Stirling engines powered by solar thermal energy as a heat source are becoming one of the most intriguing alternatives as they combine the renewable energy source to produce power. The present work is focused on the design, development, and thermal analysis of alpha (α) type Stirling engine combined with parabolic dish concentrator (PDC). An experimentation has been carried out in the environmental condition of Bhopal, India, situated at latitude and longitude of 23.2599° N, 77.4126° E, respectively. A thermodynamic mathematical model has been developed to investigate the thermal performance of parabolic dish concentrator (PDC) coupled α-type Stirling engine and also validate the experimental outcome. Net work of engine and engine efficiency is the key performance parameters. After successful development and experimentation, some key results have been identified using air as a working fluid. Mathematical model is applied to predict the performance of the system for different gases as working fluid. The complete modelling and simulation are carried out using MATLAB solution. After rigorously examining the results, it has been observed that methane as a working fluid produce maximum net work output ( \(W_{{{\text{net}}}}\) ) and engine efficiency of around 240 J and 40.78%, respectively, considering all aspects of working fluid properties and the results obtained, air is the best working fluid among the others. The system is well suited for small-scale electricity production and individual household applications.