What is the key difference between Alpaca MCP and Kite MCP?

Alpaca MCP belongs to the Finance & Fintech category with local stdio execution, while Kite MCP belongs to the Finance & Fintech category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Alpaca MCP or Kite MCP in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Alpaca MCP and Kite MCP free or paid?

Alpaca MCP operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). Kite MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Alpaca MCP lists 8 tools with 2 views and 35 GitHub stars. Kite MCP lists 6 tools with 3 views and 6 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Alpaca MCP and Kite MCP together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Alpaca MCP vs Kite MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Alpaca MCP and Kite 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

Alpaca MCP

Finance & Fintech · Local stdio

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Kite MCP

Finance & Fintech · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Alpaca MCP if you need specialized Finance & Fintech tools running via a local process. Choose Kite MCP if your workspace requires Finance & Fintech integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Alpaca MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Finance & Fintech domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: ALPACA_PAPER_API_KEY, ALPACA_PAPER_API_SECRET.
Primary tools included: get_account_info_tool, place_market_order, place_limit_order.

Explore Alpaca MCP Details

Choose Kite MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Finance & Fintech domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: KITE_API_KEY, KITE_API_SECRET, KITE_USER_ID, KITE_PASSWORD, KITE_TOTP_SECRET.
Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Alpaca MCP laukikk Finance & Fintech	Kite MCP aranjan Finance & Fintech
Summary	An MCP Server for the Alpaca trading API to manage stock and crypto portfolios, place trades, and access market data.	Trade Indian stocks on Zerodha Kite via natural conversation. 14 tools for holdings, orders, quotes, GTT triggers, and more with automated TOTP login.
Category & Scope	Finance & Fintech

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Alpaca MCP Tools (8)

get_account_info_tool

Get current account information

place_market_order

Place a market order to buy or sell a stock

place_limit_order

Place a limit order to buy or sell a stock at a specified price

place_stop_order

Place a stop order to buy or sell a stock when it reaches a specified price

place_stop_limit_order

Place a stop-limit order combining stop and limit order features

cancel_order

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Alpaca MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "laukikk-alpaca-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@smithery/cli"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ALPACA_PAPER_API_KEY": "YOUR_ALPACA_PAPER_API_KEY_HERE",
        "ALPACA_PAPER_API_SECRET": "YOUR_ALPACA_PAPER_API_SECRET_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Kite MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aranjan-kite-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "kite-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "KITE_API_KEY": "YOUR_KITE_API_KEY_HERE",
        "KITE_API_SECRET": "YOUR_KITE_API_SECRET_HERE",
        "KITE_USER_ID": "YOUR_KITE_USER_ID_HERE",
        "KITE_PASSWORD": "YOUR_KITE_PASSWORD_HERE",
        "KITE_TOTP_SECRET": "YOUR_KITE_TOTP_SECRET_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Alpaca MCP is categorized under Finance & Fintech and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Kite MCP belongs to Finance & Fintech using local stdio subprocess. Select Alpaca MCP when you need capabilities focused on finance & fintech and Kite MCP when you require tools for finance & fintech.

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