---
title: "AWS Secrets Manager Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)"
description: "AWS Secrets Manager review: Secrets Management tool — Pricing, plans, pros & cons, and the best AWS Secrets Manager alternatives compared for startups in 2026."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/aws-secrets-manager
retrieved: 2026-10-28
---

![AWS Secrets Manager logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=aws.amazon.com&sz=128)

[Secrets Management](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/secrets-management)

# AWS Secrets Manager: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

AWS Secrets Manager stores API keys, database passwords and other secrets encrypted with KMS, controls access through IAM, and rotates credentials on a schedule using Lambda, with ready-made rotation for RDS, Aurora, Redshift and DocumentDB. Secrets can be replicated to other regions, and every access is logged in CloudTrail. It is the default for teams already running on AWS; it is less convenient for local development and for apps outside AWS, where tools like Doppler and Infisical sync secrets more easily.

Pricing is $0.40 per secret per month and $0.05 per 10,000 API calls, so 50 secrets read often by a few services usually cost $20 to $30 a month. New AWS accounts get up to $200 of Free Tier credits that apply to it. AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store is the cheaper sibling for plain config: standard parameters are free, but it has no built-in rotation. As of October 2026.

Category

Secrets Management

Pricing

Pay-as-you-go

Free tier

No

Best for

Secrets Management — secrets, aws

[Visit AWS Secrets Manager official site](https://aws.amazon.com/secrets-manager/)

## AWS Secrets Manager Pricing Plans (2026)

| Plan                 | Price                  | Highlights                                                                                               |
| -------------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pay as you goPopular | $0.40 / secret / month | $0.05 per 10,000 API calls · Managed rotation for AWS databases · IAM access control and CloudTrail logs |

Pricing summary: Usage-based. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.

## Key AWS Secrets Manager Features

* ✓$0.05 per 10,000 API calls
* ✓Managed rotation for AWS databases
* ✓IAM access control and CloudTrail logs
* ✓Cross-region replication

### ✓ Pros

* +Native IAM, KMS and CloudTrail integration
* +Built-in rotation for AWS databases
* +Cheap at small scale with no seats

### ✗ Cons

* −AWS-only in practice
* −Clumsy for local development and env syncing
* −Cost grows per secret and per call

## Best AWS Secrets Manager Alternatives

[Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/aws-secrets-manager)

[![HashiCorp Vault logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=hashicorp.com&sz=128)HashiCorp VaultFree · then usage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/hashicorp-vault)[![Doppler logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/logos/doppler.svg)DopplerFree · paid from $21/user/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/doppler)[![Infisical logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/logos/infisical.ico)InfisicalFree · paid from $20/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/infisical)

## AWS Secrets Manager Compared

[AWS Secrets Manager vs HashiCorp Vault](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-hashicorp-vault)[AWS Secrets Manager vs Doppler](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-doppler)[AWS Secrets Manager vs Infisical](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/aws-secrets-manager-vs-infisical)

## AWS Secrets Manager FAQ

What is AWS Secrets Manager used for?⌄

AWS Secrets Manager is a secrets management tool. AWS's managed secrets store: $0.40 per secret per month plus $0.05 per 10,000 API calls, with built-in rotation for RDS and other AWS databases and IAM-based access.

Is AWS Secrets Manager free?⌄

AWS Secrets Manager does not offer a permanent free tier.

How much does AWS Secrets Manager cost?⌄

AWS Secrets Manager uses usage-based (pay-as-you-go) pricing — see the official pricing page for current rates.

What are the best AWS Secrets Manager alternatives?⌄

Popular AWS Secrets Manager alternatives include HashiCorp Vault, Doppler, Infisical. Compare pricing and features on our AWS Secrets Manager alternatives page.

## Not sure if AWS Secrets Manager fits your stack?

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