BlackVault

What is BlackVault?

BlackVault is an open-source (MIT) credential firewall for AI agents. You store a real API key once; it is encrypted with AES-256-GCM, with a separate key derived for each stored key, and decrypted only in flight. Each agent then receives a scoped bvt_ token instead of the key, carrying its own policy: allowed hosts, methods and paths, a spend cap, and rate limits per minute and per day. It works as an MCP server you can drop into Claude Desktop, Cursor and Claude Code, as a single OpenAI-compatible gateway that routes by model across providers, and as an egress firewall that injects secrets server-side for services such as GitHub or Stripe. Calls outside policy are blocked and audited, and a kill switch revokes a token, a key or everything so the next call fails. Developers running autonomous agents use it to limit damage from prompt injection. The project is free during beta and can be self-hosted.

Use cases

• Hide provider API keys from AI agents
• Set spend caps per agent token
• Rate limit agent requests per minute or day
• Restrict agent access to approved hosts and paths
• Connect MCP clients through a scoped token
• Revoke agent access with one click
• Audit every call an agent makes

Who it's for

• AI agent developers
• Platform engineers
• Security teams

Why use BlackVault

• Agents hold a revocable token rather than your real key, so a leaked config does not expose the secret.
• Budget caps and rate limits are enforced atomically, so a burst of calls cannot overshoot the limit.
• Host, method and path allowlists block injected delete or exfiltration attempts and record them.
• One OpenAI-compatible endpoint covers several model providers behind the same policies.
• Open source under MIT, with a self-hostable setup described as taking two minutes.

BlackVault features

• Encrypted vault using AES-256-GCM with per-key derived keys
• Scoped bvt_ proxy tokens minted per agent
• MCP server for Claude Desktop, Cursor and Claude Code
• OpenAI-compatible gateway that auto-routes by model
• Egress firewall with host pinning and method and path allowlists
• Server-side secret injection so agents never see the key
• Per-token spend caps and RPM and RPD limits enforced atomically
• Model limits per token
• Instant kill switch for a token, a key or everything
• Audit log of every call, including blocked attempts

BlackVault integrations

• Claude Desktop
• Cursor
• Claude Code
• Cline
• LangChain
• CrewAI
• AutoGen
• OpenAI
• Anthropic
• Google
• Nebius
• GitHub
• Stripe

How to get started with BlackVault

1. Add an API key or credential to the vault, where it is encrypted and never returned to the agent.
2. Mint a scoped bvt_ token for each agent with a policy of allowed hosts, methods, paths, budget cap and rate limits.
3. Put the token in your MCP client config or send it as a Bearer header to the gateway or egress endpoint.
4. BlackVault checks each call against the policy, injects the real secret server-side and logs the result.
5. Revoke a token, a key or everything with the kill switch whenever you need to stop an agent.

BlackVault limitations

• The site describes the service as free during beta, so pricing may change
• Self-hosting means running and maintaining it yourself

BlackVault pricing

BlackVault is open source, so you can use and self-host it for free.

BlackVault plans

• Free during beta

  Free

  • Open source under MIT
  • Encrypted vault
  • Scoped tokens with budgets and rate limits
  • MCP server and OpenAI-compatible gateway
  • Self-hostable

Plans as listed on the official pricing page on 24 Oct 2026. Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

BlackVault alternatives

The main BlackVault alternatives listed on Debuly are LiteLLM, Portkey, Helicone, Bifrost, IronCurtain and Merge. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   Bifrost

   Open-source AI gateway from Maxim with one OpenAI-compatible API across providers, failover, budgets and an MCP gateway.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit Bifrost (official site)
2. 

   Helicone

   Open-source LLM observability and AI gateway that logs requests, tracks cost and latency, and routes to 100+ models through one API.

   Developer platformsCoding
   FreemiumVisit Helicone (official site)
3. 

   IronCurtain

   Open-source runtime that limits what AI agents can do, using security policy compiled from a plain-English constitution.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agentsCoding
   Open sourceVisit IronCurtain (official site)
4. 

   LiteLLM

   Open-source AI gateway and Python SDK that gives one OpenAI-format API to 100+ LLM providers, with keys, budgets and cost tracking.

   Developer platformsCodingAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit LiteLLM (official site)
5. 

   Merge

   Unified API and agent tooling that lets software companies ship customer integrations and AI connectors without building each one.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit Merge (official site)
6. 

   Portkey

   AI gateway with observability, guardrails, caching and prompt management for teams running LLM apps in production.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit Portkey (official site)

BlackVault FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

• Logo: from black-vault-murex.vercel.app · fetched 23 Oct 2026 · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
• Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

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