---
title: Stevens Keys — license keys and usage metering for MCP servers
source: https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/
description: License keys, edge validation, and usage metering for MCP server creators. Billing, not a storefront. 85/15 rev-share. From the team behind Surface.
publisher: Stevens Keys (Canada Site Ops)
---

From the team behind Surface

# Charge for your MCP server.
Keep your customers.

Stevens Keys is the license-key and metering layer for MCP server creators. Issue keys, validate them at the edge, count usage, and revoke access in seconds. Sell from your own site, README, or listing. It's billing, not a storefront.

[Create a free account](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/dashboard?signup=1) [Try a demo key (no signup)](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/demo) [Quickstart](#quickstart)

Free in test mode, no card required. Stripe is in test mode and payouts aren't live yet.

## Quickstart (humans and AI agents)

No account needed to try it. Get a throwaway sandbox key, then validate and meter it with one call. Agent and bot clients are welcome; send `X-Client-Type: agent` if your User-Agent doesn't already say so.

```
# 1. Get a 24h sandbox key
curl -s -X POST https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/v1/demo/keys

# 2. Validate + meter one unit (use the "key" from step 1)
curl -s -X POST https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/v1/validate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_mcp_test_..." -H "X-Client-Type: agent" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" -d '{"units":1}'
# => {"allow":true,"status":"active","quota":{...},"test_mode":true}
```

Machine-readable: [openapi.json](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/openapi.json) · [llms.txt](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/llms.txt) · [public stats](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/v1/public-stats). Ready to charge? [Create a free account](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/dashboard?signup=1) and see [the docs](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/docs).

### Connect via MCP

Prefer tools over curl? Add our hosted MCP server to Claude, Cursor or any MCP client.

```
# Hosted MCP server (Streamable HTTP, no auth, test mode)
https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/mcp

# Claude Desktop / Cursor (remote server) - mcp.json / claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stevens-keys": { "url": "https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/mcp" }
  }
}

# stdio-only clients: bridge with mcp-remote
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stevens-keys": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

Tools: `create_demo_key` (free 24h sandbox key, 50 calls), `validate_license_key` (allow/deny + metering), `get_public_stats` (aggregate adoption stats). Server card: [/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json).

## What you get

### License keys

Issue keys from the dashboard or API. We store only a SHA-256 hash. You see the key once, at creation.

### Edge validation + metering

One call validates a key and records usage. You get allow/deny, plan, and remaining quota back.

### Fast revocation

Revoke or suspend a key and the next validation is denied. There's no 24-hour cache window.

### Per-key quotas

Set monthly limits per product or per key. Over-quota calls are denied and counted.

### Creator dashboard

Keys, usage by day, top keys, and a revenue ledger with your split already worked out.

### No hosting lock-in

Your server runs wherever it runs now. Add one SDK call in front of your tools.

## Pricing (CAD)

### Free to start

CA$0 / month

No sign-up fee and no monthly fee. Up to 10 products, and up to 50,000 validations per month per creator (a soft limit during preview). Key-gated free plans for your users default to 3,000 calls per key per month.

### On sales: 85 / 15 (planned)

15% only when you sell

When live payments launch, you keep 85% of each sale made through Stevens Keys checkout and the platform fee is 15%. No compute deduction. Example: a CA$10.00 sale → CA$8.50 to you, CA$1.50 fee (before Stripe processing fees).

### Today: test mode

Checkout runs in Stripe **test mode** only: test cards, no real money, nothing is charged to anyone. Payouts via Stripe Connect are **not live**. Test sales show in your dashboard labelled "Stripe test".

## How to connect

1. **Create a product** for your MCP server in the dashboard. You get a `product_id`.
2. **Issue keys** to your users, either by hand or with `POST /v1/keys` from your own checkout.
3. **Validate on every call** with the TypeScript SDK or a single HTTP request:

```
import { StevensKeys, withLicense } from "stevens-keys";

const keys = new StevensKeys({ baseUrl: "https://stevens-keys.pages.dev", productId: "prod_..." });

export default { fetch: withLicense(keys, (req) => handleMcp(req)) };
```

```
curl -X POST https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/v1/validate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_mcp_test_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"product_id":"prod_...","units":1}'
# 200 {"allow":true,"status":"active","quota":{"limit":3000,"used":1,...}}
# 403 {"allow":false,"status":"revoked"}
```

Full guide: [creator docs](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/docs) · [try the live demo](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/demo) · [how to gate a paid MCP server with license keys](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/mcp-license-keys) · [MCP monetization FAQ](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/mcp-monetization-faq) · [license keys vs OAuth](https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/mcp-license-keys-vs-oauth)

The SDK package isn't on npm yet. It's coming with the public launch.

## Built by the team behind Surface

We run [Surface](https://nova-otter-delta-cloud.grok.me), a free MCP server with per-request metering. Surface is our first internal customer on Stevens Keys.

### More from Stevens Keys

- [Surface](https://nova-otter-delta-cloud.grok.me): free MCP server with per-request metering
- [Usage Lab](https://usage-lab.pages.dev/)
- [Server Track Lab](https://server-track-lab.pages.dev/)
- [API Meter Lab](https://api-meter-lab.pages.dev/)

Machine files: https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/llms.txt · https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/openapi.json · https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/mcp · https://stevens-keys.pages.dev/agent-quickstart.md