What did the Kite Connect API cost before?

Zerodha charged for Kite Connect until 2025 — ₹2,000 per month for full access, with a cheaper ₹500 per month entry tier at one point. Zerodha has since removed API fees entirely.

Is there a free, no-code way to use AI with Zerodha?

Yes — Kite MCP. It is Zerodha’s official server for AI assistants, free of charge, and needs no developer app, code or hosting. AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf connect to it directly; tools like KitePilot wrap it in a browser UI.

Does the free Kite Connect API include live market data?

Kite Connect includes market-data endpoints, but real-time data is rate-limited and intended for your own app’s use. Heavy or redistributed usage has limits. For AI-assisted portfolio analysis, the free Kite MCP route already covers quotes, OHLC and historical candles without any setup.

Yes. KitePilot runs on Kite MCP, Zerodha’s official (and free) bridge between AI assistants and your account. There is no developer setup and no paid AI subscription. Bring your own free AI key (for example Gemini), or use the built-in one.

Yes. Zerodha’s official Kite MCP service is completely free: no API key and no subscription. KitePilot is built on it, so connecting your Zerodha account here costs nothing.

Is there a daily limit on the free AI?

Yes. The built-in free AI (no key needed) allows 5 messages per day. Add your own AI key in Customize for unlimited use; your key stays in your browser. A free key from a provider like Gemini works fine.

Does Zerodha have AI trading?

No. Zerodha deliberately does not offer AI-driven trading. It offers Kite MCP, a read-only bridge that lets AI assistants see your live portfolio. The only order type allowed is a GTT, a price alert you set in advance. KitePilot wraps that in a friendly interface, and every order draft needs your explicit approval.

Can I use Zerodha MCP with Claude?

Yes. Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf can all connect, but that route asks you to install Node.js and edit a JSON config file. KitePilot gives you the same live Zerodha data in your browser with zero setup, and it works around the message limits Claude’s free plan hits on large portfolios.

Is it safe to connect my Zerodha account to an AI?

Yes. Your login happens on Zerodha’s own secure page, so your password and OTP never reach us. The AI can look at your portfolio but cannot place instant trades. The only orders it can draft are price alerts, and every draft waits for your approval.

Do I need to install Node.js or edit config files?

No. KitePilot exists to remove that hassle. You click Connect, log in with Zerodha, and start asking questions.

Can the AI place trades?

No instant trades, ever. The only order type is a GTT: a price alert you set in advance that goes through when your chosen price is reached. Nothing is sent until you approve the details.

Do I need a Kite Connect API key?

No. KitePilot uses Zerodha’s hosted Kite MCP, which needs no API keys at all. Only self-hosted, do-it-yourself setups need a paid Kite Connect app.

What is the difference between Kite MCP and Kite Connect?

Kite Connect is Zerodha’s toolkit for programmers building their own trading apps. Kite MCP is the newer, free bridge that lets AI assistants read your live portfolio (read-only, price-alert orders only). KitePilot uses Kite MCP, so there is no API fee.

Which AI assistants can I connect my Zerodha account to?

Zerodha’s official Kite MCP works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code and similar developer tools; Zerodha’s own support guide covers that setup. KitePilot is the no-setup option: a built-in AI assistant over the same live data, right in your browser.

Why do I keep getting “MCP error -32603: session not found”?

Kite MCP sessions expire. Zerodha resets them daily around 6 AM IST, and many AI setups drop the session mid-conversation. KitePilot keeps your session alive for you and tells you clearly when to reconnect. One click, not a debugging session.

Where does my data go when I ask the AI something?

Your questions, including your portfolio data, go to the AI provider you choose (for example Gemini or Anthropic, or an AI running on your own computer). Free AI services may review prompts to improve their models; paid plans generally do not. Your keys stay in your browser. For maximum privacy, connect a local AI.

What can’t the AI do?

