Claude Code /usage: See This Month's Cost, Limit, and Usage at a Glance

"How much have I used Claude Code this month?" When it feels like your limit is filling up fast, don't just vaguely worry — check the numbers. Claude Code (an AI coding tool used in the terminal) shows your usage and cost right away. That's /usage.

Definition (What It Is)

/usage is a command that shows your usage, cost, and plan limit.

It organizes onto one screen how much you've used so far, what the cost is, and how much of your plan limit remains. You can call the same feature by aliases (alias, another name for the same command) too. /cost shows the same info with a cost focus, and /stats with a statistics focus.

How to Use It (By Difficulty)

Basic — View Usage

/usage

It shows cost, limit, and activity statistics all at once. This is the most basic way to check.

Applied — Call It by Alias

/cost

It shows the same feature with a cost focus. Intuitive when you wonder "how much money went out this month."

Advanced — Break Down What Costs the Most

/usage

On the /usage screen, usage is broken down by skill (a predefined bundle of tasks) or plugin (an extension that adds features). If you pinpoint which item eats up the most tokens (token, the unit by which AI processes text — the more used, the higher the cost), you can fix just that part and cut costs.

Real-World Example

One month usage filled up unusually fast, so you look into it with /usage. It turns out one particular skill was using excessive tokens every time. After lightly fixing that skill, usage noticeably dropped while doing the same work.

Taking It Further

Looking at usage reveals "which tasks are expensive." For expensive tasks you can use a lighter model or reduce the amount of thinking (how deeply the AI thinks), and concentrate strong settings only on truly important tasks to gain efficiency. Just the habit of periodically checking /usage builds a sense for cost.

Summary

/usage (aliases /cost, /stats) is a command that shows usage, cost, and limit at a glance. Rather than worrying vaguely, check the numbers and find and adjust expensive tasks — you can do more work on the same budget.

Based on: Claude Code v2.1.154 (2026.05)