CodeBurn provides AI coding token cost observability for developers using tools like Claude Code and Codex. It offers an interactive TUI dashboard to visualize where AI tokens are spent across tasks, models, and projects, helping users understand and optimize their AI coding expenditure. The primary benefit is detailed, local cost analysis without requiring API keys or external proxies.

How It Works

CodeBurn operates by directly reading session transcripts from local disk storage for supported AI coding tools, including Claude Code and Codex. It avoids wrappers or proxies, ensuring data privacy and direct access. The system classifies AI interactions into 13 distinct task categories based on tool usage and keywords, calculates costs using LiteLLM pricing data, and tracks the one-shot success rate of code edits. This direct, local approach offers a transparent and secure method for cost monitoring.

Quick Start & Requirements

Installation is straightforward via npm: npm install -g codeburn or by running directly with npx codeburn. A Node.js version of 20+ is required. CodeBurn automatically detects session data from default locations: ~/.claude/projects/ for Claude Code, ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/local-agent-mode-sessions/ for Claude Desktop, and ~/.codex/sessions/ for Codex. For the macOS menu bar widget, SwiftBar must be installed (brew install --cask swiftbar).

Highlighted Details

• Interactive TUI dashboard featuring gradient charts, responsive panels, and keyboard navigation.
• Supports multiple AI providers including Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Codex (OpenAI), with a plugin system for future expansion.
• Classifies AI usage into 13 task categories (e.g., Coding, Debugging, Testing, Refactoring) and calculates a one-shot success rate.
• Provides detailed cost breakdowns by task type, tool, model (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku, GPT-4o, etc.), and project.
• Offers multi-currency support for cost display, fetching exchange rates from Frankfurter.
• Includes a macOS menu bar widget for at-a-glance cost monitoring.
• Data exportable to CSV or JSON formats.

Maintenance & Community

The project is built by AgentSeal. The README does not currently list specific community channels (like Discord or Slack), notable contributors, sponsorships, or a public roadmap.

Licensing & Compatibility

CodeBurn is released under the MIT License, which permits broad use, modification, and distribution, including for commercial purposes. Its local data processing approach enhances compatibility with closed-source development environments.

Limitations & Caveats

Currently, only Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Codex are fully supported. Providers like Pi, OpenCode, and Amp are planned but not yet implemented. The menu bar widget functionality is specific to macOS and requires the SwiftBar application. The tool's accuracy depends on the correct configuration and location of AI tool session transcripts on disk.