Azure Key Vault vs AWS Secrets Manager
A comprehensive side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right cloud secrets manager for your team. Updated for 2026.
| Feature | Azure Key Vault | AWS Secrets Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Secret Storage Cost | Free (no per-secret charge) | $0.40 / secret / month |
| API Operations Cost | $0.03 / 10,000 operations | $0.05 / 10,000 API calls |
| Secret Name Max Length | 127 characters | 512 characters |
| Secret Value Max Size | 25 KB | 64 KB |
| Name Allowed Characters | Alphanumeric + hyphens | Alphanumeric + /_+=.@!- |
| Versioning | Automatic (unlimited versions) | Staging labels (AWSCURRENT, AWSPREVIOUS) |
| Automatic Rotation | Via Azure Functions + Event Grid | Built-in Lambda rotation for RDS, Redshift, etc. |
| Access Control | Azure RBAC + Vault access policies | IAM policies + resource-based policies |
| Soft Delete | Mandatory (7–90 day retention) | Optional (7–30 day recovery window) |
| HSM Support | Standard + Premium (FIPS 140-2 Level 2/3) | AWS CloudHSM (separate service) |
| Key Management | Keys, Secrets, and Certificates in one service | Secrets only (keys via KMS, certs via ACM) |
| Cross-Region Replication | Manual (backup/restore) | Built-in multi-region replication |
| CLI Tool | az keyvault secret |
aws secretsmanager |
| Tags per Secret | 15 tags (512 char key, 256 char value) | 50 tags (128 char key, 256 char value) |
| Audit Logging | Azure Monitor + Log Analytics | CloudTrail |
Pros & Cons
Azure Key Vault
Pros
- Dramatically cheaper with no per-secret storage fee
- Keys, secrets, and certificates in one service
- Unlimited secret versions with full history
- Built-in HSM tiers (no separate service needed)
Cons
- No built-in automatic rotation for database secrets
- No native cross-region replication
- Smaller secret value size limit (25 KB)
AWS Secrets Manager
Pros
- Built-in rotation for RDS, Redshift, DocumentDB
- Native multi-region secret replication
- Larger secret value size (64 KB)
- More flexible naming with hierarchical paths
Cons
- Expensive per-secret monthly charge ($0.40 each)
- Secrets-only; keys and certs are separate services
- No version history (only CURRENT and PREVIOUS labels)
When to Use Which?
Choose Azure Key Vault if...
- • You're already on Azure and need secrets, keys, AND certificates
- • Cost matters and you have hundreds or thousands of secrets
- • You need HSM-backed keys without a separate service
- • You want unlimited version history
- • Your team uses Azure RBAC for access control
Choose AWS Secrets Manager if...
- • You need automatic rotation for RDS/Redshift databases
- • Multi-region replication is a requirement
- • You store large secret values (up to 64 KB)
- • You prefer hierarchical naming (prod/db/password)
- • Your infrastructure is primarily AWS-based
Pricing Example: 100 Secrets, 50K Operations/Month
Azure Key Vault
$0.15
per month
$0 storage + $0.15 operations (50K / 10K × $0.03)
AWS Secrets Manager
$40.25
per month
$40.00 storage (100 × $0.40) + $0.25 API calls
Developer Experience: CLI & SDK
How you interact with each service from the terminal and in code matters as much as the feature set.
| Task | Azure CLI | AWS CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Read a secret | az keyvault secret show --vault-name <v> --name <n> --query value -o tsv |
aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id <n> --query SecretString --output text |
| Create a secret | az keyvault secret set --vault-name <v> --name <n> --value <val> |
aws secretsmanager create-secret --name <n> --secret-string <val> |
| List all secrets | az keyvault secret list --vault-name <v> -o table |
aws secretsmanager list-secrets --output table |
| Delete a secret | az keyvault secret delete --vault-name <v> --name <n> |
aws secretsmanager delete-secret --secret-id <n> |
| Python SDK package | azure-keyvault-secrets + azure-identity |
boto3 (secretsmanager client) |
| Kubernetes integration | Azure Key Vault Provider for Secrets Store CSI Driver | AWS Secrets and Config Provider (ASCP) |
| CI/CD native integration | Azure Pipelines (built-in task), GitHub Actions (azure/get-keyvault-secrets) | AWS CodePipeline, GitHub Actions (aws-actions/aws-secretsmanager-get-secret-value) |
Security & Compliance
Both services are enterprise-grade. The differences matter mainly for regulated industries and multi-region deployments.
