Comparison
Hypermile vs ccusage: a fair comparison
All claims accurate as of July 2026.
Short answer: ccusage is a genuinely good, free, open-source CLI for reporting Claude Code token usage — fast, transparent, and well-loved. Hypermile overlaps on reporting but goes further: it’s a usage copilot that also reduces tokens with a local compression proxy, forecasts your cap, and shows a before-and-after inspector. If you just want to see your numbers, ccusage is excellent. If you want to see them and make the plan last longer on Windows or WSL, that’s where Hypermile aims. This is a straight comparison, not a takedown.
Credit where it’s due
ccusage earned its place. It reads the local JSONL transcripts Claude Code writes, adds up tokens and estimated cost, and breaks the total down by day, session, and model — all from a single command, entirely on your machine, with the source open for anyone to inspect. For a lot of developers that’s exactly enough: a quick, honest answer to “how much have I used?” with zero lock-in. We’re not going to pretend otherwise.
At a glance
| Dimension | ccusage | Hypermile |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | Report token usage and cost | Report and reduce usage |
| Form factor | Free open-source CLI | Free audit CLI + paid desktop app |
| Reads local transcripts | Yes | Yes |
| Reduces tokens | No — reporting only | Yes — reversible compression proxy |
| Cap forecasting | No | Yes — burn-rate projection and alerts |
| Before/after inspector | No | Yes |
| Platform focus | Cross-platform Node CLI | Windows, macOS, Linux (WSL2 included) |
| Price | Free | Observability free; compression paid |
Reflects each tool’s publicly documented scope as of July 2026.
Where they overlap
Both tools answer the reporting question. Hypermile’s free hypermile-audit CLI does much the same thing ccusage does — reads your local transcripts and prints a category breakdown of where the tokens went. If reporting is all you need, both are free and both are honest, and ccusage has the longer track record.
Where they differ
The difference is what happens after the report. ccusage tells you the number; it doesn’t try to change it. Hypermile is built to act on it: a local compression proxy that trims noisy prompt content (reversibly, originals stay on your machine), a forecast of when you’ll hit your weekly cap, and an inspector so you can see what got trimmed. That’s a different category of tool than a reporting CLI, and it’s a different price: the free audit (CLI + in-app) stays free, and you only pay for forecast, compression, and the inspector.
Which should you use?
- Want a quick, free usage report and nothing else? ccusage is a great fit, and so is our free audit CLI.
- On Windows or WSL and want the numbers to actually come down? That’s what Hypermile is built for — the reporting, plus compression, forecasting, and an inspector, with native handling of Windows and WSL paths and networking.
- Not sure? Use both. A reporting CLI and a compression tool aren’t mutually exclusive.
For a broader field, see our Claude usage trackers compared roundup, which lists ccusage alongside extensions, statusline options, and the other tools.
Decide with your own data
Run the free audit below to see your real token breakdown, then download Hypermile if reducing usage — not just reporting it — is what you’re after. Or read exactly how the compression works first.
Hypermile is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the ccusage project or its maintainers. ccusage is open-source software owned by its respective authors. This comparison reflects publicly documented scope as of July 2026 and may change as both tools evolve.
Frequently asked questions
What is ccusage?
ccusage is a free, open-source command-line tool that reads your local Claude Code transcripts and reports how many tokens you've used and the estimated cost, broken down by day, session, and model. It runs entirely on your machine and is a popular, well-maintained way to see your usage at a glance.
Is Hypermile a replacement for ccusage?
Not exactly. They overlap on reporting — both read local transcripts and break down usage — but ccusage is a focused reporting CLI, while Hypermile adds a compression proxy that reduces tokens, cap forecasting, and a before-and-after inspector. Many people use a reporting CLI and a compression tool together.
Is ccusage free?
Yes. ccusage is free and open source. Hypermile's audit CLI is also free; the paid part of Hypermile is the compression engine, inspector, and adaptive mode. As of July 2026 both projects offer a no-cost way to see your token breakdown.
Does ccusage work on Windows?
ccusage is a Node CLI, so it runs wherever Node runs, including Windows and WSL. It reports usage but doesn't wire into the client or compress prompts. Hypermile runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and focuses on reducing usage in addition to reporting it.