contextburn

Name: contextburn
Author: arsentev-ai

by arsentev-aiversion 0.2.1i★ 0iRuns on your computer

Registry nameai.arsentev/contextburn

How to install

What it does

Run efficiency for coding agents: share of paid tokens that became output, not context re-reading.

Connects Runs on your computer
Account or key No key needed
Category Developer tools

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Passed 3/3 checks · Runs on your computer

First: which AI do you use?

ClaudeWeb · app · phoneChatGPTWebClaude CodeTerminalCursorCode editorVS CodeCode editorOtherOther apps

Pick your app and the steps appear below.

Works with Claude, with some setup first

Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time) · Only the Claude desktop app (Windows or Mac), not the web or phone

Install Python (uv)
One time only; it works for every server that needs Python (uv)
Open the Python (uv) download page ↗
Done
Open the Claude desktop app’s settings file
SettingsDeveloperEdit Config
Done

Paste these settings and save the file

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "contextburn": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "contextburn",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Done

Quit Claude and open it again
Done
Try it
Use contextburn and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If Claude says it is using contextburn or shows a contextburn tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

ChatGPT cannot connect contextburn yet

contextburn runs on your computer, but ChatGPT can only connect servers that run on the web

What you can do instead

A · Use an app that can connect contextburn

Steps for Claude →Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time) · Only the Claude desktop app (Windows or Mac), not the web or phone
Steps for Claude Code →Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time)
Steps for Cursor →Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time)
Steps for VS Code →Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time)

B · Others in Developer tools that work with ChatGPT

Picked from the most used in the same category, only ones that connect by address with no key

Sentry✓ ChatGPT
Compiler Explorer✓ ChatGPT
GitDiagram✓ ChatGPT

Works with Claude Code, with some setup first

Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time)

Install Python (uv)
One time only; it works for every server that needs Python (uv)
Open the Python (uv) download page ↗
Done
Open Terminal
Mac: press Command+Space and type Terminal · Windows: open PowerShell
Done

Paste this command and press Enter

claude mcp add --scope user contextburn -- uvx contextburn mcp

Done

Type /mcp in Claude Code
You should see contextburn listed as connected
Done
Try it
Use contextburn and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If Claude Code says it is using contextburn or shows a contextburn tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with Cursor, with some setup first

Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time)

Install Python (uv)
One time only; it works for every server that needs Python (uv)
Open the Python (uv) download page ↗
Done
Click this button to open Cursor
Open in Cursor
Cursor asks you to confirm; click Install
Done
Open the AI chat in Cursor in Agent mode
Done
Try it
Use contextburn and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If Cursor says it is using contextburn or shows a contextburn tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Cursor’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with VS Code, with some setup first

Install Python (uv) on your computer first (one time)

Install Python (uv)
One time only; it works for every server that needs Python (uv)
Open the Python (uv) download page ↗
Done
Click this button to open VS Code
Open in VS Code
VS Code asks you to confirm; click Install
Done
Open the AI chat in VS Code in Agent mode
Done
Try it
Use contextburn and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing
✓ If VS Code says it is using contextburn or shows a contextburn tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against VS Code’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Other apps that use MCP, such as Windsurf, Zed or Gemini CLI, each add servers differently. See how in the app list.

See every app that uses MCP →

JSON settings are under “For developers” below

Stuck? Ask people who use contextburn💬 Discussion →

For developers: Terminal commands and JSON settings

Installed on your computer

Claude Code

claude mcp add --scope user contextburn -- uvx contextburn mcp

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "contextburn": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "contextburn",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor (~/.cursor/mcp.json)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "contextburn": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "contextburn",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (mcp.json)

{
  "servers": {
    "contextburn": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "contextburn",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

At a glance

GitHub stars i: 0
Downloads per weeki: 28/wk
Verified domain: ✓ arsentev.ai
Licence i: MIT
Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Latest versioni: 0.2.1
Categoryi: Developer tools
Published to registryi: Sep 12, 2026
Code last changedi: Nov 10, 2026
Maker: arsentev-ai
Packages: pypi: contextburn
Repo: arsentev-ai/contextburn
Website: arsentev.ai
Registry status: Active

Which apps can use it

Based on how this server connects and on each app’s own docs, checked Nov 10, 2026.

Run on your computer in

Claude Goose LM Studio Msty Studio Cherry Studio Cursor VS Code + GitHub Copilot Visual Studio Windsurf (Devin Desktop)Zed Kiro Cline Continue JetBrains AI Assistant Claude Code Codex CLI Gemini CLI OpenCode nodecode Warp LibreChat Raycast

All apps, with pros and cons →

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 12, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified against the domain arsentev.ai (the registry checks domain ownership)
✓ Pass
Still maintained
Code last changed 2 days ago
✓ Pass
Has a licence
Uses MIT
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Discussion

Ask, share a tip or report that it does not work. Sorted by what people marked helpful.

No posts yet. Be the first to ask or share.

Posts here are written by users, not the PopNx team.

User reviews

No reviews yet

Compared with others in Developer toolsi

More stars than 0% of the other 5804 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 37% of the other 5804 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 5804 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is contextburn safe?

It passed 3 of 3 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed 2 days ago, and the latest version (0.2.1) reached the registry 2 months ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Python (uv) on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: REA, GitHub, Serena MCP: the IDE for your agent

Others in the same category

Servers in the same category from other makers, sorted by stars.

