Conan
FreemiumLive HUD for Claude Code on macOS — watch every prompt, tool call, and token in real time.
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 05 Jul 2026
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Added 7d ago
77/100Safe BetIn short
Conan — Live HUD for Claude Code on macOS — watch every prompt, tool call, and token in real time. Best for Developers using Claude Code for complex multi-skill sessions who need to debug prompt design and context usage, Teams auditing AI agent token consumption and context efficiency, Prompt engineers who want transparency into Claude's skill selection and tool calls. Free to start; paid plans from $29/mo.
Is Conan actually worth it?
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Editorial Verdict
Best for
Developers using Claude Code for complex multi-skill sessions who need to debug prompt design and context usageTeams auditing AI agent token consumption and context efficiencyPrompt engineers who want transparency into Claude's skill selection and tool callsPower users managing context limits in long-running coding sessions
Not ideal for
Non-developers or those who don't use Claude Code (no standalone AI assistant functionality)Windows or Linux users (macOS only, Apple silicon, macOS 13+) — no cross-platform version yetUsers seeking a cheap or free alternative to Claude Code itselfDevelopers who prefer a minimal, non-observable terminal experience — the HUD adds visual overhead
If you live in Claude Code and need to understand how your agent spends tokens and invokes skills, Conan is indispensable — its real-time context breakdown is unmatched. But it's macOS-only and demands a $29 unlock for full features, making it a niche buy for serious Claude Code users.
Compare with: Conan vs Chrome DevTools MCP, Conan vs Bito, Conan vs LangSmith
Last verified: July 2026
What's new in Conan
Checked 4 days agoAcross the latest 8 updates: 5 feature updates and 3 changelog entries.
FeatureChangelog·7 days agoNewest
Conan Setup in the box — v1.2.0
New terminals can open into spec-first project setup ending with a PRD and CLAUDE.md. Auto context tracking now opt-in.
FeatureChangelog·7 days agoNewest
Agents in the HUD — v1.3.0
New Agents tab shows every Claude Code subagent installed, with descriptions, tools, and disk path.
FeatureChangelog·12 days ago
Claude Radio reconnects itself — v1.0.6
Claude Radio resolves live broadcast at startup; one-time “What’s New” note after update.
FeatureChangelog·12 days ago
Files panel — v1.1.0
New Files panel browses the active terminal’s working directory alongside the Timeline; edited/read files flagged.
FeatureChangelog·26 days ago
One-click upgrade — v1.0.5
Upgrade buttons in Timeline, Pulse, Radio now open Polar checkout directly, not via Settings.
ChangelogChangelog·27 days ago
Buy Premium checkout fix — v1.0.4
Fixed Settings > License “Buy Premium” button to open real Polar checkout instead of homepage.
ChangelogChangelog·28 days ago
Checkout link + new model families — v1.0.3
Live checkout wired; Context and Usage now parse new Claude model families like Fable 5.
ChangelogChangelog·29 days ago
Session correlation restored — v1.0.2
Marker-independent session correlation; Usage probe hardened with retry and error surfacing.
What independent users actually report about Conan
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
79 mentions across 5 sources (Hacker News, Product Hunt, Bluesky, GitHub, Lemmy).
14% positive86% critical
Recurring strengths
- +Real-time context window gauge helps prevent surprise token overflow.
- +Live timeline shows every prompt, tool call, and skill invocation.
- +Session throughput pulse visualizes token consumption at a glance.
- +Per-tab directory and git branch tracking for multi-session clarity.
- +Skills & MCP inventory with last-used timestamps aids debugging.
Recurring frustrations
- −No Windows or Linux version; macOS Apple Silicon only.
- −Some users find the HUD clutters rather than clarifies.
- −Premium features may feel necessary but are gated behind payment.
- −Community data is sparse; many posts are off-topic noise.
- −No session replay or post-run summary—only live view.
Patterns worth knowing
Real-time context gauge and timeline are killer features
Seen on Product Hunt
Concern about information overload from too many live panels
Seen on Product Hunt
macOS-only limitation frustrates potential Windows/Linux users
Seen on Hacker News, Product Hunt
Learning curve
beginnerProductive in ~5 minutes
Hidden costs people mention
- • No recurring fees; one-time payment for premium
Viability Score
77/100
Safe BetHow likely is Conan to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 4 signals — momentum (how recently it shipped), wrapper dependency, revenue model, and web presence.
momentum
55
funding runway
80
website health
90
wrapper dependency
100
Last calculated: July 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Live timeline of prompts, tool calls, skill invocations, and token consumption
- Real-time context window breakdown (system, tools, memory, skills, messages tokens)
- Session throughput pulse visualization
- Skills & MCP server inventory with last-used timestamps
- Claude Radio background audio (curated stations + custom YouTube URLs)
- Per-tab working directory and git branch tracking
- Account-global usage rate-limit windows
- Session correlation by process (survives upstream changes)
- What's New notes after updates
- Auto-update via signed sidecar binary
- One-click upgrade to Premium via Polar checkout
- Support for new Claude model families in Context/Usage capture
- Filter for 'waiting for input' nudges
- Timeline Build chip persistence
- Resolved live stream at startup
About Conan
FreemiumIntermediateNo APIDesktop
Conan is a native macOS app that wraps Claude Code in a live HUD, giving developers real-time visibility into every prompt, tool call, skill invocation, and token consumption during coding sessions. Designed for developers who need to debug prompt design, audit context usage, or optimize agent workflows, Conan provides a DevTools-style overlay with panels for Timeline, Context, Pulse, and Skills & MCP. Free to download and observe live; a one-time $29 Premium purchase unlocks full insight layer including detailed context breakdowns, skills inventory, and throughput visualization. Built for macOS 13+ on Apple silicon (no Windows/Linux version yet). Recent updates (v1.0.6) improved Claude Radio resilience, added per-tab directory tracking, global rate-limit windows, and support for new Claude model families. Unlike terminal-only workflows or generic logging wrappers, Conan is purpose-built for agent observability — exposing exactly how Claude reasons and consumes context in real time.
Behind the Verdict
Conan solves a real pain: Claude Code is a black box. When a multi-step task fails or burns through tokens unexpectedly, you're left guessing. Conan pulls back the curtain with a live timeline, context window breakdown, and skills inventory — all updating as the agent works. We'd reach for this when debugging complex skills or trying to shrink context overhead. The free tier is genuinely useful for live observation, but the $29 Premium unlock is where you get historical context details and throughput graphs. Where it bites: it's macOS-only (Apple silicon, 13+), so Windows or Linux devs are out of luck. And you must already use Claude Code — Conan adds no AI capability on its own. Compared to alternatives like generic terminal logging or screen recording, Conan is far more precise — it surfaces structured data (tokens per section, tool calls, skill matches) rather than raw text. But if you prefer a minimalist terminal or don't care about token accounting, the HUD might feel like visual noise.
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Use Cases
- Monitor real-time token usage to avoid hitting context window limits mid-session
- Debug why Claude picks certain skills over others by viewing the 'skills considered' heuristic
- Track session throughput to identify when Claude is idle vs actively processing
- Review a full timeline of tool calls and prompts after a session for audit or replanning
- Use Claude Radio as ambient focus music while coding with Claude Code
Models Under the Hood
Claude Code (Claude Fable 5, Claude Sonnet 4-6, etc.)
Limitations
- Conan is macOS-only (Apple silicon, macOS 13+).
- The free tier is limited to observation; full insight requires the $29 Premium purchase.
- Claude Radio station customization is session-only (reverts on restart) unless you provide a custom YouTube URL.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Annual total
Free
Over 12 months
Effective monthly
—
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Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
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