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Sealed Secrets

Encrypt Kubernetes secrets into a format safe to store in Git

ToolSecrets ManagementSelf-hosted, Open source

Pricing: Free (open source)

Reviewed by the Cyber Vendor Guide editorial team against the public sources cited below · Last reviewed April 2026 · How we review listings

What is Sealed Secrets?

Sealed Secrets is a Kubernetes controller from Bitnami that lets you store encrypted secrets directly in Git. You use the kubeseal CLI to encrypt a regular Kubernetes Secret into a SealedSecret custom resource, which only the controller running in your cluster can decrypt. This makes secret material safe to commit, review, and diff in version control without a separate secrets manager.

Best for: Small-to-medium Kubernetes teams doing pure GitOps without a separate secrets backend

Pros

  • No external secrets backend needed; just Git plus cluster
  • Perfect fit for pure GitOps workflows
  • Simple mental model: encrypt once, commit, done
  • Backed by Bitnami (VMware) with stable release cadence

Things to check

  • Key rotation requires re-sealing every secret
  • Lose the cluster key, lose every sealed secret
  • No per-key RBAC; anyone who can create a SealedSecret can decrypt it once applied
  • No rotation or lifecycle features like a real secrets manager

Reported in public reviews and vendor documentation. See sources below.

Key Features

Asymmetric encryption (RSA-4096 keys)
kubeseal CLI for encrypting secrets
SealedSecret CRD for declarative workflows
Private key stored only in the cluster controller
Automatic key rotation with configurable policies
Works with GitOps (Argo CD, Flux)
Namespace-scoped and cluster-wide sealing modes
Re-encryption on cluster restore
Helm chart deployment
Public key export for offline sealing

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Sources & references

Where the information on this listing comes from. Always verify pricing and capabilities against the vendor before a purchasing decision.

Spot an error, or do you represent Sealed Secrets? Request a correction.

Key facts

Pricing
Free (open source)
Model
Open Source
Founded
2017
Cloud
No
Self-hosted
Yes
Open source
Yes
Visit websiteView on GitHub

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Where Sealed Secrets appears

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