Xero MCP Server vs Alpaca MCP Server

A side-by-side comparison of two Finance & Payments servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Xero MCP Server Official Xero MCP server for accounting, invoicing, contacts, and payroll via the Xero API. Unverified stdio (local) OAuth TypeScript	Alpaca MCP Server Alpaca's official trading server for stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto in plain English. Verified stdio (local) API key Python
Category	Finance & Payments	Finance & Payments
Language	TypeScript	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	OAuth	API key
GitHub stars	317	820
Last commit	22 days ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest`	`uvx alpaca-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Xero MCP Server if you need the broadest set of tools.

Pick Alpaca MCP Server if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add Xero MCP Server

Install / run

npx -y @xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xero-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "XERO_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id_here",
        "XERO_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret_here",
        "XERO_SCOPES": "accounting.invoices accounting.contacts accounting.settings"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Alpaca MCP Server

Install / run

uvx alpaca-mcp-server

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "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"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

Xero MCP Server or Alpaca MCP Server — which is better?

Pick Xero MCP Server if you need the broadest set of tools. Pick Alpaca MCP Server if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both Xero MCP Server and Alpaca MCP Server?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Xero MCP Server and Alpaca MCP Server work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Xero MCP Server →View Alpaca MCP Server →More comparisons →