Parameter Store provides a bit more versatility. It has the option to store data unencrypted or to encrypt the data with a KMS key. With Secrets Manager, the secrets are stored encrypted and thereās no option to store unencrypted data. So thatās one use case for Parameter Store.
| SSM Parameter Store | AWS Secrets Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Store values up to 4096 Characters | 4KB or 8KB | 64Kb |
| Values can be encrypted with KMS | Yes | Yes |
| Can be referenced in CloudFormation | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in password generator | Yes | |
| Automated secret rotation | Yes | |
| Cross-account access | Yes | |
| Additional Cost | FreeĀ for standard parameters. Advanced parameters are charged per parameter and API transaction | Yes |
