Alpha Vantage MCP Server with DeepSeek Harness

At a glance

Server

Alpha Vantage MCP Server (mcp.alphavantage.co)

Hosted endpoint

https://mcp.alphavantage.co/mcp — sign-in page authorises the API key

Deprecated form

https://mcp.alphavantage.co/mcp?apikey=YOUR_API_KEY — marked deprecated by Alpha Vantage

Local server

uvx marketdata-mcp-server YOUR_API_KEY

Authentication

Alpha Vantage API key; free keys are available

Tool surface

The API's functions exposed as MCP tools, grouped into core stock APIs, options, fundamentals, forex, cryptocurrencies, commodities, economic indicators, technical indicators, news sentiment and congressional trading

Clients listed

Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Codex, VS Code, Continue, Cursor, Gemini CLI and agentic platforms

DSH fit

stdio — DSH starts and stops the child with the plugin lifecycle

Last checked

2026-10-13

Step 1 — Get an API key

Claim a key on Alpha Vantage's site. The same key backs the REST API and the MCP server, so the MCP layer does not change your entitlements — what your plan allows is what the tools return.

Step 2 — Add the DSH row for the local server

# cordis.patch.yml — passed with: dsh web --patch ./cordis.patch.yml
- insert:
    - id: mcp-alphavantage
      name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client'
      config:
        serverName: alphavantage
        transport: stdio
        command: uvx
        args: ['marketdata-mcp-server', 'YOUR_ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY']
        env: {}
        cwd: !!js process.cwd()

Two practical notes. First, uvx ships with uv; if it is not on the PATH that DSH itself sees, the child never starts. Second, the key sits in args because that is how Alpha Vantage documents the local server — so keep the patch file private (chmod 600), out of version control, and rotate the key if it leaks. DSH strips ambient credential-looking variables before launching a child process, so exporting the key in your shell is not a substitute.

Step 3 — Stay inside your data tier

Ask for one series at a time and keep the first call read-only:

Alpha Vantage's MCP page states that real-time options data requires a premium subscription with the 600 or 1200 requests-per-minute plans, and that free or 75-requests-per-minute keys receive placeholder or demo data from that endpoint — symbols like XXYYZZ and dates like 2099-99-99. The same page recommends the historical options endpoint instead, which it says works with all API key tiers. If a response looks like demo data, you have hit a premium-gated endpoint rather than a broken connection.

Troubleshooting

uvx: command not found or the child dies immediately

Install uv, confirm uvx --version works in the same environment, and remember that DSH launches the command without shell interpolation — aliases and shell functions will not resolve.

Responses contain obvious placeholder values

You hit a premium-gated endpoint such as real-time options. Switch to a tier-appropriate function like TIME_SERIES_DAILY, GLOBAL_QUOTE or the historical options endpoint.

Rate-limit messages

Alpha Vantage enforces per-key request limits. A burst of parallel tool calls can trip them, so fetch one series per prompt and let the agent summarise after the data arrives.

Why not just use the hosted URL

It authenticates through a sign-in page that needs a browser. The query-string API-key form still works but Alpha Vantage labels it deprecated, so treat it as a stopgap and migrate to stdio or a browser-capable client.

You found a different Alpha Vantage MCP server

Third-party wrappers exist, for example berlinbra/alpha-vantage-mcp. Alpha Vantage publishes its own server, so prefer that one and re-check tool names before copying prompts from an older wrapper's README.