Envshed

Envshed brings secrets and environment management into a cloud service built for engineering teams, with a CLI that understands monorepo workspaces. It is most compelling for small teams sharing application configuration across packages and CI/CD workflows. Its workspace-aware CLI and free entry plan are practical strengths, but its cloud-only, non-zero-knowledge model rules it out for some security requirements.

Overview

Alongside secret and environment management, Envshed provides per-user overrides, expiration warnings, project duplication, and an audit trail. The CLI detects pnpm and npm workspaces and can retrieve secrets for every workspace from the repository root. That is a useful fit for a monorepo team that wants to manage configuration centrally rather than handle each workspace separately.

Envshed does not support secret rotation or dynamic secrets, so teams that need automated credential cycling or short-lived credentials should look elsewhere. It is cloud-hosted only; self-hosting is planned, but without a committed date.

Key features

Developer workflows

The CLI works with any shell, and the maker lists integrations for GitHub Actions, Docker, the Node.js SDK, and Coolify. CI/CD injection is supported. A REST API can be used from languages including Python, Go, and Rust, while Team adds service tokens for CI/CD. These options suit teams connecting secrets to existing development and delivery workflows, though Kubernetes integration is absent.

Security and access

Secret values are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM, traffic uses TLS 1.3, and encryption keys are kept separately from encrypted data. Envshed describes role-based access control and an immutable audit trail that records secret reads and changes. Those controls help teams manage and review access, but the service is not a zero-knowledge vault: a small on-call group with production credentials could technically decrypt secret values.

Envshed is not currently SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified; SOC 2 Type II is on its roadmap. Data is stored in a single region on US-based cloud infrastructure. Organizations that require current certification, zero-knowledge storage, or a different residency arrangement should consider another product.

Pricing

The Developer plan is free forever and covers up to two members and three projects, with unlimited secrets and CLI and API access. It is a useful starting point for an individual or very small team, but the member and project caps constrain growth.

Team costs $5 /user/month and removes those caps with unlimited members, projects, and secrets. It also adds webhooks, service tokens for CI/CD, and audit logs, making it the relevant step up for teams sharing production workflows. Business costs $9 /user/month and adds SAML SSO and priority support to everything in Team. That premium is most relevant to organizations needing single sign-on or a higher-support tier. A 14-day free trial is offered; the maker invites security questions by email at [email protected].

Platforms

Envshed is a cloud service with web, API, Linux, macOS, and Windows support. That range gives teams several ways to work with it, while its cloud-only deployment leaves no self-hosted option for organizations that need to run the service themselves.

Who it's for

Envshed targets indie developers, early-stage startups of up to about 50 engineers, and open-source maintainers running shared infrastructure. Its free plan can cover small projects, while the Team plan is better suited to groups that need unlimited projects and CI/CD service tokens. Teams needing Kubernetes integration, credential rotation, dynamic secrets, self-hosting, or stricter guarantees around access to secret values should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Monorepo-aware CLI: It can retrieve secrets across pnpm or npm workspaces from the repository root.
• Accessible free plan: Up to two members and three projects can use unlimited secrets with CLI and API access.
• Auditing and delivery options: The product provides an audit trail, and Team adds service tokens for CI/CD.

Cons

• No self-hosting or zero-knowledge vault: Teams must accept cloud hosting and the possibility that a small on-call group could technically decrypt secrets.
• No current SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification: Organizations requiring either certification cannot meet that requirement with Envshed today.
• No rotation, dynamic secrets, or Kubernetes integration: Teams relying on those capabilities will need another tool.
• US-based single-region storage: The deployment may not suit teams with different data-residency needs.

Alternatives

Keyway is worth considering for teams that want a self-hosted platform option; its Pro plan is 9€/month and includes 10 private repos, unlimited environments, and unlimited collaborators.

Kubermatic Kubernetes Platform offers an open-source Community Edition under the Apache License 2.0, making it an option for readers prioritizing that model.

Phase has a free plan for up to five users or service accounts, three apps, and three environments, so it may better suit teams whose needs fit those limits.

secr has a free plan capped at three projects, 100 secrets, and a seven-day audit log; it is an alternative for readers comfortable with those limits.

Secrets Manager offers an open-source self-hosted option focused on a single developer, requiring Docker Compose and Node 20+ for the CLI.

SikkerKey is another secrets-management alternative for readers to compare.

dotenvx is described by its maker as free and open source, an alternative for readers seeking that approach.

Infisical offers a free Secrets Management plan with five identities, unlimited projects, and 100+ integrations, which may suit teams prioritizing breadth of integrations.

For a broader comparison, see Secrets Management Tools.

Verdict

Choose Envshed if your small engineering team wants shared secrets and environment management, especially across monorepo workspaces, with a free plan to start and paid options for larger teams. Its root-level workspace workflow is a clear advantage for that use case. Look elsewhere if you require self-hosting, zero-knowledge encryption, current SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification, or features such as secret rotation, dynamic secrets, or Kubernetes integration.