# AWS Secrets Manager vs Confidant: 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). [Confidant](https://cybersectools.com/tools/confidant) 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 | Confidant |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 1,857 |
| Last commit | – | Feb 2025 |
| Company | Amazon Web Services, Inc. | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | AWS Secrets Manager | Confidant |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | Yes |
| Secrets Management | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | – | 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 and you are a startup.
- [Confidant](https://cybersectools.com/tools/confidant) 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 Confidant FAQ

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

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

**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.

**Confidant**: A secret management service that stores encrypted secrets in DynamoDB for secure credential and sensitive data management.

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

### Who makes AWS Secrets Manager and Confidant?

**AWS Secrets Manager** is made by Amazon Web Services, Inc. **Confidant** is open-source with 1,857 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 Confidant?

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

## Related comparisons

- [AWS Secrets Manager vs HashiCorp Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-hashicorp-vault)
- [AWS Secrets Manager vs CipherStash Stash](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-cipherstash-stash)
- [AWS Secrets Manager vs enclaive Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-enclaive-vault)
- [Confidant vs HashiCorp Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/confidant-vs-hashicorp-vault)
- [Confidant vs CipherStash Stash](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cipherstash-stash-vs-confidant)
- [Confidant vs enclaive Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/confidant-vs-enclaive-vault)

## Alternatives to each

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

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

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