Kubernetes Secrets Management Tools -- Akeyless Alternatives
Managing secrets in Kubernetes requires tools that integrate natively with pods, operators, and service meshes. These tools inject secrets directly into containers, support automatic rotation, and eliminate the need for hardcoded credentials in your cluster configurations.
Deploy the secrets management operator or CSI driver to your Kubernetes cluster using Helm or kubectl. This component acts as the bridge between your secrets manager and Kubernetes.
Set up authentication between your Kubernetes cluster and the secrets manager. This typically involves Kubernetes service accounts, OIDC federation, or managed identity (for cloud providers).
Create SecretProviderClass or ExternalSecret custom resources that map external secrets to Kubernetes secrets. Define which secrets your workloads need and how they should be mounted.
Reference the synced Kubernetes secrets in your pod specs as environment variables or volume mounts. Secrets are automatically injected when pods start.
Configure automatic rotation policies and set up monitoring for secret access. Most operators support automatic re-sync when external secrets change, triggering rolling updates.
Free (OSS) / Enterprise from $0.03/hr
The gold standard for Kubernetes secrets with Vault Agent Sidecar Injector, CSI Provider, and native Helm chart deployment. Supports dynamic secrets generation for pods.
Free (self-hosted) / Cloud from $6/user/month
Modern Kubernetes operator that syncs secrets directly to K8s native secrets. Simpler setup than Vault with automatic secret rotation and a developer-friendly dashboard.
$0.40/secret/month + $0.05/10k API calls
Works with EKS via the AWS Secrets and Configuration Provider (ASCP) for the Kubernetes Secrets Store CSI Driver. Ideal for AWS-native Kubernetes workloads.
Open source (Community) / Enterprise pricing on request
Enterprise Kubernetes secrets with Conjur Secrets Provider for K8s. Supports init containers, sidecar injection, and Push-to-File for pod secret delivery.
Free for individuals / Team from $4/user/month
Simple Kubernetes integration via Doppler Kubernetes Operator that syncs secrets as native K8s secrets. Great developer experience with automatic sync on secret changes.
Industry-standard open-source secrets management platform
Free (OSS) / Enterprise from $0.03/hr
Teams needing flexible, self-hosted secrets management with extensive plugin ecosystem
Open-source end-to-end encrypted secrets management for teams
Free (self-hosted) / Cloud from $6/user/month
Teams wanting open-source with a modern developer experience
Native AWS secrets management service with automatic rotation
$0.40/secret/month + $0.05/10k API calls
Teams already on AWS who want native integration
Enterprise privileged access and secrets management platform
Open source (Community) / Enterprise pricing on request
Large enterprises with complex compliance and PAM requirements
Developer-first universal secrets management platform
Free for individuals / Team from $4/user/month
Development teams wanting a simple, modern secrets workflow
Native Kubernetes secrets are base64-encoded (not encrypted) by default, stored in etcd, and lack rotation, auditing, and fine-grained access control. External secrets managers add encryption at rest, automatic rotation, centralized audit logging, and the ability to share secrets across clusters and non-Kubernetes workloads.
The Secrets Store CSI Driver is a Kubernetes-native mechanism that allows you to mount secrets from external vaults directly into pods as volumes. It supports providers for HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, and GCP Secret Manager, providing a standardized way to consume external secrets in Kubernetes.
Doppler and Infisical offer the simplest Kubernetes setup, with operators that can be deployed via a single Helm chart. HashiCorp Vault is the most powerful but has a steeper learning curve. AWS Secrets Manager is straightforward for EKS clusters using the ASCP provider.
Yes. The External Secrets Operator (ESO) supports multiple backend providers simultaneously, allowing you to pull secrets from different sources into a single cluster. This is useful in multi-cloud or hybrid environments where secrets live in different systems.
Industry-standard open-source secrets management platform
ComparisonOpen-source end-to-end encrypted secrets management for teams
ComparisonNative AWS secrets management service with automatic rotation
CategoryCompare the best open source secrets management tools in 2026. HashiCorp Vault, Infisical, CyberArk Conjur and more — features, pricing, and deployment compared.
CategoryCompare the best cloud secrets management services in 2026. AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, GCP Secret Manager — pricing, features, and integrations compared.
Use CaseCompare the best DevOps secrets management tools in 2026. Vault, Doppler, Infisical — CI/CD integration, developer experience, and automation features compared.
Use CaseCompare the best CI/CD secrets management tools in 2026. Vault, Doppler, AWS Secrets Manager — GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins integration compared.
Use CaseCompare the best multi-cloud secrets management tools in 2026. Vault, Doppler, Infisical — cross-cloud sync, unified policies, and provider integrations compared.