Comparison · Self-hosted vs Self-hosted

Strongbox vs HashiCorp Vault

HashiCorp Vault is $1.58/hr (HCP). Strongbox is a self-hosted alternative at $1.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.

At a glance

	Strongbox	HashiCorp Vault
Hosting	Self-hosted, your infra	Open source, but requires significant operational expertise, unsealing, HA setup
Data location	Your server, your disk	Your server (if self-hosted)
Free tier	25 secrets, 1 vault	Paid only
Pro pricing	$1.99/mo	$1.58/hr (HCP)
Dependencies	None (single binary + SQLite)	Docker, Postgres, etc.
Setup time	~30 seconds	15-30 minutes (self-host)
Dashboard	Built-in at /ui	Web UI
License	BSL 1.1	Open source

When to use Strongbox

Pick Strongbox when you want simplicity and ownership.

Single binary with embedded SQLite — running in 30 seconds
$1.99/mo vs $1,150/mo for HCP Vault
No unsealing ceremony required
Simple API — HTTP GET/PUT for secrets

Strongbox is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.

curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/strongbox/install.sh | sh

Install Strongbox Strongbox docs

When HashiCorp Vault fits better

HashiCorp Vault makes sense when you need more.

Industry standard for enterprise secret management
Dynamic secrets, PKI, database credential rotation
Transit encryption (encrypt/decrypt as a service)
Deep integrations with Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD

HashiCorp Vault is the enterprise standard with features like dynamic secrets, PKI, and transit encryption that Strongbox does not attempt to replicate. If you need those, Vault is the only real option. If you need a simple, self-hosted place to store API keys and credentials without running a Vault cluster, Strongbox is dramatically simpler.

Deciding between the two

The decision between Strongbox and HashiCorp Vault usually comes down to one question: do you need the breadth of features that HashiCorp Vault offers, or would a focused tool that stays out of your way be a better fit? HashiCorp Vault has spent years building an ecosystem around secret manager. Strongbox does one thing well and gives you complete control of the underlying data.

Architecture comparison

Strongbox runs as a single static binary with an embedded SQLite database. There is no application server, no cache layer, no background worker. One process handles HTTP requests and reads from and writes to the database file directly. This simplicity is the entire point — fewer moving parts means fewer things that can break at 2 AM.

HashiCorp Vault can be self-hosted, but the experience differs significantly from Strongbox. Open source, but requires significant operational expertise, unsealing, HA setup With Strongbox, self-hosting means downloading one file and running it. The gap in operational complexity matters most for small teams without dedicated DevOps staff.

Migration path

Moving from HashiCorp Vault does not have to be all-or-nothing. Some teams run Strongbox for new data while keeping HashiCorp Vault as a read-only archive of historical records. The API makes it straightforward to build a sync script if you need both systems to reflect the same data during a transition period.

FAQ

Is Strongbox a Vault alternative?

Strongbox handles basic secret storage (API keys, credentials, env vars) as a single binary. Vault is an enterprise secret management platform with dynamic secrets, PKI, and transit encryption.

Does Strongbox support dynamic secrets?

No. Strongbox stores static secrets. For dynamic secret generation and credential rotation, HashiCorp Vault is the right tool.

Get started

Self-hosted secret manager in 30 seconds.

Single binary. Free to start. $1.99/mo for Pro.

Install Strongbox All 150 tools for $29/mo →