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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

HashiCorp Vault vs Keygen

HashiCorp Vault logo

HashiCorp Vault

Security & Cybersecurity

Manage secrets and protect sensitive data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
K

Keygen

Security & Cybersecurity

Open, source-available software licensing API

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HashiCorp Vault has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HashiCorp Vault policies are written in HCL with no graphical user interface for policy management or editing; Keygen cloud hosted plans start at $995 per month billed per domain, a floor aimed at established software vendors rather than solo developers

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HashiCorp Vault and Keygen actually diverge.

Attributes where HashiCorp Vault and Keygen differ
AttributeHashiCorp VaultKeygen
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HashiCorp Vault

  • Secret storage
  • Dynamic secrets
  • Encryption as a service
  • Identity-based access
  • Audit logging
  • Leasing and renewal
  • Secret engines
  • Auth methods

Only in Keygen

Nothing recorded that HashiCorp Vault does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HashiCorp Vault

  • Secrets managementnot Keygen
  • Database credentialsnot Keygen
  • API keysnot Keygen
  • SSH accessnot Keygen
  • PKI and certificatesnot Keygen

Keygen

No use cases recorded yet. See the Keygen review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HashiCorp Vault

  • Policies are written in HCL with no graphical user interface for policy management or editing
  • Unsealing requires managing multiple key shares and coordinating a quorum of operators
  • Community Edition lacks enterprise features like namespaces and disaster recovery replication
  • Requires additional monitoring solutions for alerting and observability

Keygen

  • Cloud hosted plans start at $995 per month billed per domain, a floor aimed at established software vendors rather than solo developers

Pricing, plan by plan

HashiCorp Vault

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Secrets management
    • Encryption
    • Community support
  • Vault Enterprise$6000/year
    • Replication
    • HSM support
    • Advanced audit

Keygen

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Keygen review.

Which should you pick?

Choose HashiCorp Vault if

  • You need secret storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want dynamic secrets.
HashiCorp Vault review

Choose Keygen if

Nothing in the data separates Keygen from HashiCorp Vault on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Keygen review

Questions people ask

Is HashiCorp Vault or Keygen better?
Neither clearly leads. HashiCorp Vault starts at Free and Keygen at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HashiCorp Vault or Keygen?
HashiCorp Vault has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HashiCorp Vault and On request for Keygen.
Does HashiCorp Vault or Keygen run on more platforms?
HashiCorp Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Keygen runs on Web.
Can I use HashiCorp Vault for free?
Yes. HashiCorp Vault has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Keygen starts at On request.
What is HashiCorp Vault best used for?
HashiCorp Vault is most often used for secrets management, database credentials, api keys, ssh access. Of those, secrets management and database credentials are not what Keygen is typically brought in for.
What can HashiCorp Vault do that Keygen cannot?
HashiCorp Vault covers Secret storage, Dynamic secrets, Encryption as a service, Identity-based access.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HashiCorp Vault: Does HashiCorp Vault have a free version?

Yes. The open-source Community Edition is completely free and includes core secrets management, dynamic secrets, and encryption as a service. It is self-hosted with no licensing fees or secret count limits, but lacks enterprise features like namespaces, disaster recovery replication, and Sentinel policies.

Source
HashiCorp Vault: Can I use HashiCorp Vault in production?

The Community Edition is suitable for non-production environments and small teams. For production deployments, organizations typically use HCP Vault Dedicated (managed cloud service starting at approximately 22 USD per month) or Vault Enterprise with custom pricing that includes disaster recovery, performance replication, and 24/7 support.

Source
HashiCorp Vault: What are the main integrations available?

Vault integrates with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Active Directory, Okta, and 80+ other platforms. It supports dynamic credential generation for cloud providers, database systems, and identity services, enabling centralized secret management across multi-cloud infrastructure.

Source
HashiCorp Vault: Does Vault work offline?

Vault requires network connectivity to function as it is a centralized secrets management server. However, it can be deployed on-premises for air-gapped environments, and clients can cache short-lived tokens for temporary offline access once authenticated.

Source
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