Compare
Same idea. The difference is what you can verify.
Kickbacks proved developers will run ads for money. This page is not about whether that is a good idea. It is about one difference: how much of it you can verify for yourself. The facts below come from each product's own public materials.
Comparison table
| Dimension | Tipbar | Kickbacks.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Source license | Apache-2.0, open source | Proprietary; read-only source-available mirror |
| Install method | macOS app, signed and notarized at release | VS Code extension and terminal CLI |
| Agent files modified | None; reads each agent's official hooks | Patches the agent's extension bundle (per their FAQ) |
| Update signing | Signed and notarized at release; no background auto-update | 90-second auto-update reported at launch |
| Ad vetting | Open-source scanner and published policy | "Safety: Pass" badge; method not published |
| Developer split | 70%, up to 80% founding; disclosed, no activity caps | Up to 70% |
| Surfaces | macOS menu bar (every terminal and editor) | VS Code extension, terminal CLI |
| Marketplace status | Pre-launch | Relisted under kickbacks.dev after the original VS Code Marketplace listing was removed |
Other tools in this category, including IdleAds and Idlen, also state they do not patch the agent and pitch a 70% split. We have not independently verified their claims, which is the point: the way to settle a claim is to publish the artifact that proves it. Ours are on the trust page.