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For GitOps, choose based on where the original secret value should live and how an application should receive it. Sealed Secrets lets you commit encrypted secret manifests to Git; External Secrets Operator (ESO) fetches values from an external provider and synchronizes them into Kubernetes Secrets; Vault is a secret-management platform with several ways to deliver credentials. They solve different parts of the problem, so the right choice depends on your source of truth, rotation needs, tolerance for Kubernetes Secret objects, and ability to operate the required systems.
How do the three approaches differ?
The key distinction is not which product encrypts a file best. It is where the usable value is kept, what Git contains, and what component makes the value available to a workload.
| Approach | What GitOps configuration contains | How values reach Kubernetes workloads | Where key operational responsibility sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sealed Secrets | A SealedSecret containing encrypted secret data and placement constraints. | The Sealed Secrets controller decrypts it and creates a native Kubernetes Secret. | Protecting and recovering the controller’s private key, plus rotating application credentials and resealing changed values. |
| External Secrets Operator | ExternalSecret references and mappings that describe what to retrieve and where to put it. | ESO reads from a configured provider and creates or updates a native Kubernetes Secret. | Securing provider credentials, access scope, synchronization permissions, and the resulting Kubernetes Secret. |
| Vault | Configuration depends on the Vault integration and delivery pattern; Vault is the secret platform, not one Kubernetes delivery method. | Vault Secrets Operator can synchronize supported values into Kubernetes Secrets. CSI and Agent Injector are other documented integration options. | Operating or procuring Vault, protecting its authentication and policies, and securing the chosen workload integration. |
This is an architectural comparison, not a universal security ranking. A Sealed Secrets controller, an ESO provider integration, and a Vault deployment introduce different trust boundaries and operational work.
What Sealed Secrets protects—and what it does not
Sealed Secrets is useful when a team wants secret manifests to travel through the same Git-based review and deployment workflow as other Kubernetes configuration, without storing the secret values there in readable form. The kubeseal client encrypts the payload; a controller in the target cluster decrypts it.
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The Sealed Secrets cryptography documentation describes AES-256-GCM for the payload and RSA-OAEP with SHA-256 to protect a one-time session key. Its default strict scope binds decryption to both the Kubernetes Secret’s name and namespace. Namespace-wide scope binds it to the namespace; cluster-wide scope uses an empty label and is more permissive. Treat broader scopes as an explicit trade-off, not a default convenience.
- Protect the controller private key. It is needed to decrypt sealed values. Back it up with care: a backup also carries decryption capability. If the key used to seal a resource is lost, the project FAQ says operators may need to recreate the credentials and seal them again.
- Do not treat encryption as authorization. The project notes that the workflow does not authenticate the person submitting a SealedSecret. Git review, deployment permissions, and Kubernetes RBAC still need to restrict who can change and apply resources.
- Separate key renewal from credential rotation. The project documentation states: “SealedSecret key renewal and re-encryption features are not a substitute for periodical rotation of your actual secret values.” Changing an encryption key does not change a database password, API token, or certificate. Rotate the credential with its issuer or service, then reseal the new value.
Consider this option if encrypted manifests in Git fit your workflow and your team can manage private-key backup, recovery, and credential resealing. It is a poor fit if the team expects encryption alone to handle access control or application credential lifecycle.
When does External Secrets Operator fit?
ESO suits teams that already keep source values in an external secret provider and want Kubernetes resources to declaratively describe how those values are consumed. An ExternalSecret can map specific provider entries with spec.data or retrieve a broader set through spec.dataFrom. ESO then reconciles the requested values into its configured target Secret.
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That synchronization pattern does not keep plaintext out of the cluster: the resulting object is a Kubernetes Secret and remains subject to Kubernetes access controls and the cluster’s security configuration. Protecting the provider and protecting the synchronized Secret are separate tasks. OWASP’s DevSecOps guidance discusses ESO as a reference to a central store; the actual exposure depends on the deployment and its controls.
Choose refresh behavior deliberately
ESO’s refresh policy determines when it fetches values. Periodic is the default and uses a configurable refresh interval. CreatedOnce creates the target once rather than continuously refreshing it; OnChange responds to changes in the ExternalSecret’s metadata or specification. Under Periodic, a refresh interval of zero creates the target but does not periodically update it.
