# AWS Secrets Manager vs AWS Vault: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[AWS Secrets Manager](https://cybersectools.com/tools/aws-secrets-manager) is a commercial [secrets management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/secrets-management) solution by [Amazon Web Services, Inc](https://cybersectools.com/companies/amazon-web-services-inc). [AWS Vault](https://cybersectools.com/tools/aws-vault) is a free [secrets management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/secrets-management) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | AWS Secrets Manager | AWS Vault |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Secrets Management | Secrets Management |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 8,960 |
| Last commit | – | Dec 2025 |
| Company | Amazon Web Services, Inc. | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | AWS Secrets Manager | AWS Vault |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | Yes |
| Secrets Management | Yes | – |
| Security Tools | – | Yes |

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [AWS Secrets Manager](https://cybersectools.com/tools/aws-secrets-manager) fits if you want a cloud product.
- [AWS Vault](https://cybersectools.com/tools/aws-vault) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## AWS Secrets Manager vs AWS Vault FAQ

Common questions when comparing AWS Secrets Manager vs AWS Vault for secrets management.

### What is the difference between AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Vault?

**AWS Secrets Manager**: A fully managed service that securely stores, rotates, and manages sensitive data such as database credentials and API keys, built by Amazon Web Services, Inc.

**AWS Vault**: AWS Vault securely stores AWS IAM credentials in the operating system's keystore and generates temporary credentials for development environments.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Vault?

**AWS Secrets Manager** is made by Amazon Web Services, Inc. **AWS Vault** is open-source with 8,960 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is AWS Secrets Manager a good alternative to AWS Vault?

Often, yes. AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Vault are both Secrets Management products, and both cover AWS. Key differences: AWS Secrets Manager is Commercial while AWS Vault is Free, AWS Vault is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [AWS Secrets Manager vs IBM Cloud Secrets Manager](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-ibm-cloud-secrets-manager)
- [AWS Secrets Manager vs Thales CipherTrust Secrets Management](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-thales-ciphertrust-secrets-management)
- [AWS Secrets Manager vs Delinea DevOps Secrets Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-delinea-devops-secrets-vault)
- [AWS Vault vs IBM Cloud Secrets Manager](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-vault-vs-ibm-cloud-secrets-manager)
- [AWS Vault vs Thales CipherTrust Secrets Management](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-vault-vs-thales-ciphertrust-secrets-management)
- [AWS Vault vs Delinea DevOps Secrets Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-vault-vs-delinea-devops-secrets-vault)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all AWS Secrets Manager alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/aws-secrets-manager)
- [See all AWS Vault alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/aws-vault)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-aws-vault

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/aws-secrets-manager.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Vault: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md