# AWS Vault

AWS Vault is a Secrets Management product. It runs on-premises. Pricing is free.

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

Checked November 2026.

## What is AWS Vault?

AWS Vault is a credential management tool designed to securely store and access AWS credentials in development environments. The tool integrates with the operating system's secure keystore to store IAM credentials and generates temporary credentials for shell and application access.

The tool maintains compatibility with AWS CLI tools and recognizes existing profiles and configuration files located in ~/.aws/config. AWS Vault generates temporary credentials from stored IAM credentials, providing an additional security layer by avoiding the exposure of long-term credentials.

Installation is supported across multiple operating systems including macOS, Windows, and Linux through various package managers. The tool serves as a complementary solution to existing AWS CLI workflows while enhancing credential security practices for developers working with AWS services.

Tags: AWS, Security Tools

## Where it fits in your security program (NIST CSF 2.0)

- [Protect](https://cybersectools.com/guides/building-protect-program-small-team): helps you prevent attacks and keep data safe.

## Quick facts

- Category: [IAM](https://cybersectools.com/categories/iam) · [Secrets Management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/secrets-management)
- Deployment: On-Premises
- Company size fit: Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
- Pricing model: Free
- GitHub stars: 8,960
- Website: github.com

## Where it ranks

No shortlist covers this product's category yet. The closest is [Best IAM Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-iam-solutions).

## AWS Vault FAQ

### What is AWS Vault?

AWS Vault is a product in the Secrets Management category. It covers AWS and Security Tools.

### What is the pricing for AWS Vault?

AWS Vault is free. Download and setup instructions are at https://github.com/99designs/aws-vault/.

### What are alternatives to AWS Vault?

Alternatives to AWS Vault listed on CybersecTools:

1. [AWS Secrets Manager](https://cybersectools.com/tools/aws-secrets-manager) - A fully managed service that securely stores, rotates, and manages sensitive data such as database credentials and API keys. (Commercial)
2. [IBM Cloud Secrets Manager](https://cybersectools.com/tools/ibm-cloud-secrets-manager) - Centralized secrets management service for IBM Cloud powered by HashiCorp Vault (Commercial)
3. [Thales CipherTrust Secrets Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/thales-ciphertrust-secrets-management) - Secrets management solution for DevOps tools and cloud workloads (Commercial)
4. [Delinea DevOps Secrets Vault](https://cybersectools.com/tools/delinea-devops-secrets-vault) - Cloud-native secrets vault for DevOps credentials, API keys, and certificates (Commercial)
5. [Akeyless Secrets Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/akeyless-secrets-management) - Secrets management platform for storing and managing credentials (Commercial)

Compare all AWS Vault alternatives at [https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/aws-vault](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/aws-vault)

### What deployment and organization size does AWS Vault fit?

AWS Vault is available as on-premises software. It is listed for startups, small businesses, mid-market companies and enterprises. It is free.

## Compare AWS Vault with similar solutions

- [AWS Vault vs AWS Secrets Manager](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-aws-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)

All alternatives to AWS Vault: [/alternatives/aws-vault](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/aws-vault)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/tools/aws-vault

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