AWS Secrets Manager vs HashiCorp Vault(2026)
AWS Secrets Manager is better for teams that need deep aws integration. HashiCorp Vault is the stronger choice if industry standard. AWS Secrets Manager is paid (from $0.40/secret/month) and HashiCorp Vault is open-source (from $0.03/hour (HCP Vault)).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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 ManagerHashiCorp Vault
HashiCorp Vault is the industry standard for secrets management, providing dynamic secrets, encryption, and identity-based access.
Starting at $0.03/hour (HCP Vault)
Visit HashiCorp VaultHow Do AWS Secrets Manager and HashiCorp Vault Compare on Features?
| Feature | AWS Secrets Manager | HashiCorp Vault |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | paid | open-source |
| Starting price | $0.40/secret/month | $0.03/hour (HCP Vault) |
| Automatic rotation | ✓ | — |
| IAM-based access | ✓ | — |
| CloudFormation integration | ✓ | — |
| Lambda rotation | ✓ | — |
| Cross-account access | ✓ | — |
| Audit via CloudTrail | ✓ | — |
| Dynamic secrets | — | ✓ |
| Secret leasing & renewal | — | ✓ |
| Encryption as a service | — | ✓ |
| PKI management | — | ✓ |
| Multiple auth backends | — | ✓ |
| Audit logging | — | ✓ |
AWS Secrets Manager Pros and Cons vs HashiCorp Vault
AWS Secrets Manager
HashiCorp Vault
Should You Use AWS Secrets Manager or HashiCorp Vault?
Choose AWS Secrets Manager if…
- •Deep AWS integration
- •Automatic credential rotation
- •Managed by AWS
Choose HashiCorp Vault if…
- •Industry standard
- •Dynamic secrets (generate per-request)
- •Excellent security model