Google Cloud Secret Manager vs AWS Secrets Manager

Google Cloud Secret Manager and AWS Secrets Manager are both cloud-native solutions. Google Cloud Secret Manager gCP-native secrets storage with versioning and audit, while AWS Secrets Manager native AWS secrets management service with automatic rotation. The best choice depends on your organization's size, technical requirements, and budget.

Updated Feb 2026
How we compare:This comparison is based on official documentation, public pricing, community discussions, and aggregated user feedback, not hands-on testing by our team. We organize what real users and practitioners are saying across the web.

The Bottom Line

Choose Google Cloud Secret Manager if simple and intuitive API is your priority and teams running workloads on Google Cloud Platform. Choose AWS Secrets Manager if seamless AWS integration matters most and teams already on AWS who want native integration.

Choose Google Cloud Secret Manager if:

  • You value simple and intuitive API
  • You value generous free tier
  • You value strong GCP integration
  • You want to avoid aWS lock-in
  • You want to avoid limited to AWS ecosystem

Choose AWS Secrets Manager if:

  • You value seamless AWS integration
  • You value fully managed, zero infrastructure
  • You value built-in rotation for RDS, Redshift, DocumentDB
  • You want to avoid gCP lock-in
  • You want to avoid fewer rotation features than AWS

Feature Comparison

FeatureGoogle Cloud Secret ManagerAWS Secrets Manager
PricingFree for 6 active versions + $0.06/10k access ops$0.40/secret/month + $0.05/10k API calls
Pricing ModelPer-operationPer-secret
Open SourceNoNo
DeploymentCloudCloud
Best ForTeams running workloads on Google Cloud PlatformTeams already on AWS who want native integration
IAM-based access controlSupportedNot available
Customer-managed encryption keysSupportedNot available
Regional and multi-regional replicationSupportedNot available

Sources

Related

Google Cloud Secret Manager AlternativesAWS Secrets Manager AlternativesGoogle Cloud Secret Manager OverviewAWS Secrets Manager Overview