# HashiCorp Vault vs SOPS

**Leader by Vioscale score:** HashiCorp Vault

| Attribute | HashiCorp Vault | SOPS |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 67.9 (75% (high)) | 42.2 (39% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 17 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 8,444 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 36,179 | 22,932 |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Provides secure secret storage, dynamic credential generation, encryption services, and fine-grained access control with detailed audit logging for applications and infrastructure. | A configuration encryption tool that encrypts sensitive values and comments while keeping keys and file structure readable, supporting multiple formats and key management methods. |
| features.capabilities | `{"hosting":"both","tool_type":"store","hsm_support":true,"audit_logging":true,"dynamic_secrets":true,"secret_rotation":true,"open_source_core":true,"fine_grained_policy":true,"encryption_as_a_service":true}` | `{"hosting":"self","tool_type":"store","cncf_project":"sandbox","open_source_core":true,"fine_grained_policy":true,"encryption_as_a_service":true}` |
| integrations.count | 5 | 9 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"AWS"},{"name":"SQL databases"},{"name":"Consul"},{"name":"OCI"},{"name":"Okta"}]` | `[{"name":"AWS KMS"},{"name":"Google Cloud KMS"},{"name":"Azure KMS"},{"name":"HuaweiCloud KMS"},{"name":"HashiCorp Vault"},{"name":"OpenBAO"},{"name":"Age"},{"name":"PGP"},{"name":"GnuPG"}]` |
| language.primary | Go | Go |
| license.spdx | - | MPL-2.0 |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"linux":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.vaultproject.io/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T15:24:58.948Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Open source and free","sourceUrl":"https://getsops.io/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-05T13:27:57.622Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 16 | 44 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v2.0.4","date":"2026-08-04T18:34:44Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v2.0.3","date":"2026-06-17T20:23:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v2.0.2","date":"2026-06-05T16:26:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v2.0.1","date":"2026-05-19T20:57:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v2.0.0","date":"2026-04-14T20:07:04Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v2.0.0-rc1","date":"2026-04-03T03:01:53Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v2.0.0-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.21.4","date":"2026-03-05T06:37:01Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.21.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.21.3","date":"2026-03-04T22:47:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.21.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.21.2","date":"2026-01-07T18:09:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.21.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.21.1","date":"2025-11-19T17:36:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.21.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.21.0","date":"2025-10-22T20:29:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.21.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.21.0-rc1","date":"2025-10-10T00:53:48Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.21.0-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.20.4","date":"2025-09-24T20:43:32Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.20.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.20.3","date":"2025-08-28T18:21:23Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.20.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.20.2","date":"2025-08-06T04:09:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.20.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.20.1","date":"2025-07-24T20:10:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.20.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.20.0","date":"2025-06-25T13:57:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.20.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.20.0-rc2","date":"2025-06-17T20:20:54Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.20.0-rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.20.0-rc1","date":"2025-06-12T00:00:34Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.20.0-rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hashicorp/vault/releases/tag/v1.19.5","date":"2025-05-29T22:59:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.19.5"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.13.3","date":"2026-07-23T05:27:57Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.13.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.13.2","date":"2026-06-30T05:17:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.13.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.13.1","date":"2026-05-16T14:32:59Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.13.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.13.0","date":"2026-05-08T18:10:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.12.2","date":"2026-03-18T06:11:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.12.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.12.1","date":"2026-02-22T07:45:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.12.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.11.0","date":"2025-09-28T18:28:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.10.2","date":"2025-04-14T19:17:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.10.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.10.1","date":"2025-03-31T18:13:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.10.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.10.0","date":"2025-03-30T17:31:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.9.4","date":"2025-01-25T19:46:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.9.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.9.3","date":"2024-12-31T12:54:35Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.9.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.9.2","date":"2024-12-02T20:21:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.9.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.9.1","date":"2024-10-04T05:14:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.9.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.9.0","date":"2024-06-28T06:14:47Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.8.1","date":"2023-10-11T15:25:32Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.8.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.8.0","date":"2023-09-15T13:52:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.8.0-rc.1","date":"2023-08-25T11:33:42Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v3.8.0-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.7.3","date":"2022-05-09T17:37:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.7.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/getsops/sops/releases/tag/v3.7.2","date":"2022-03-09T19:26:40Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.7.2"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | - |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.iso27001 | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | 6.5 | - |
| security.soc2 | yes | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fhashicorp%2Fvault%2Fapi&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fgetsops%2Fsops%2Fv3%2Fage&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Secrets Management Tools)

| Capability | HashiCorp Vault | SOPS |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Tool type | Secret store / engine | Secret store / engine |
| Dynamic (short-lived) secrets | ✓ | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Cloud + self-hosted | Self-hosted only |
| **Lifecycle** |  |  |
| Automatic secret rotation | ✓ | - |
| **Crypto** |  |  |
| Encryption as a service (transit) | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Compliance** |  |  |
| FIPS 140-2/3 validated crypto | - | - |
| HSM support | ✓ | - |
| **Access** |  |  |
| Fine-grained / identity-based policy | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Governance** |  |  |
| Audit logging | ✓ | - |
| **Integration** |  |  |
| Kubernetes native (CRD / CSI / K8s auth) | - | - |
| **Scope** |  |  |
| PKI / certificate authority | - | - |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Open-source core | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| CNCF maturity | - | Sandbox |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T15:22:54.754Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*