AWS Secrets Manager vs Parameter Store vs KMS
AWS Secrets Manager: Secure storage, management, and automatic rotation of secrets like API keys and database credentials. AWS Parameter Store: Centralized storage for configuration values, including both sensitive and non-sensitive data. AWS KMS (Key Management Service): Manages encryption keys used for securing data but does not store secrets.
Similarities
Encryption – All three support encryption via AWS KMS for secure data storage. IAM Integration – Fine-grained access control through IAM policies. Auditing & Logging – Integration with AWS CloudTrail for tracking access and usage.
Key Differences
| Feature | AWS Secrets Manager | AWS Parameter Store | AWS KMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Use Case | Storing and managing secrets (API keys, database credentials, passwords, etc.) | Storing application configurations and secrets | Managing encryption keys for securing data |
| Storage | Stores secrets with encryption | Stores parameters (both encrypted and unencrypted) | Does not store secrets, only encryption keys |
| Secret Rotation | Built-in support for automatic rotation | Manual rotation using AWS Lambda | Not applicable |
| Cost | $0.40/month per secret + API call costs | Free for standard parameters; paid for advanced parameters | $1/month per key + API call costs |
| Cross-Account Access | Supported | Not supported | Supported |
| Multi-Region Support | Supports replication across AWS regions | Not supported | Supports multi-region keys |
| Versioning | Supports multiple active versions | Supports versioning but only one active version | Not applicable |
| Limits | 500,000 secrets per region | 10,000 standard parameters per region | No strict limit on key storage |
When to Choose What?
- Use AWS Secrets Manager if you need secure storage, encryption, and automatic secret rotation (e.g., for database credentials, API keys).
- Use AWS Parameter Store if you need a cost-effective way to store both configuration settings and secrets.
- Use AWS KMS if you need encryption key management to secure data across AWS services.
Reference
AWS — Difference between Secrets Manager and Parameter Store (Systems Manager)