Alpaca MCP Server

Add to your client

Copy the config for your MCP client and paste it into its config file.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alpaca-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "alpaca-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALPACA_API_KEY": "<your-alpaca-api-key>",
        "ALPACA_SECRET_KEY": "<your-alpaca-secret-key>",
        "ALPACA_PAPER_TRADE": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Before you start

• Python 3.10 or later
• The `uv` package manager (provides `uvx`)
• An Alpaca account with API key and secret — create a free paper-trading account at alpaca.markets and generate keys from the dashboard
• An MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, PyCharm, etc.)

About Alpaca MCP Server

Tools & capabilities (12)

When to use it

• You want to place and manage stock, ETF, options, or crypto orders from a chat interface
• You're prototyping a trading strategy against Alpaca's free paper-trading account before going live
• You need real-time or historical bars, quotes, and trades for analysis inside an LLM workflow
• You want to build and evaluate multi-leg options strategies with Greeks
• You need to check account balances, portfolio history, and open positions conversationally
• You want to manage watchlists or monitor market status, calendar, and corporate actions

Quick setup

1. 1Install `uv` so the `uvx` command is available
2. 2Create a free Alpaca paper-trading account and generate an API key and secret
3. 3Add the server to your MCP client config with command `uvx` and args `["alpaca-mcp-server"]`
4. 4Set `ALPACA_API_KEY` and `ALPACA_SECRET_KEY` in the server's env block
5. 5Restart your MCP client and confirm the Alpaca tools appear
6. 6Verify by asking for your account info or a stock snapshot

Alpaca MCP Server FAQ