OpenBao vs PX Secrets

OpenBao is a free, open-source system for storing and controlling access to secrets such as API tokens, encryption keys, passwords, and certificates. Management is available through a web UI, CLI, or HTTP API. Key/value secrets are encrypted before persistent storage, while dynamic credentials can be generated for Kubernetes and SQL databases and revoked when leases expire. Leases can be renewed, and individual secrets or groups can be revoked. OpenBao also encrypts and decrypts data without retaining it. Authentication methods include GitHub, LDAP, and AppRole, with token-based policies. Its storage barrier uses AES-256-GCM and verifies authentication tags during decryption. High-availability configurations are supported. Deployment options include packages, containers, binaries, source builds, and Helm; documentation covers Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and Windows. Releases provide GPG signatures and SBOMs. Integrated Storage defaults to a 1 MiB maximum entry size, configurable with max_entry_size.

PX Secrets is a free, open-source secrets manager that stores an encrypted vault on the user’s machine. SOPS and AGE encrypt the vault on disk, while the project says the private AGE key is read directly by SOPS rather than handled by PX Secrets. A dark web interface offers search and service grouping, with an optional native desktop window through pywebview. The CLI lists services and retrieves named secrets for scripts. A local API supports runtime retrieval by scripts and AI agents, and the application can run headlessly as a background service. Docker deployment and CI/CD use are documented. The project states that it makes no network calls and collects no telemetry, analytics, usage tracking, or crash reports. Clipboard copies clear after 30 seconds, and temporary plaintext files are deleted after encryption. Linux and macOS are supported; Windows may work but is untested. Requirements include Python 3.9+, SOPS, and AGE. The software is licensed under AGPL-3.0.