Keyway

Overview

Keyway is an open-source secrets manager for developers who want credentials injected into running processes rather than kept in project files. It is a good fit for teams that already manage access through GitHub and need an audit trail. Its approach narrows exposure from files, but it cannot protect secrets from compromised machines or code that reads process environments.

Key features

The keyway run command injects secrets into a process and removes them when it stops. That avoids storing them in a project .env file, and Keyway says AI agents reading files from disk cannot see secrets injected this way. It is a useful boundary for file-based exposure, not a barrier against application code or dependencies that can read the running process environment.

Access follows GitHub repository permissions: removing someone's repository access also revokes their Keyway access. This keeps access management aligned with an existing team workflow, though it may be a poor fit when secret access should differ from repository access.

Keyway encrypts secrets with AES-256-GCM and a unique random IV for each secret. The encryption key stays in an isolated crypto service rather than the API server or database, while connections among the CLI, API, crypto service, and database use TLS 1.3. Its audit trail records who accessed which secrets, when, and from where, giving teams a basis for reviewing access.

Documented provider workflows sync secrets with Vercel, Netlify, and Railway. Keyway also supports CI/CD injection and Kubernetes integration, extending its use beyond local development. Teams needing dynamic secrets, PKI, or database credential rotation should look elsewhere; Keyway does not cover those use cases, and it does not offer secret rotation.

The CLI has binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Teams that want to operate the service themselves can self-host the full stack with Docker Compose.

Pricing

Keyway has a free plan, paid plans from €9/mo, and a 14-day trial. Its published monthly tiers are:

Free is a capable starting point for public projects, but one private repository, three environments per repo, and two provider integrations constrain private-team use. Pro removes the environment and collaborator caps while allowing 10 private repos; it does not include the audit logs and member management specified for Team. Team suits organizations that need those controls across 20 private repos. Business raises the repository allowance to 50 and adds exposure reports and priority support, making it the tier for teams that value those capabilities. The plan terms are monthly; the trial lasts 14 days.

Platforms

Keyway supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows. The CLI installation guide covers macOS, Linux, and Windows, while self-hosting uses Docker Compose.

Who it's for

Keyway is best for developer teams that want process-scoped secret injection, already use GitHub repository permissions to manage membership, and need an access trail. Its controls are not a substitute for endpoint security or safeguards against runtime code reading environment variables. It is also not aimed at teams seeking dynamic credentials, PKI, or automated database credential rotation.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Process-scoped injection keeps secrets out of project .env files and away from AI agents reading files from disk.
• Pro: GitHub permissions govern access, and the audit trail records who accessed secrets, when, and from where.
• Pro: The free plan allows unlimited public repos and collaborators, making it useful for public projects.
• Con: Secrets remain exposed to compromised developer machines and application code or dependencies that can read the process environment.
• Con: The free plan limits private use to one repo and three environments per repo, and allows only two provider integrations.
• Con: No secret rotation, dynamic secrets, PKI, or database credential rotation limits its scope.

Alternatives

Browse secrets management tools to compare more options. Consider Kubermatic Kubernetes Platform for its free, open-source Community Edition under Apache License 2.0. Phase is another freemium option, with a free tier for up to five users or service accounts, three apps, and three environments, plus OAuth SSO and AI agent integration.

SikkerKey is an alternative with a free Developer plan for 10 machines, one month of audit retention, and 20 webhook deliveries per day. Infisical offers a free secrets-management tier billed forever, with five identities, unlimited projects, and more than 100 integrations. Choose KeyEnv if its free tier's three-project limit, 100 secrets per environment, CLI access, end-to-end encryption, and community support better fit your needs.

Stashbase, Teller, and Akeyless are also alternatives to consider.

Verdict

Choose Keyway if your team wants secrets injected only for a process, uses GitHub permissions as its access-control backbone, and values an audit trail. Its clearest reason to look elsewhere is scope: it cannot defend against compromised machines or runtime code reading secrets, and it omits rotation and dynamic credentials.