OnWatch
Know your AI quota before it runs out.
A genuinely useful tool for developers juggling multiple AI API quotas. Its local-first, privacy-respecting design fills a gap that providers ignore. The dashboard is basic but effective, and the open-source nature adds transparency. Recommended for power users and teams managing shared API consumption.
- Developers using multiple AI APIs (Anthropic, Codex, Copilot, etc.)
- Teams managing shared AI quotas across several providers
- Power users of Claude Code and other CLI-based AI tools
- Individuals tracking personal API consumption with privacy focus
- Users needing cloud-hosted or multi-user management dashboards
- Those requiring native mobile apps for quota monitoring
- Enterprises requiring SSO, audit trails, or role-based access
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Skip OnWatch if you need a cloud-hosted, multi-user quota dashboard with mobile access or support for providers outside its current eight.
You must configure each provider's API credentials manually; no free trial or automated setup beyond basic detection.
OnWatch is free and open-source, making it ideal for individual developers and small teams with zero budget. For larger teams needing cloud sync and collaboration, paid alternatives like Crunch or Retool cost $50+/month.
In short
OnWatch — Know your AI quota before it runs out. Best for Developers using multiple AI APIs (Anthropic, Codex, Copilot, etc.), Teams managing shared AI quotas across several providers, Power users of Claude Code and other CLI-based AI tools. Free to use.
What's new in OnWatch
Checked 11 days agoAcross the latest 3 updates: 2 feature updates and 1 changelog entry.
v2.11.5 - Gemini CLI beta, improved anomaly detection
Added beta support for Gemini CLI with per-model tracking and 24-hour reset cycles. Improved anomaly detection algorithm.
Multi-account Codex support (beta)
Save and switch between multiple Codex profiles with per-account charts and history.
Email and push alerts (beta)
Configure SMTP email or browser push notifications when quotas cross user-defined thresholds. Credentials encrypted with AES-256.
Viability Score
How likely is OnWatch to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 4 signals — momentum (how recently it shipped), wrapper dependency, revenue model, and web presence.
Last calculated: July 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Real-time quota tracking for 8+ providers
- Normalized view across different quota types and reset cycles
- Historical trend charts (hourly, daily, weekly, 30-day)
- Anomaly detection for unexpected provider limit resets
- Cross-provider headroom comparison for routing work
- Burn rate forecasting and projections to next reset
- Live countdowns to each quota reset
- Email and push alerts (beta) with AES-256 encrypted credentials
- Multi-account support for Codex (beta)
- Session tracking and side-by-side session comparison
- MacOS menubar (beta)
- One-command install via curl, Homebrew, or PowerShell
- Docker support (distroless ~12MB and Alpine images)
- Local SQLite storage with zero telemetry
- Supports Anthropic, Codex, Synthetic, Z.ai, GitHub Copilot, MiniMax, Gemini CLI, Antigravity
About OnWatch
OnWatch is an open-source, lightweight desktop daemon that monitors AI API quotas across multiple providers in real time. Designed for developers and heavy API users, it runs with under 50MB RAM, stores data locally in SQLite, and provides a Material Design 3 dashboard at localhost:9211. It currently supports Anthropic, Codex, Synthetic, Z.ai, GitHub Copilot, MiniMax, Gemini CLI, and Antigravity. OnWatch normalizes different quota types, reset windows, and burn rates, helping you route work before hitting limits. Key features include historical trend charts, anomaly detection for provider limit resets, live countdowns to quota resets, burn rate projections, email and push alerts (beta), and a macOS menubar (beta). The tool emphasizes zero telemetry, one-command installation on Mac, Linux, and Windows, and is released under GPL-3.0. Compared to provider dashboards, OnWatch gives a unified cross-provider view with historical context and predictive analytics, all while keeping data on your machine.
Behind the Verdict
OnWatch solves a real pain: keeping track of dozens of quota windows across different AI providers. Its local-only storage is a strong privacy sell, and the cross-provider dashboard makes routing decisions fast. Strengths include anomaly detection (catches unexpected resets), burn rate forecasts, and a one-command install. Weaknesses: it's single-user, no cloud sync, and the UI is minimal. For teams or enterprise, you'd want something like Crunch or a hosted quota manager. For individual devs or small shops, OnWatch is hard to beat given it's free.
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas OnWatch actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You install OnWatch via Homebrew, add your Anthropic and Copilot API keys, and the dashboard shows live quota bars. You see Anthropic's 5-hour window at 85% usage, so you switch to Copilot for the next hour, avoiding a hard stop.
Outcome: You never hit a quota wall mid-session, saving 20 minutes of troubleshooting.
You configure multiple Codex profiles (work/personal) in OnWatch. The dashboard displays each profile's quota usage and reset countdowns. You redistribute workload when one profile runs low.
Outcome: Team productivity stays consistent; no one is blocked by unexpected quota exhaustion.
You run OnWatch as a daemon on your Linux workstation. It polls Anthropic, Synthetic, and Gemini CLI every 60 seconds. You check the historical chart to see weekly consumption patterns and adjust provider subscriptions.
Outcome: You save ~$200/month by downgrading underused plans based on trend data.
Use Cases
- Track remaining quota for Anthropic Claude Code across 5-hour and 7-day windows
- Monitor hourly search limits on Synthetic and avoid service interruptions
- Compare headroom across multiple AI providers to route work efficiently
- Detect when providers reset quotas and plan heavy usage accordingly
- Visualize burn rates over the last 6 hours to prevent overuse
- Run as a background daemon on Mac or Linux with one-command install
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-07-06
Limitations
- OnWatch is a single-user desktop tool; it does not support team collaboration or cloud sync.
- The dashboard is minimal and may not satisfy advanced reporting needs.
- Some providers (e.g., Antigravity) are auto-detected and may require manual configuration for edge cases.
as of 2026-07-06
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published OnWatch tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free & Open Source
$0
Ideal for
Solo developers and small teams needing a free, local-first quota monitor for up to 8 providers.
What this tier adds
Starting entry point; fully featured with all capabilities free, no paid tiers.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where OnWatch's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
OnWatch is free and open-source, making it ideal for individual developers and small teams with zero budget. For larger teams needing cloud sync and collaboration, paid alternatives like Crunch or Retool cost $50+/month.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of OnWatch — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
Install takes under 2 minutes via one-line curl/Homebrew/PowerShell; adding your first provider's API key and seeing data takes another 2 minutes. For multi-account Codex setup, add 5 minutes per account.
Switching to or from OnWatch
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From manual spreadsheet tracking: Stop logging quotas manually; OnWatch auto-captures data from your existing provider credentials.
- →From provider dashboards: Install OnWatch and point it at your existing API keys; it will backfill historical data from the next poll cycle.
- ↗To a hosted quota manager (e.g., Crunch): Export your SQLite database (onwatch.db) and import via migration scripts if provided.
- ↗To a custom dashboard: OnWatch stores data in standard SQLite, so you can query or export directly.
Integrations
Resources & Guides
Official links
Tools that pair well with OnWatch
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside OnWatch, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
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