It cannot place instant trades (price alerts only, always with your approval). It cannot see dividend history. AI can misread data: always verify numbers in Kite before acting. Outputs are informational and are not investment advice.

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PricingSep 2026

Is the Zerodha API Free Now? Kite Connect vs Kite MCP

Q: Is the Zerodha API free now?

Yes. Zerodha made the Kite Connect developer API free in 2025 — it previously cost up to ₹2,000 per month. The fee is gone, but you still need to register a developer app, generate daily access tokens, and build and host your own integration.

Yes — Zerodha made its Kite Connect developer API free in 2025, ending years of ₹2,000 per month pricing. But removing the fee removed only the fee: you still register an app, generate daily tokens, write and host your own code. And there is now a second route that is also free and needs none of that work: the official Kite MCP server for AI assistants. Here is the full 2026 picture.

The short answer

Yes. Zerodha removed API fees in 2025. The Kite Connect developer API — previously ₹2,000 per month — now costs nothing. But the fee was never the hard part. What made the API feel heavy was everything around it: registering a developer app, generating a fresh access token every morning, writing the code, hosting it, and keeping it alive. None of that went away.

Kite Connect: what the free API actually includes

Kite Connect is Zerodha's classic developer API. Free means the subscription is gone. What you get, and what is still on you:

HTTP REST APIs plus a WebSocket stream for orders, portfolio, positions and live market data.
No monthly fee. The old ₹2,000 per month pricing — with a cheaper ₹500 entry tier at one point — is history.
You register a developer app on Zerodha's developer portal.
You manage the daily login-token dance: access tokens expire every morning, so your app must re-authenticate daily.
You write your own application, host it somewhere reliable, and respect rate limits on market data.

What "free" still costs you in practice

A weekend of building. Glue code, error handling and edge cases take real time.
Daily re-authentication. Tokens expire every morning; miss the flow and your app goes dark until you fix it.
Hosting and uptime. Anything you rely on needs a server that stays up.
Market-data rate limits. Real-time data is rate-limited and intended for your own app's use.
You are the support desk. When something breaks at market open, there is no one to call.

Kite MCP: the free route with zero code

In 2025 Zerodha also launched something very different: the official Kite MCP server (mcp.kite.trade). It is free and needs no developer app, no code and no hosting. Instead of building an app, you point an AI assistant — Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code Copilot Chat, Windsurf or Claude CLI — straight at your account.

What it exposes: read tools for profile, margins, holdings, positions, quotes, OHLC and historical candles, plus order and trade history. The only order tools are GTT conditional orders, and drafts need your approval. Login and 2FA happen on Zerodha's own pages, and sessions reset daily around 6 AM IST. ChatGPT is not supported yet. For the setup options, see three real ways to link your account.

Free API vs free AI route

Kite Connect — free; build and host anything; full control, including order placement within regulations. You write the app.
Kite MCP — free; connected in minutes; read-only plus approval-gated GTT; works with Claude, Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf. No code.

The guidance is simple. Building a product with your own interface and logic? Choose Kite Connect. Want AI answers about your portfolio today? Choose Kite MCP — and if you are wondering what the AI side actually involves, read what Zerodha AI actually is.

The 2-minute no-code option

KitePilot wraps the same official Kite MCP in a browser UI — no config files, no terminal, no Node. Connect once and the AI reads your live account with read-only access, drafting GTT plans behind an approval dialog. It never sees your credentials, and it is free: bring your own AI key or use a server-provided one. Connect your Zerodha account free.

Quick answers

Is Zerodha API free now? Yes — free since 2025. It previously cost up to ₹2,000 per month.
Do I still need a developer? For Kite Connect, yes. For Kite MCP, no — an AI assistant connects directly.
What's the free alternative to Kite Connect for AI? Kite MCP — free, no code, no developer app.
Can the free API place orders? Kite Connect can, within SEBI rules, through your own app. Kite MCP limits orders to GTT, with your approval.