Alpaca MCP Server

To install Alpaca Market Data Server for Claude Desktop automatically via [Smithery](https://smithery.ai/server/@cesarvarela/alpaca-mcp):

Local serverstdio

What is the Alpaca MCP MCP server?

Alpaca mcp mcp server connects Alpaca MCP to AI assistants that speak the Model Context Protocol. To install Alpaca Market Data Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:.

What Alpaca MCP does

To install Alpaca Market Data Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

Tools it exposes

Once connected, the assistant can call these 4 tools directly:

  • build — npm run build (compiles to dist/)
  • get — assets** { assetClass?: "us_equity" | "crypto" }
  • get-stock — bars** { symbols: string[]; start: string; end: string; timeframe: string }
  • get-market — days** { start: string; end: string }

Installing the alpaca mcp mcp server

The server is distributed via npm as @smithery/cli, so most clients can run it without a manual build step. Add it to your MCP client's configuration and restart the client to pick it up — the copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are on this page.

Configuration

Before the server will start you need to supply 8 environment variables: ALPACA_ENDPOINT, ALPACA_BROKER_ENDPOINT, ALPACA_API_KEY, ALPACA_SECRET_KEY, YOUR_ALPACA_API_KEY, YOUR_ALPACA_SECRET_KEY, YOUR_API_KEY, YOUR_SECRET_KEY. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than committing them.

Where it fits

Developer-tool servers are usually the first ones people connect, because they turn "help me with this code" into an assistant that can actually read the repo and act on it. Alpaca MCP sits in that group, and the shape of its toolset — build, get, get-stock among others — tells you what it is really for. Worth comparing against the other developer tools servers in this directory before you commit to one, since several overlap in scope but differ sharply in setup cost and permissions.

Practical notes

  • This server runs locally, so it operates with whatever access your machine and its credentials already have. Scope that deliberately rather than by default.
  • It will not start until its required credentials are present, so set those before wondering why the tools never appear.
  • Maintained by cesarvarela.
  • MCP clients ask for confirmation before each tool call by default. Keep that on while you learn what the alpaca mcp mcp server actually does with your data.
  • Every entry in this directory is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and details are checked against the project's own documentation.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
buildnpm run build (compiles to dist/)
getassets** { assetClass?: "us_equity" | "crypto" }
get-stockbars** { symbols: string[]; start: string; end: string; timeframe: string }
get-marketdays** { start: string; end: string }

How to install the Alpaca MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alpaca": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli"],
      "env": {
        "ALPACA_ENDPOINT": "your-value",
        "ALPACA_BROKER_ENDPOINT": "your-value",
        "ALPACA_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "ALPACA_SECRET_KEY": "your-value",
        "YOUR_ALPACA_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "YOUR_ALPACA_SECRET_KEY": "your-value",
        "YOUR_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "YOUR_SECRET_KEY": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
ALPACA_ENDPOINTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
ALPACA_BROKER_ENDPOINTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
ALPACA_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
ALPACA_SECRET_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_ALPACA_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_ALPACA_SECRET_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_SECRET_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Alpaca MCP to build.
  • Use Alpaca MCP to get.
  • Use Alpaca MCP to get-stock.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Alpaca MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (build, get, get-stock, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Alpaca MCP directly.