Envshed

Envshed is a cloud secrets manager for small engineering teams, especially those working across packages in a monorepo. Its workspace-aware CLI and team audit controls make it a focused choice; teams requiring self-hosting or zero-knowledge storage should look elsewhere.

Overview

Envshed combines secret and environment management with per-user overrides, expiration warnings, project duplication, and an audit trail. The CLI detects pnpm and npm workspaces and can retrieve secrets for all workspaces from the repository root, which suits teams coordinating shared configuration across a repository. It does not support secret rotation or dynamic secrets, so it is less suitable where credentials must be cycled automatically or created temporarily.

Key features

Developer workflows

The CLI works with any shell, and the maker lists integrations for GitHub Actions, Docker, Node.js SDK, and Coolify. CI/CD injection is supported; Team adds service tokens for CI/CD. A REST API also supports use from Python, Go, and Rust. This gives teams several ways to connect application workflows, but Kubernetes users will not find a dedicated integration.

Security and access

Secrets are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM, traffic uses TLS 1.3, and encryption keys are stored separately from encrypted data. Role-based access controls and an immutable audit trail covering secret reads and changes give teams useful oversight. However, Envshed is not a zero-knowledge vault: a small on-call group with production credentials could technically decrypt secret values. It is not yet SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified, and SOC 2 Type II is on its roadmap.

Data is stored in a single region on US-based cloud infrastructure. Self-hosting is not currently available, though it is planned without a committed date. Those constraints matter for organizations with residency, deployment, or certification requirements. Business includes priority support, and security questions can be sent to [email protected].

Pricing

Envshed has a free Developer plan, paid plans from $5/user/mo, and a 14-day trial. Developer is free forever and allows up to 2 members and 3 projects, with unlimited secrets and CLI and API access. It is a sensible fit for an individual or a very small team, but its member and project caps limit shared use as work expands.

Team costs $5 a month, billed at $5 /user/month. It removes member and project limits and includes unlimited secrets, CLI and API access, webhooks, service tokens for CI/CD, and audit logs. This is the practical tier for growing teams that need shared workflows and access records; the per-user charge means cost rises with the team.

Business costs $9 a month, billed at $9 /user/month. It includes everything in Team plus SAML SSO and priority support, making it the relevant upgrade for organizations that need those controls or support. The free tier has no paid-plan webhooks or service tokens, while SAML SSO and priority support are reserved for Business.

Platforms

Envshed supports API, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. Its cloud deployment model and lack of self-hosting may rule it out for teams that need to run the service on their own infrastructure.

Who it's for

Envshed targets indie developers, early-stage startups of up to about 50 engineers, and open-source maintainers operating shared infrastructure. The free plan can cover a small starting setup; Team suits larger groups that want unlimited members and projects, while Business is for those needing SAML SSO and priority support. It is a weaker fit for teams with Kubernetes workflows, short-lived or automatically rotated credentials, strict residency needs, or a requirement for self-managed or zero-knowledge storage.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Root-level retrieval across pnpm and npm workspaces can simplify secrets access in monorepos.
• Pro: Unlimited members and projects on Team, together with service tokens and audit logs, support shared CI/CD workflows.
• Pro: AES-256-GCM encryption at rest, TLS 1.3, and separate key storage provide concrete security controls.
• Con: No secret rotation, dynamic secrets, or Kubernetes integration leaves gaps for teams relying on those workflows.
• Con: Cloud-only deployment, single-region US storage, and the absence of zero-knowledge protection may conflict with infrastructure or security requirements.
• Con: Envshed lacks current SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification, which can disqualify it for some procurement needs.

Alternatives

Explore the Secrets Management Tools directory to compare options. Choose Keyway if self-hosting is important; its listed platforms include self-hosted, and its Pro plan is 9€/month for 10 private repos, unlimited environments, and unlimited collaborators. Consider Infisical if its self-hosted support or broad integration count is a better fit: its free Secrets Management plan includes 5 identities, unlimited projects, and 100+ integrations.

Kubermatic Kubernetes Platform is another option. OpenBao suits readers seeking open-source, self-managed software without vendor pricing or usage fees. Phase is an alternative. secr is another alternative, with a free plan capped at 3 projects, 100 secrets, 1 AI agent, and a 7-day audit log. Secrets Manager is a self-hosted open-source option focused on a single developer and requiring Docker Compose and Node 20+ for its CLI. SikkerKey is another option.

Verdict

Choose Envshed if your small team wants monorepo-aware secret retrieval, shared access controls, and audit records without building those workflows around separate tools. Its free tier is tightly capped, but Team removes member and project limits at $5 /user/month. Look elsewhere if self-hosting, zero-knowledge protection, current compliance certification, Kubernetes integration, or automated secret rotation is essential.