Keyline vs dotenv-vault
The closest cousin: both tools believe the .env file is the right interface. The difference is what happens after encryption, and who holds the keys to your team.
The short version
Choose dotenv-vault / dotenvx if you want encrypted .env files committed in the repo and a workflow that stays entirely file-based. It is a clever, minimal model.
Choose Keyline if the team part is the hard part: per-environment access, one-command revoke that actually cuts a person off, and an audit log that proves who read what and when.
Side by side
| Keyline | dotenv-vault | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Encrypted sync with per-member device keys | Encrypted file in the repo, decrypted by a shared key |
| Sharing with a teammate | Invite by email; their device gets its own wrapped key | Share the decryption key through some other channel |
| Revoking a person | One command: sessions ended, their keys deleted | Rotate the shared key and redistribute to everyone remaining |
| Per-environment access | Built in: interns never see prod | Separate keys per environment, managed by hand |
| Audit trail | Hash-chained log, publicly anchored daily | Git history shows file changes, not reads |
| Pricing | Solo free, $19 flat for teams | Free/open-source core |
Where we agree
.env won. Formats that require your app to change lose to formats that require nothing. Both tools start there; Keyline just answers the questions that show up on the day someone joins, and the worse day someone leaves.
Two minutes to the first encrypted push
$ curl -fsSL keyline.sh/install | sh
Solo is free forever. Team is $19 flat for up to 10 people, 14-day trial.
See the whole journeyNo card for Solo. Your secrets are encrypted before they leave your laptop.