Azure Key Vault Security
- FIPS 140-2 Level 2 (Standard) and Level 3 (Premium / Managed HSM)
- Azure RBAC with granular Key Vault Data Plane roles (Key Vault Secrets User, Secrets Officer)
- Private endpoints via Azure Private Link
- Audit logs via Azure Monitor and Log Analytics
- Mandatory soft-delete and optional purge protection
- Certifications: SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, FedRAMP High
AWS Secrets Manager Security
- Encrypted at rest with AWS KMS (default or customer-managed CMK)
- IAM identity-based and resource-based policies for granular access
- VPC endpoints via AWS PrivateLink
- Full API audit trail via AWS CloudTrail
- Recovery window on delete (7 to 30 days, configurable)
- Certifications: SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, FedRAMP High, HIPAA
Using Both Azure and AWS?
Many engineering teams run workloads on both clouds simultaneously. Switching between the Azure Portal and AWS Console dozens of times a day is a real productivity drain. SatisVault solves this by unifying both in a single browser popup.
Cross-Cloud Search
Search Azure Key Vault and AWS Secrets Manager secrets from one search box.
One-Click Auto-Fill
Tag secrets from either cloud with website URLs and auto-fill credentials wherever you need them.
Zero Context Switching
No portal tabs. No region switching. Everything accessible from your browser toolbar.
The Verdict
For pure cost efficiency and teams deep in the Azure ecosystem, Azure Key Vault wins decisively. No per-secret fee means the cost difference compounds dramatically at scale - 100 secrets in Azure costs under $0.20/month while AWS charges over $40.
For automatic database credential rotation and teams already on AWS, Secrets Manager is the right choice. Its built-in Lambda rotation for RDS, Redshift, and DocumentDB removes a significant operational burden.
For multi-cloud teams using both, the choice is not either/or. Use Azure Key Vault where your Azure workloads are and AWS Secrets Manager where your AWS workloads are. Manage both from one place with SatisVault.
One thing both services share: the native portals and consoles are painful for daily developer use. That is where SatisVault comes in regardless of which provider you choose.
Related Tools
Cost Calculator
Estimate Azure Key Vault costs
Name Validator
Check naming rules
Cheat Sheet
CLI commands reference
Azure Key Vault Alternatives
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AWS Secrets Manager Alternatives
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Best Secrets Management Tools
Top 10 secrets management tools for 2026
Manage Both from One Extension
SatisVault supports Azure Key Vault and AWS Secrets Manager in a single Chrome extension. Search, auto-fill, and manage secrets across both clouds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Azure Key Vault or AWS Secrets Manager?
Azure Key Vault is significantly cheaper. There's no per-secret storage fee. You only pay $0.03 per 10,000 operations. AWS charges $0.40 per secret per month plus $0.05 per 10,000 API calls. For 100 secrets with 50K ops/month, Azure costs ~$0.15 vs AWS ~$40.25.
Does Azure Key Vault support automatic secret rotation?
Azure Key Vault supports rotation through Azure Functions triggered by Event Grid notifications when secrets near expiration. AWS Secrets Manager has more turnkey rotation with built-in Lambda functions for supported services like RDS, Redshift, and DocumentDB.
Can I manage both from one tool?
Yes! SatisVault is a Chrome extension that lets you manage both Azure Key Vault and AWS Secrets Manager from a single interface with auto-fill, CRUD operations, and cross-vault search.
Which service has better multi-region support?
AWS Secrets Manager has a clear advantage here. It supports native multi-region secret replication, so you can replicate a secret to multiple regions with a single API call. Azure Key Vault requires manual backup and restore across regions, or a custom solution using Azure Functions. If cross-region replication is a hard requirement, AWS wins.
How does secret versioning compare?
Azure Key Vault keeps a full, unlimited version history for every secret. You can retrieve any previous version at any time. AWS Secrets Manager uses staging labels (AWSCURRENT and AWSPREVIOUS) to track only the two most recent versions. For audit trails and rollback scenarios, Azure Key Vault gives you more flexibility.
Which is better for Kubernetes secrets injection?
Both services have solid Kubernetes integration. Azure Key Vault works with the Secrets Store CSI Driver via the Azure Key Vault Provider. AWS uses the AWS Secrets and Configuration Provider (ASCP). If you are running AKS, the Azure provider integrates more seamlessly. For EKS, AWS ASCP is the obvious choice. Both support syncing secrets as Kubernetes Secret objects.
Do both support .NET, Python, and Node.js SDKs?
Yes. Both services have first-class SDKs for all major languages including .NET, Python, Node.js, Java, and Go. Azure uses the azure-keyvault-secrets package with azure-identity for auth. AWS uses the boto3 library with its built-in credential chain. Both support DefaultCredentials-style ambient authentication in cloud environments.