Reading a card:↓ Downloads per weeki★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

REA

Reverse engineer anything from your terminal or agent with one CLI and MCP server.

by morlutoWidely used↓ 388.7K/wk★ 453.3KUpdated today

Runs on your computer

Install

GitHub

GitHub’s official server lets AI read and manage code, issues and pull requests in your account. Use GitHub’s hosted version or run it locally with Docker.

by githubWidely used★ 34.4KUpdated 9 days ago

Computer or cloud

Install

Serena MCP: the IDE for your agent

A powerful toolkit for coding, providing semantic retrieval and editing capabilities.

by oraiosWidely used↓ 35.2K/wk★ 31.3KUpdated 6 months ago

Runs on your computer

Install

README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

contextburn reads the transcripts Claude Code already writes on your machine and tells you what share of the tokens you paid for became model output — and how much was the agent re-reading context it had already sent.

Token counters answer *"how much did I spend?"*. This answers *"how much of it was work?"* — a normalised share, so it can be compared across sessions, models and ways of working.

Try it

cp bin/contextburn ~/bin/contextburn && chmod +x ~/bin/contextburn   # python3 only, no dependencies

contextburn detail 24

Demo

Real output over the session logs of the 36 runs behind the U-curve report — nothing else on the machine. Video with DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22713920. The runs themselves are open: Hugging Face (DOI 10.57967/hf/10366) · Kaggle · OSF (DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/5QTWY).

Why two numbers

By tokens the share barely moves. Every agent step resends the accumulated context, so re-reading dominates whatever you do — it describes the agent.
Cost-weighted the share does move, because cached reads are priced far below fresh input and output. It depends on how you run sessions — it describes you.

The comparison above comes from a controlled experiment with its dataset and analysis scripts: Clear Every Third Task: A Measured U-Curve in the Context Economy of Coding Agents.

How it counts

Reads local Claude Code transcripts (~/.claude/projects/**/*.jsonl). Nothing leaves the machine — no network calls at all.
Deduplicates usage records by message id and keeps the element-wise maximum. A streaming runtime writes an early snapshot and a final record for the same call: counting both double-counts it, keeping only the first halves the output.
Weights the cost share with per-model prices kept at the top of bin/contextburn. Update them there when they change.

Commands

command	what it shows
`contextburn`	what is burning tokens right now
`contextburn detail [hours]`	run efficiency, sessions, and what specifically inflated the context
`contextburn window`	the current 5-hour subscription window
`contextburn --json`	machine-readable state (used by the menu-bar app)
`contextburn --probe`	raw JSON dump of the parsed sessions
`contextburn --efficiency [hours]`	run efficiency as JSON
`contextburn mcp`	start the MCP server

Configuration

setting	default	meaning
`CONTEXTBURN_LANG` or `~/.config/contextburn/lang`	`en`	interface language: `en` or `ru`
`CONTEXTBURN_DAY_START`	`6`	hour your day starts — the daily total resets here
`CONTEXTBURN_WARN`	`30000000`	tokens/hour that turns the menu-bar counter yellow
`CONTEXTBURN_ALARM`	`90000000`	tokens/hour that turns it red

The language file exists because the menu-bar app is launched from Finder, where environment variables never reach it: echo ru > ~/.config/contextburn/lang switches both the app and the CLI.

MCP server

Let the agent read its own run efficiency mid-session. The package ships a dependency-free MCP server (stdio) with two tools: run_efficiency returns the shares as structured data, and spend_breakdown returns the full report.

claude mcp add contextburn -- uvx contextburn mcp

Or install it as a Claude Code plugin, which registers the same server:

/plugin marketplace add arsentev-ai/contextburn

/plugin install contextburn@contextburn

Editor extensions

VS Code-compatible editors (VSCodium, Cursor, Windsurf, Gitpod…) — Open VSX: arsentev-ai.contextburn. A status bar meter over the local CLI; source in editors/vscode.
Raycast — source in editors/raycast, Store submission pending.

Menu-bar app (macOS)

app/main.swift is a small status-bar app. It polls contextburn --json once a minute and shows the current burn rate with an hourly graph; click a bar to see that hour's breakdown.

swiftc -O -o ContextBurn app/main.swift

Set CONTEXTBURN_BIN=/path/to/contextburn if the CLI is not in ~/bin or the usual Homebrew paths.

Limits

Claude Code transcripts only, for now.
The cost-weighted share is only as current as the price table in bin/contextburn.

Citing

Software DOI (all versions): 10.5281/zenodo.22712985. GitHub's "Cite this repository" button gives the reference; metadata is in CITATION.cff.

Author

Evgenii Arsentev — arsentev.ai · ORCID 0000-0002-9120-7298

This project was published as tokmon on its first day and renamed to avoid confusion with unrelated tools of that name; TOKMON_* environment variables still work.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

contextburn

What it does

Install

Install Python (uv)

Open the Claude desktop app’s settings file

Paste these settings and save the file

Quit Claude and open it again

Try it

What you can do instead

Install Python (uv)

Open Terminal

Paste this command and press Enter

Type /mcp in Claude Code

Try it

Install Python (uv)

Click this button to open Cursor

Open the AI chat in Cursor in Agent mode

Try it

Install Python (uv)

Click this button to open VS Code

Open the AI chat in VS Code in Agent mode

Try it

Installed on your computer

At a glance

Which apps can use it

Related guides

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Discussion

User reviews

Compared with others in Developer toolsi

Common questions

Others in the same category

REA

GitHub

Serena MCP: the IDE for your agent

README from the maker

Try it

Demo

Why two numbers

How it counts

Commands

Configuration

MCP server

Editor extensions

Menu-bar app (macOS)

Limits

Citing

Author

License