Stop watching the markets.

Turn your words into action with Alpaca’s MCP Server

Ask. Build. Analyze. Automate. Execute. All inside your favorite AI interface powered by Alpaca’s Trading API.

Diagram showing how the Alpaca MCP Server connects to AI chat tools and IDEs

Research, Decide, and Trade in One Flow

Ask AI to analyze news, check portfolio P/L, and place an order in a single interface, no tab-hopping or scripting required. Stay in the flow while AI handles the heavy lifting.

Full Visibility Into Every AI Driven Trade

See every prompt, parameter, and order payload before anything goes to market. You get AI-powered reasoning with full control and auditability.

Natural Language Access to Market and Strategy

Trade fractional equities, crypto, ETFs, and multi-leg options (spreads, condors) with natural language commands. Pull live or historical market data, corporate actions, and portfolio details without writing code.

Test in Paper Mode, Go Live When You Are Ready

Try any workflow with $100K in simulated funds and real market data. When you’re ready, switch to live trading by just updating your API keys.

Want to build your algos with code instead?

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Connect with the AI tools you use

Our MCP Server reinvents the trading experience by supporting leading AI platforms

Claude Desktop

Trade and pull market data inside Claude

Install in Claude Desktop

Claude Mobile

Trade hands-free using voice or text commands from your phone

Install in Claude Mobile

ChatGPT

Place trades and view portfolio in ChatGPT

Install in ChatGPT

Cursor

Choose AI models and Build trading algorithms inside your Cursor

Install in Cursor

Visual Studio Code

Trade and build algos with Copilot in VS Code

Install in Visual Studio Code

PyCharm

Code, test, and trade Python strategies with PyCharm AI assistant

Install in PyCharm

Claude Code

Use Claude to generate and execute trades in the command line

Install in Claude Code

Gemini CLI

Run Gemini powered trading commands from your terminal

Install in Gemini CLI

More coming soon

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Alpaca’s MCP Server?

Alpaca’s MCP Server lets you connect AI chat apps, AI CLIs, or IDEs to Alpaca’s Trading API so you can research markets, analyze data with AI, and place trades using natural language instead of code.

How does Alpaca’s MCP Server work?

The server translates your AI prompt into structured API requests and sends them to the Alpaca’s Trading API. It also formats the responses so your AI tool can display market data, portfolio details, and order results clearly.

What do I need to use Alpaca’s MCP Server?

You only need four things to get started:

Python 3.10 or higher
The uv package manager
Alpaca’s Trading API keys
An MCP compatible client such as an AI chat app, AI CLI, or IDE

You can find setup instructions in the Alpaca’s MCP Server GitHub repository.

I am new to Alpaca. Where do I start?

Create a free Alpaca’s Trading API account, then generate your API keys from the dashboard. Store them securely, and use them to authenticate your AI tool with the MCP Server.

How much money do I need to start trading?

There is no minimum deposit requirement. You can open a live account for free or start in paper trading mode with simulated funds.

Where can I find documentation?

Full setup, usage, and examples are available in the Alpaca’s MCP Server GitHub repository.

Can I paper trade with Alpaca’s MCP Server?

Absolutely, try your trading workflow with simulated $100K fund. We offer step by step onboarding resources to get you started and paper trading quickly here.

Where can I share feedback or get support?

For technical questions or feature requests, open an Issue or Pull Request in the GitHub repo. For general support, contact us at [email protected].

What is Alpaca's Privacy Policy?

Alpaca processes and transmits data in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can review additional disclosures in the Alpaca Disclosure Library.

Want to host the Alpaca’s MCP Server remotely?

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Disclosures

Brokerage services are provided by Alpaca Securities, member FINRA/SIPC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AlpacaDB, Inc.

Technology and services are offered by AlpacaDB, Inc.

Brokerage services are provided to customers who can write automated investment code and self-direct their own investments. Alpaca brokerage services are only provided to customers who agree to electronically sign agreements and agree to receive messages, confirmations, and statements electronically. Is Alpaca right for me?

This is not an offer, solicitation of an offer, or advice to buy or sell securities or cryptocurrencies, or open a brokerage account or cryptocurrency account in any jurisdiction where Alpaca Securities or Alpaca Crypto respectively, are not registered or licensed, as applicable.

