In-depth architectural comparison of the IBKR Portfolio Builder and Hub MCP MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.
At a Glance & Executive Verdict
IBKR Portfolio Builder
Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE
Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required
Hub MCP
Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE
Quality: 77/100 (Great) | Auth: API Key required
Verdict Summary: Choose IBKR Portfolio Builder if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose Hub MCP if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.
Which MCP Server Should You Choose?
Choose IBKR Portfolio Builder when:
You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
IBKR Portfolio Builder is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, Hub MCP belongs to Developer Tools using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select IBKR Portfolio Builder when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Hub MCP when you require tools for developer tools.
OHLCV bars for any duration / bar size (`1 day`, `1 hour`, `5 mins`, ...). Always works regardless of market-data subscription.
ib_search_contracts
Fuzzy-search IBKR's contract database by name / partial ticker.
ib_contract_details
Full contract metadata — `long_name`, `industry`, `category`, `subcategory`, trading hours, valid exchanges. **The hook for sector-aware top-down screening.
ib_scan_catalog
The typed scan catalog. Filter by `category`, `strategy`, `instrument`, free-text `query`; optionally return the full list of available categories + strategies via `list_meta=true`.
ib_filter_catalog
Filter parameter codes grouped by category (`price`, `volume`, `market_cap`, `fundamentals`, `technical`, `options`), with an instrument applicability note.
ib_screener_codes
Substring search over the raw `scan-parameters.xml` codes (legacy / fallback). Useful for newer vendor codes not yet in the curated catalog.
ib_screener
Run an IBKR scan — pass `scan_code`, `instrument`, `location`, optional price / volume filters. Returns rank + ticker + exchange.
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Hub MCP Tools (35)
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