# AWS Secrets Manager vs SOPS: 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). [SOPS](https://cybersectools.com/tools/sops) 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 | SOPS |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | – | 21,184 |
| Last commit | – | Mar 2026 |
| Company | Amazon Web Services, Inc. | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | AWS Secrets Manager | SOPS |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | – |
| Secrets Management | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | – | Yes |
| Azure | – | Yes |
| Configuration Management | – | Yes |
| GCP | – | 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.
- [SOPS](https://cybersectools.com/tools/sops) 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 SOPS FAQ

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

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

**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.

**SOPS**: SOPS is an encrypted file editor that supports multiple formats and integrates with various key management services including AWS KMS, GCP KMS, Azure Key Vault, age, and PGP.

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

### Who makes AWS Secrets Manager and SOPS?

**AWS Secrets Manager** is made by Amazon Web Services, Inc. **SOPS** is open-source with 21,184 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 SOPS?

Often, yes. AWS Secrets Manager and SOPS are both Secrets Management products, and both cover Secrets Management. Key differences: AWS Secrets Manager is Commercial while SOPS is Free, SOPS 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)
- [SOPS vs HashiCorp Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/hashicorp-vault-vs-sops)
- [SOPS vs CipherStash Stash](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cipherstash-stash-vs-sops)
- [SOPS vs enclaive Vault](https://cybersectools.com/compare/enclaive-vault-vs-sops)

## Alternatives to each

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

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

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 SOPS: 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