this hour, and your subscription status. Because Synthetic prices credits in dollars, you see both the percentage consumed and the spend it represents.
- Can I track more than one Synthetic account?
- Yes. Synthetic is one of the providers where multi-account genuinely matters, and SessionWatcher tracks each account separately with its own limits rather than merging them into one figure. Each account is added with its own API key and labelled so you can tell them apart in the menu bar.
- Do I need an API key?
- Yes. Synthetic usage is only readable through your account, so SessionWatcher asks for a key and stores it in the macOS Keychain. It is off by default until you add one, and nothing is uploaded: the app queries Synthetic from your Mac and displays the answer.
- Is Synthetic included in the $6.99 licence?
- No. Synthetic is part of Pro, which is $59 one-time or $24 per year, and covers every supported tool, multi-account tracking, and up to five Macs.
SessionWatcherTrack every Synthetic account from one menu bar
Native macOS menu bar app. Track Claude and Codex usage, costs, and rate limits in real-time.
“Fast, simple, and does exactly what it should. Definitely worth it.”
@nicojerome on GitHub
macOS 14+. 7-day Bundle trial. No credit card.
