AWS Secrets Manager vs Akeyless(2026)
AWS Secrets Manager is better for teams that need deep aws integration. Akeyless is the stronger choice if zero-knowledge (akeyless can't read your secrets). AWS Secrets Manager is paid (from $0.40/secret/month) and Akeyless is freemium (from $1/month per secret).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
By Bikram Nath
Affiliate disclosure: Some “Visit” links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up — at no extra cost to you. It does not affect our rankings or editorial coverage. Learn more.
AWS Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager stores, rotates, and retrieves credentials, API keys, and other secrets with automatic rotation.
Starting at $0.40/secret/month
Visit AWS Secrets ManagerAkeyless
Akeyless is a SaaS secrets management platform with zero-knowledge architecture, dynamic secrets, and cloud-agnostic access.
Starting at $1/month per secret
Visit AkeylessHow Do AWS Secrets Manager and Akeyless Compare on Features?
| Feature | AWS Secrets Manager | Akeyless |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | paid | freemium |
| Starting price | $0.40/secret/month | $1/month per secret |
| Automatic rotation | ✓ | — |
| IAM-based access | ✓ | — |
| CloudFormation integration | ✓ | — |
| Lambda rotation | ✓ | — |
| Cross-account access | ✓ | — |
| Audit via CloudTrail | ✓ | — |
| Zero-knowledge encryption | — | ✓ |
| Dynamic secrets | — | ✓ |
| Multi-cloud | — | ✓ |
| Just-in-time access | — | ✓ |
| Kubernetes integration | — | ✓ |
| SSO/MFA | — | ✓ |
AWS Secrets Manager Pros and Cons vs Akeyless
AWS Secrets Manager
Akeyless
Should You Use AWS Secrets Manager or Akeyless?
For most teams, AWS Secrets Manager is the better default: it offers deep aws integration and is paid (from $0.40/secret/month). Choose Akeyless instead if zero-knowledge (akeyless can't read your secrets) matters more than aws lock-in. There is no universal winner — the right pick depends on your budget, team size, and whether you value deep aws integration or zero-knowledge (akeyless can't read your secrets) more.
Choose AWS Secrets Manager if…
- •Deep AWS integration
- •Automatic credential rotation
- •Managed by AWS
Choose Akeyless if…
- •Zero-knowledge (Akeyless can't read your secrets)
- •Cloud-agnostic
- •Strong security model