I spend a significant portion of my day deploying to Vercel, and like most developers, I found myself constantly switching between my code editor and browser tabs to check deployment status. That context-switching adds up - not just in seconds lost, but in mental energy spent tracking whether that latest push actually deployed successfully.
Respira Pulse solves this with a brilliantly simple approach: a color-coded menu bar icon that tells you everything you need to know at a glance. Green means your deployment is live, yellow indicates it’s building, and red signals a failed deployment. No need to open a browser, no need to break your flow.
What really impressed me during testing on my M2 MacBook Air (macOS 15.4) is how unobtrusive it is. The app uses roughly 1% CPU during active monitoring and sits at around 50MB of memory - negligible for the value it provides. Built with Tauri v2 and Rust, it’s natively compiled for both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, which explains the efficient performance.
The killer feature for me is the one-click error log copying. When a deployment fails, you can instantly copy the relevant error logs directly from the menu bar dropdown without navigating through Vercel’s dashboard. This alone has saved me countless clicks and significantly speeds up my debugging workflow.
Setup requires connecting your Vercel account via API token, which Respira Pulse stores securely in the macOS Keychain - a privacy-conscious implementation that I appreciate. The app integrates directly with Vercel’s REST API to pull real-time deployment status and provides native macOS notifications when deployments complete, so you can step away from your desk without anxiety.
The pricing model is refreshingly straightforward: one-time payment, no subscription. The Starter tier costs 4.44 euros for monitoring one project (with a 7-day free trial, no credit card required), while the Pro tier at 22.22 euros covers up to 10 projects, and Unlimited is 44.44 euros. The pricing is valid through December 31, 2026, and upgrades automatically refund the difference if you move to a higher tier.
One limitation worth noting: this is specifically designed for Vercel users, so if you’re deploying to other platforms like Netlify or Railway, this won’t help you. The app also requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer, which excludes older Mac systems.
Installation is available either through direct DMG download or via Homebrew with brew tap webmyc/respira-pulse && brew install --cask respira-pulse. First launch requires right-clicking and selecting Open to bypass Gatekeeper, but that’s a one-time step.
For developers managing multiple Vercel projects or anyone tired of the deployment monitoring dance, Respira Pulse delivers exactly what it promises: ambient awareness without distraction. It’s the kind of tool that quietly improves your workflow without demanding attention - which is exactly what a good menu bar app should do.
