As a tool for generating, encrypting, and storing secrets, HashiCorp Vault is quite comprehensive and consequently popular. It’s an open-source tool, meaning people worldwide can audit its code. However, it is not quite the most obvious choice for every possible secret management scenario.
The comprehensive array of functionalities Vault offers comes at the expense of usability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Yes, HashiCorp Vault has a free version but with an extremely limited scope. Even the regular offering priced at $1.58 per hour, misses some important features.
If you are looking for cheaper, more user-friendly, and more feature-intensive HashiCorp Vault alternatives, this post is for you.
Table of contents
Disadvantages of HashiCorp Vault
Most of the disadvantages of HashiCorp Vault that we will discuss are more use-case-specific than universal. Vault is a good piece of software that works perfectly for many people. However, some people have faced difficulties using it—from deployment to finding audit trails.
❌HashiCorp Vault doesn’t have a very intuitive user interface
HashiCorp Vault is not known for its ease of use.
- The absence of a GUI in the basic version makes things even harder, especially for beginners.
- The absence of a search function for entries has bothered a lot of users.
- The buttons are located in one location forcing users to scroll through all the entries to use a button.
While HashiCorp Vault runs on command lines and can be controlled through API calls, Terraform, and GitHub actions, the absence of an advanced UI can frustrate users.
❌Inconsistency of commands
As mentioned earlier, paths and commands are very important for accessing and using secrets stored in HashiCorp Vault. However, many users have noticed inconsistencies in commands in different places. At one place you use LIST to see what’s available, at another place you use GET for the same result. Thus things become a little confusing at times.
❌Poor documentation
Good documentation ensures usability, no matter how complicated a tool may be. HashiCorp Vault falls short of satisfying most of its users in this area. Combined with the almost non-existent customer support for the basic version of Vault, this issue becomes an entry barrier for many users.
❌Prolonged setup time and steep learning curve
HashiCorp Vault is not a plug-and-play secret management tool. A weak UI, poor documentation, and inconsistent commands all contribute to a time-consuming setup and configuration process and a very steep learning curve for new users. For all its complexity, HashiCorp Vault does not scale very well.
Top HashiCorp Alternatives
The Vault is undoubtedly a useful secret manager with many functional features. But the time and effort it demands is often more than what many companies can offer. If you think HashiCorp Vault is too much for you, here’s what you can use instead in 2024.
1. Uniqkey
Uniqkey is a password and identity management platform for European enterprises with a zero-breach record. The tool taps into the future of data encryption and secret management by adopting zero-knowledge proof to authenticate users. It can help you store passwords, secrets, code, and more on your device using military-grade encryption.
What makes Uniqkey a better alternative to HashiCorp Vault?
- User Interface and Customer Support: Uniqkey caters to businesses exclusively and has no excuse for not offering top-notch customer support and a stellar user experience. It’s a plug-and-play tool where the GUI handles all your needs.
- Secure secret sharing: Uniqkey lets its users share secrets with team members using end-to-end encryption.
- Centralized access control and access trail monitoring: Security admins can use Uniqkey to implement role-based access control, monitor access, and maintain audit trails from a central position. The features are built into the platform.
- Shadow IT monitoring: Uniqkey easily prevents shadow IT with its active monitoring feature, allowing admins to identify unsanctioned devices and applications running on the company network.
The combination of advanced security features and operational efficiency driven by features like automated employee login and 2FA autofill makes Uniqkey a contender that’s hard to beat. It’s a perfect tool for businesses to maintain secure access to secrets and sensitive data and avoid secret sprawls.
2. CyberArk Conjur
Conjur is an open-source secret management solution that streamlines native authentication of containers, imposition of access control for non-human identities, isolation of secrets from applications, and integration with CI/D pipelines.
What makes Conjur worth your consideration?
- A centralized platform run by a consistent programmatic interface to manage access controls for non-human entities
- Consistent security policy across the board and enforcement of security policy as code
- Conjur boasts of thorough documentation and decent tech support for its users
Overall, CyberArk Conjur is a solid platform for managing secrets and imposing access controls on containerized applications running on Kubernetes, OpenShift, Cloud Foundry, etc. Despite being an open-source platform, Conjur has managed to solve issues related to documentation and user support that bug the users of Vault.
3. Akeyless Vault
Akeyless Vault is an enterprise-grade vault manager that is useful for securing and accessing DevOps credentials, certificates, API keys, passwords, and tokens, in hybrid and legacy environments. The platform combines an API-driven approach with a browser-based dashboard to enhance operational efficiency and user-friendliness.
Features that make Akeyless a good alternative to HashiCorp Vault
- The free version of Akeylesss Vault is better-rounded than that of HashiCorp Vault with provision for storing 5 clients and 2000 static secrets.
- It is easier to manage Akeyless with its browser-based interface and plug-and-play features.
- The technical documentation is more comprehensive than that of HashiCorp.
- It has a neat secure remote access feature that uses a zero-trust approach and just-in-time ephemeral permissions.
A keyless Vault and HashiCorp Vault share many features; in fact, HashiCorp’s tool packs more capabilities. Nevertheless, operating Akeyless Vault is relatively easier thanks to the web-based dashboard and better documentation.
3 reasons why Uniqkey is our top pick
With its zero-knowledge-encryption approach and device native vault, Uniqkey is virtually leakproof. It is designed for maximum vigilance with minimum effort regarding role-based access controls. Here’s what makes Uniqkey the best choice for most situations.
1. Zero-knowledge encryption
The use of zero-knowledge proof ensures that the secret manager can authenticate the identities of users or applications without gaining any knowledge about the secrets—the platform does not have any instances of the secrets in plain text. This eliminates the possibility of exposing secrets even if the platform is hacked.
2. Automated logins for employees
As far as password authentication is concerned, Uniqkey minimizes human involvement in the process. When a legitimate user requests access to a certain account, all they need to do is approve the request from their mobile application. The platform even auto-fills the 2-factor authentication information.
3. Access control and encrypted communication
Admins can centrally grant or revoke access to resources apart from setting up role-based access policies. The platform also allows encrypted and ephemeral communication of secrets between users and user groups.
🏆As a cherry on top, your data never leaves Europe, making compliance with GDPR easier.
Conclusion
When looking for competitors and alternatives for a popular tool, it’s important to prioritize your specific requirements over all else. It’s all about how a tool can help your company become more secure and auditable at a lower cost. Choosing platform software that works both as a comprehensive identity manager and a secret manager is in the best interest of small and midsize businesses operating in the EU.
Using HashiCorp Vault is time-consuming. Remember, the time you save on configuring and setting up secrets management software is time you can invest in more productive activities. This is where Uniqkey shines, with superior security, focused user support and a super user-friendly interface for IT teams and employees.