For a rotating provider value, verify that the selected policy and interval allow the new value to reach the target on the timeline your application requires. Also inspect the chosen provider integration and deletion policy: refresh behavior alone does not describe every consequence of changing or removing a reference.
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ESO is a strong candidate when an external provider is already the source of truth and automated synchronization is desired. It adds dependencies on provider access, ESO permissions, and the lifecycle of the Kubernetes Secret it creates.
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Not necessarily. Vault makes sense when you need a centralized secret-management platform or Vault-specific capabilities and can operate or procure that platform. It is broader than a Kubernetes synchronization operator: the way a workload consumes a value depends on the integration selected.
Vault Secrets Operator
Vault Secrets Operator synchronizes supported Vault sources into Kubernetes Secret resources. This can fit applications that already consume native Secrets, but it does not avoid placing the synchronized value in a Kubernetes Secret.
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CSI and Agent Injector
HashiCorp also documents a Vault Secrets Store CSI provider and Vault Agent Injector. These are alternative delivery paths to consider when avoiding Kubernetes Secret objects is a requirement. Confirm how the chosen integration presents values and whether the application can consume that form; do not assume that every Vault integration avoids native Secrets.
Vault Kubernetes Secrets Engine
The Kubernetes Secrets Engine can generate service-account tokens and, when configured, create service accounts, role bindings, and roles. Its tokens have configurable TTLs, and Kubernetes objects created by the engine are automatically deleted when the Vault lease expires. This behavior applies to that engine’s lease lifecycle; it should not be generalized to every Vault secret type or every Vault Secrets Operator workflow. The engine also requires configuration and appropriate Kubernetes permissions for its Vault service account.
Choose Vault when its centralized platform or a specific Vault capability is part of the requirement, and assign owners for Vault availability, authentication methods, policies, and the Kubernetes integration. If the need is only to synchronize values from an existing provider, ESO may be the more direct pattern; if the need is encrypted manifests in Git, Sealed Secrets addresses that different workflow.
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How should you choose?
- Choose Sealed Secrets when you want encrypted secret manifests committed with GitOps configuration and can securely manage the controller key lifecycle. Plan how credential changes will be made and resealed.
- Choose ESO when an external provider already holds source values and you want declarative Kubernetes references with automated synchronization. Decide refresh and deletion behavior, and account for the target Kubernetes Secret.
- Choose Vault when a centralized secret platform, Vault-managed credentials, or a Vault integration is required and your organization can operate or procure it. Select the delivery path according to whether Kubernetes Secret objects are acceptable.
These choices can also coexist. For example, Vault may be the backend while an integration delivers values to workloads; the question then becomes which delivery mechanism meets the application’s needs and what data is materialized in Kubernetes. Avoid treating product names as mutually exclusive architectures.
Plan rotation, recovery, and access before rollout
Write down the lifecycle for each credential rather than relying on the word “rotation” as a feature checkbox. For each secret, identify who changes the value at its issuer, how the new value reaches the workload, how the application reloads or restarts, and how the prior value is revoked. The appropriate sequence differs for a sealed manifest, an ESO-synchronized value, and a Vault-issued lease.
- Map the trust boundary. Identify who can read or change Git configuration, access provider values, administer the controller or operator, read Kubernetes Secrets, and alter Vault policy or authentication.
- Test recovery. For Sealed Secrets, verify the protected private-key backup and recovery procedure. For ESO, verify that provider credentials and permissions can be restored. For Vault, include the platform and selected integration in the recovery plan.
- Test value change end to end. Confirm that a changed value is fetched or decrypted, reaches the intended workload, and is adopted by the application before the old credential is revoked.
- Check deletion semantics. Understand what happens to target objects when references or source values are removed, and whether lease expiration applies to the particular engine and credential type in use.
- Keep permissions scoped. Limit controller, operator, provider, Vault, GitOps, and workload access to the namespaces and resources each actually needs.
Implementation details and supported integrations change across releases. Check the documentation for the versions of Kubernetes, Sealed Secrets, ESO, Vault, and the chosen provider integration you deploy; in particular, verify policy defaults, refresh behavior, and compatibility rather than assuming a mutable “latest” documentation page matches an older cluster.
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