Compare
Smaller,
on purpose.
Most apps for AI agents are workspaces: a big window, many panels, one agent each. littleguys is the small one. It lives in the menu bar, covers all your agents at once and starts with nothing to configure. Here's how it compares, including where the others do more.
| littleguys | OpenClaw app | Hermes Desktop | Codex (ChatGPT app) | crystl | Menu bar monitors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A menu bar app for all your agents | OpenClaw's menu bar companion, with a dashboard window | A full desktop app for Hermes Agent | A full desktop workspace; Codex now lives in the ChatGPT desktop app | A terminal built for AI agents | Menu bar meters for agent sessions, quotas and cost |
| At a glance | One guy in the menu bar for every agent; a click lists them all with status and last message | A menu bar critter with a badge for the tool at work | A chat window; its tray icon is off by default | A full window | A terminal window, a rail by the dock and floating cards | Session status or quota bars in the menu bar |
| Setup | Install and open; it reads your ~/.openclaw. Hermes and ACP agents take a few clicks | Download, pick This Mac or a gateway, connect an AI provider; for a local gateway it installs the CLI | An installer that builds the app on your Mac, or hermes desktop from the CLI | Install, sign in with a ChatGPT account, pick a project | Sign in at crystl.dev, download, open a project folder | Install; most read Claude Code and Codex logs or add hooks |
| Agents | OpenClaw, Hermes, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and any ACP agent | OpenClaw (its gateway can run Claude Code, Codex and others) | Hermes Agent | ChatGPT and Codex | Any CLI agent, deepest with Claude Code | Mostly Claude Code and Codex |
| Chat, approve, schedule | All three | All three | All three | All three | A terminal, approval cards and schedules | Mostly watch only; a few approve |
| Claude Code or Codex already running in a terminal | Not shown: it starts its own | Not documented | No (Hermes only) | Not documented | Not shown: agents run inside crystl | Yes, that's what they're for |
| Other machines | Several gateways at once, found on your tailnet and LAN | Local or remote gateways, over SSH, LAN or tailnet | Remote gateways, Hermes Cloud, SSH hosts | SSH projects; a phone remote | SSH; an iPhone app | Mostly this Mac |
| Account, telemetry | No account, no telemetry | No account; a version check you can turn off | No account needed; no telemetry | ChatGPT account; anonymous usage data on by default | An account to download; license and update checks | Varies |
| Price, source | Free, MIT | Free, MIT | Free, MIT | Part of ChatGPT plans, Free included; closed source | Free plan, or $170 a year; closed source | Free; MIT or Apache-2.0 |
| Platforms | macOS 13+, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS; Windows and Linux companions | macOS (Apple silicon), Windows, Linux | macOS (Apple silicon), Windows, Linux preview | macOS; iPhone | Mostly macOS |
| Download | 15 MB | 346 MB (it ships the OpenClaw runtime inside) | 6.8 MB installer, which then builds the app | 783 MB | 65 MB | 1 to 80 MB |
Checked on October 11, 2026 against each app's own site, docs and releases (sources below). Download sizes are the macOS .dmg from the latest release; universal where there is one.
Where the others do more
- The OpenClaw app adds voice wake and push-to-talk, a Canvas panel, Mac tools for your agents (screen and camera capture, computer control), and usage and cost in its menu. If you live in OpenClaw and want all of that, use it.
- Hermes Desktop is a full workspace for Hermes: git review and worktrees, a terminal, a file browser, voice, and builds for Windows and Linux.
- The ChatGPT desktop app runs Codex with worktrees, code review, computer and browser use, voice, SSH projects and a phone remote. It needs a ChatGPT account.
- crystl is a real terminal, with a worktree per agent, multi-agent orchestration, token tracking and an iPhone app.
Menu bar monitors
These watch the Claude Code and Codex sessions already running in your terminals, and most track quota, usage and cost. littleguys does neither. In turn, they don't chat with your agents or work with OpenClaw or Hermes. If watching terminal sessions is what you want, pick one of these.
- AgentBar by scariUsage across Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Copilot and Cursor1.2 MB
- AgentBar by michalstrnadelOne approval queue for many coding CLIs, with rules6.2 MB
- so-agentbar by sotthangLive Claude Code and Codex sessions, cost and quota3.8 MB
- ClaudeBar by tddworksQuotas for 20+ providers; Claude Code sessions in the notch21 MB
- CodexBar by steipeteLimits and cost for Codex, Claude and many more providers80 MB
- Vibe Notch by farouqaldoriApprove Claude Code from the notch4.2 MB
Why small
An app you check fifty times a day should cost you nothing to keep around. littleguys is a 15 MB download and 33 MB installed, with Apple silicon and Intel in one app. It doesn't bundle a runtime, a browser or a terminal: it talks to the agents you already run.
Sources
- OpenClaw app: macOS app, menu bar, ACP agents, releases
- Hermes Desktop: product page, desktop guide, installation, FAQ
- Codex (ChatGPT app): desktop app, pricing, open source, remote connections, usage data
- crystl: home and FAQ, pricing, getting started, hooks
- Menu bar monitors: each one's GitHub README and latest release, linked above.
or with Homebrew:
brew install herval/tap/littleguys
Free and open source · macOS 13+ · Apple silicon and Intel