The Paper Trading API is offered by AlpacaDB, Inc. and does not require real money or permit a user to transact in real securities in the market. Providing use of the Paper Trading API is not an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities, securities derivative or futures products of any kind, or any type of trading or investment advice, recommendation or strategy, given or in any manner endorsed by AlpacaDB, Inc. or any AlpacaDB, Inc. affiliate and the information made available through the Paper Trading API is not an offer or solicitation of any kind in any jurisdiction where AlpacaDB, Inc. or any AlpacaDB, Inc. affiliate (collectively, "Alpaca") is not authorized to do business.

You should know that the use or granting of any third party access to your account information or place transactions in your account at your direction is solely at your risk. Alpaca does not warrant against loss of use or any direct, indirect or consequential damages or losses to you caused by your assent, expressed or implied, to a third party accessing your account or information, including access provided through any other third party apps, systems, or sites.

Market prices, data and other information available through Alpaca are not warranted as to completeness or accuracy and are subject to change without notice. System response and account access times may vary due to a variety of factors, including trading volumes, market conditions, system performance, and other factors. A more complete description of the impact these factors may have can be found in our risks of automated trading systems section.

All investments involve risk and the past performance of a security, or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. Keep in mind that while diversification may help spread risk it does not assure a profit, or protect against loss, in a down market. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities, or other financial products. Investors should consider their investment objectives and risks carefully before investing.

There are risks unique to automated trading algorithms that you should know about and plan for. You should setup a method or system of continuous monitoring or alerting to let you know if there is a mechanical failure, such as connectivity issues, power loss, a computer crash, or system quirk. You should also monitor for instances where your automated trading system experiences anomalies that could result in errant, missing, or duplicated orders. A more complete description of these and other risks can be found in our FAQ section.

Conditional orders may have increased risk as a result of their reliance on trigger processing, market data, and other internal and external systems. Such orders are not sent to the market until specified conditions are met. During that time, issues such as system outages with downstream technologies or third parties may occur. Conditional orders triggering near the market close may fail to execute that day. Furthermore, our executing partner may impose controls on conditional orders to limit erroneous trades triggering downstream orders. Alpaca Securities may not always be made aware of such changes to external controls immediately, which may lead to some conditional orders not being executed. As such, it is important to monitor conditional orders for reasonability. Conditional orders are “Not Held” orders whose execution instructions are on a best efforts basis upon being triggered. Furthermore, conditional orders may be subject to the increased risks of stop orders and market orders outlined above. Given the increased potential risk of using conditional orders, the client agrees that Alpaca Securities cannot be held responsible for losses, damages, or missed opportunity costs associated with market data problems, systems issues, and user error, among other factors. By using conditional orders the client understands and accepts the risks outlined above. Alpaca Securities encourages leveraging the use of Paper accounts to become more comfortable with the intricacies associated with these orders.

ETFs can entail risks similar to direct stock ownership, including market, sector, or industry risks. Some ETFs may involve international risk, currency risk, commodity risk, and interest rate risk. Trading prices may not reflect the net asset value of the underlying securities.

All accounts are opened as limited purpose margin accounts. You should know that margin trading involves interest charges and risks, including the potential to lose more than deposited or the need to deposit additional collateral in a falling market. Before using margin, customers must determine whether this type of trading strategy is right for them given their specific investment objectives, experience, risk tolerance, and financial situation. For more information please see Alpaca's Margin Disclosure Statement and Margin Agreement. These disclosures contain information on Alpaca Securities's lending policies, interest charges, and the risks associated with margin accounts.

Any fee you pay is based on the specific transaction and not the value of your account. In general, we do not charge a commission for trades. However, certain arrangements with authorized business partners may preclude commission free trades by Alpaca Securities. If your account is established via an authorized business partner, please refer to the fee schedule provided through your authorized partner’s website or platform. Customers of Alpaca Securities should refer to the Alpaca Securities Brokerage Fee Schedule. Please ensure you review the fees and costs identified on any confirmations and statements you receive.

Cryptocurrency is highly speculative in nature, involves a high degree of risks, such as volatile market price swings, market manipulation, flash crashes, and cybersecurity risks. Cryptocurrency is not regulated or is lightly regulated in most countries. Cryptocurrency trading can lead to large, immediate and permanent loss of financial value. You should have appropriate knowledge and experience before engaging in cryptocurrency trading. For additional information please click here.

Cryptocurrency services are made available by Alpaca Crypto, a FinCEN registered money services business (NMLS # 2160858), and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AlpacaDB, Inc. Alpaca Crypto is not a member of SIPC or FINRA. Cryptocurrencies are not stocks and your cryptocurrency investments are not protected by either FDIC or SIPC. Please see the Disclosure Library for more information.