# External Secrets Operator

- **Canonical URI:** https://www.vioscale.ai/software/external-secrets-operator
- **Category:** Secrets Management Tools
- **Homepage:** https://external-secrets.io/
- **Also known as:** external-secrets-operator
- **Profile claimed by vendor:** no
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-05T13:31:38.422Z

## Vioscale score

**62.7 / 100**, confidence 18% (low).

Composite of weighted, independently-sourced signals (no user reviews, no vendor payment).

| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence present |
|---|--:|--:|--:|:--:|
| capabilities | 57.8 | 0.07 | 4 | ✓ |
| github_stars | 72.3 | 0.029 | 2.1 | ✓ |
| integrations | 36.1 | 0.07 | 2.5 | ✓ |
| github_activity | 60.7 | 0.105 | 6.4 | ✓ |
| release_cadence | 99.4 | 0.058 | 5.8 | ✓ |
| security_posture | 0 | 0.234 | 0 | - |
| package_downloads | 0 | 0.152 | 0 | - |
| stackoverflow_activity | 0 | 0.07 | 0 | - |

## Pricing

_As of 2026-08-01, [verify at source](https://external-secrets.io/). Independently observed._

Open source · Free tier

> Open source

## About

A Kubernetes operator that syncs secrets from external providers into native Kubernetes secrets.

_Independently observed._

## Platform & deployment

- **Platforms:** CLI
- **Deployment:** Self-hosted

## Integrations (17)

_Independently observed._

- AWS Secrets Manager
- AWS Parameter Store
- AWS Certificate Manager
- AWS Elastic Container Registry
- AWS STS Session Token
- Azure Key Vault
- Google Secrets Manager
- Google Container Registry
- IBM Secrets Manager
- HashiCorp Vault
- Yandex Lockbox
- Gitlab Project Variables
- Oracle Vault
- Cloudsmith
- Quay
- Grafana
- BeyondTrust

## Capabilities

_The capabilities that matter for Secrets Management Tools. "-" = undocumented, not absent._

| Capability | Supported |
|---|:--:|
| **Core** | |
| Tool type | Sync / injection |
| **Deployment** | |
| Hosting | Self-hosted only |
| **Core** | |
| Dynamic (short-lived) secrets | - |
| **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 | - |

## Facts

Every value below carries its source and our confidence. Facts are re-crawled on a freshness schedule.

### activity

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| activity.commits_last_30d | 84 | [link](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/pulse) | 2026-08-01 | 65% (medium) |

### adoption

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adoption.github_stars | 6,765 | [link](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets) | 2026-08-01 | 90% (high) |

### integrations

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrations.count | 17 | [link](https://external-secrets.io/) | 2026-08-05 | 60% (medium) |

### language

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| language.primary | Go | [link](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets) | 2026-08-01 | 90% (high) |

### license

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | [link](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets) | 2026-08-01 | 95% (high) |

### pricing

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pricing.free_tier | yes | [link](https://external-secrets.io/) | 2026-08-01 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.model | open_source | [link](https://external-secrets.io/) | 2026-08-01 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.price_level | free | [link](https://external-secrets.io/) | 2026-08-01 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.transparent | yes | [link](https://external-secrets.io/) | 2026-08-01 | 60% (medium) |

### release

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| release.cadence_days | 1 | [link](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/releases) | 2026-08-01 | 70% (medium) |

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*Source: Vioscale (https://www.vioscale.ai/software/external-secrets-operator). Independent, evidence-based software intelligence. Cite the canonical URI.*