OpenBao

OpenBao is an open-source alternative to HashiCorp Vault for keeping passwords, API keys, and other secrets safe in your infrastructure. It stores credentials securely and can create short-lived, dynamic secrets on demand for your apps and servers. It is a community-driven fork built for teams that want full control over their secret storage.

Key features

• Centralized secrets management
• Dynamic, short-lived credentials
• Infrastructure-friendly deployment

Before you switch

Developer tools live or die by their community. Before switching, glance at recent commit activity, open issues, and documentation quality — a healthy project answers questions quickly. Most open-source dev tools install with a single command and play well with existing workflows, so you can trial one alongside your current stack. If your team depends on it daily, check the release cadence and whether commercial support is available.

Like every project on OpenShelf, OpenBao is developed in the open — you can read the code, follow development, and even contribute. Check the system requirements and the project’s own documentation linked on this page before installing.