Rate-API MCP Server

The official Model Context Protocol server for Rate-API.com. It gives Claude and other MCP clients exchange rates for 160+ currencies (updated hourly), currency conversion, historical rates, daily time series and fluctuation, crypto, precious-metal and end-of-day stock prices, usage and quota checks, and rate alerts.

Once connected, you can just ask: "What's 250 EUR in Japanese yen?" or "How has USD/TRY moved over the last 30 days?" and the assistant calls the API for you.

Tools

| Tool | Description | Plan | |------|-------------|------| | get_latest_rates | Latest rates for a base currency (optionally filtered) | Free | | get_pair_rate | Single currency-pair rate with optional precision (converted amount on Pro+) | Free | | list_currencies | All supported currency codes and names | Free | | get_usage | This key's plan and current-month usage against its quota | Free | | get_quota | Plan quota and remaining requests for this key | Free | | get_key_status | Confirm the key works (API status and version) | Free | | get_api_status | Service status and data freshness | No key needed | | convert_currency | Convert an amount between two currencies | Pro+ | | get_historical_rates | Rates for a specific past date | Pro+ | | get_crypto_rates | Cryptocurrency prices in USD | Pro+ | | get_metal_prices | Gold, silver, platinum and palladium per troy ounce in USD | Pro+ | | get_stock_prices | End-of-day closing prices for tracked equities in USD (indicative, not for trading) | Pro+ | | get_timeseries_rates | Daily rates for every day between two dates (up to 366 days) | Business+ | | get_rate_fluctuation | Start rate, end rate, change and % change between two dates (up to 366 days) | Business+ | | list_rate_alerts | List the rate alerts on this key | Business+ | | create_rate_alert | Alert (email and optional signed webhook) when a pair crosses a threshold | Business+ | | delete_rate_alert | Delete a rate alert by id | Business+ |

"Pro+" means Pro, Business and Enterprise; "Business+" means Business and Enterprise. Calling a tool your plan doesn't include returns the API's feature_not_available error, so the assistant can tell you which plan it needs. See pricing.

Setup

You need an API key. The free plan (2,500 requests/month, no card) is at https://rate-api.com/register; your keys are listed at https://rate-api.com/api-keys.

Claude Code

claude mcp add rate-api -e RATE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY -- npx -y @rate-api/mcp

Claude Desktop / other MCP clients

Add to your MCP config (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rate-api": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@rate-api/mcp"],
      "env": { "RATE_API_KEY": "YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Run directly

RATE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY npx -y @rate-api/mcp

Docker

docker build -t rate-api-mcp .
docker run -i --rm -e RATE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY rate-api-mcp

Configuration

| Env var | Required | Default | Description | |---------|----------|---------|-------------| | RATE_API_KEY | for keyed tools | — | Your Rate-API key | | RATE_API_BASE_URL | no | https://rate-api.com | Override the API base URL | | RATE_API_TIMEOUT_MS | no | 15000 | Per-request timeout (ms) |

The server starts without a key; every tool except get_api_status then asks you to set RATE_API_KEY.

Resources & prompts

Besides the tools, the server exposes:

• Resource rate-api://currencies: the supported currency list (code, name, symbol, decimals).
• Prompts convert_amount and currency_movement: ready-made FX workflow templates.

Local development

git clone https://github.com/Vilgar/rate-api-mcp.git
cd rate-api-mcp
npm install
RATE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY npm start
# or inspect interactively:
RATE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY npm run inspect

Transport is stdio; requires Node.js 18+. The only dependency is the official @modelcontextprotocol/sdk.

Links

• API docs: https://rate-api.com/docs/api
• OpenAPI 3.0: https://rate-api.com/openapi.json
• Issues: https://github.com/Vilgar/rate-api-mcp/issues

License

MIT, see LICENSE.