Product Overview
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.
Last updated
Founded
2017
Pricing
Free (open source)
Verify with vendor
Deployment
Open SourceSelf-Hosted
Secrets Management
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
Pros & Cons
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
Cons
- –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
Best For
Small-to-medium Kubernetes teams doing pure GitOps without a separate secrets backend
Community & Practitioner Evidence
Community Sources
🔗 GitHub
- →Sealed Secrets GitHub[GitHub]
💬 Reddit Discussions
- →Sealed Secrets on r/kubernetes[Reddit]
User Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!
Sources & References
- Sealed Secrets (Official Site)[Vendor]
- Sealed Secrets Reviews on G2[User Reviews]
- Sealed Secrets Reviews on TrustRadius[User Reviews]
- Sealed Secrets Reviews on PeerSpot[User Reviews]
- bitnami-labs/sealed-secrets (GitHub)[Open Source Project]
- Sealed Secrets GitHub[Open Source Project]
- Sealed Secrets on r/kubernetes[Community Discussion]
- Gartner Market Guide for Secrets Management[Analyst Report]
- Forrester Wave: Secrets Management, Q4 2023[Analyst Report]
- GigaOm Radar for Key Management[Analyst Report]
- NIST SP 800-57: Recommendation for Key Management[Government Standard]
- CIS Controls: Safeguard 3.11 – Encrypt Sensitive Data at Rest[Industry Framework]
Related Comparisons & Categories
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