Sealrepo vs git-crypt, git-secret & transcrypt
These are good tools — we compare jobs, not adjectives. They encrypt secret files inside a repo. Sealrepo seals the codebase itself, with team access you can grant, time-box, audit, and revoke.
| Capability | Sealrepo | git-crypt | git-secret | transcrypt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encrypts files in your Git repo | ||||
| Built to seal the whole codebasevs. selected secret files (.env, keys) | ||||
| No GPG setup required | ||||
| Time-boxed, revocable access for contractorsaccess expires or is revoked centrally; vault re-seals on next check | ||||
| Revoking a person doesn't require re-keying every clone | ||||
| Web dashboard, roles & audit log | ||||
| Recovery story if you lose your keyprinted recovery code + optional cloud escrow | ||||
| Short-lived CI/CD unlock tokens | ||||
| Works fully offline, no account | ||||
| Free & open sourceSealrepo CLI is free; dashboard is paid | ||||
| Decade-plus track record |
= partial / depends on setup. Comparison reflects each tool's documented, designed-for use as of June 2026 — corrections welcome at [email protected].
When you should pick something else
- You only need to hide a few secret files (.env, API keys, certs): git-crypt or git-secret is simpler, fully offline, and battle-tested. You don't need a dashboard for that job.
- You can't have any account or server in the loop: the classic tools are completely self-contained. Sealrepo's CLI needs a free account (recovery with your printed code works offline, but daily operation signs in).
- Your team already lives in GPGand rotating keys when people leave is acceptable overhead for you — git-crypt's model will feel natural.
Pick Sealrepo when the thing you're protecting is the source code itself — client work, proprietary algorithms, code you hand to contractors — and you want access you can grant for an afternoon, audit, and take back without re-keying the world.
Common questions
Is Sealrepo a replacement for git-crypt?+
Only if your goal is sealing the codebase itself with revocable, auditable team access. git-crypt is excellent at its actual job — transparently encrypting a handful of secret files with GPG. If that's all you need, git-crypt is simpler and fully offline.
What's the fundamental difference?+
Key management and revocation. With git-crypt/git-secret/transcrypt, anyone who ever had the key can decrypt every clone forever unless you re-key and rotate everything. Sealrepo binds vaults to accounts and checks capabilities, so access can be time-boxed and revoked centrally — the vault re-seals on the next check.
Can any of these tools un-copy code someone already decrypted?+
No — none of them, Sealrepo included. Once a person you authorized has plaintext on their machine, no software can erase it. Revocation stops future access. We say this plainly because tools that imply otherwise are misleading you.
Do I have to stop using normal Git?+
No. With Sealrepo you keep branching, merging, and pushing as usual — encrypted blobs travel through Git like any other file, and a merge driver handles conflicts on sealed content.
Seal your first repo in 5 minutes
Free CLI, free account, no card. Follow the quickstart or read the security model.
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