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Apache Kvrocks vs Valkey

Apache Kvrocks: A Redis-protocol database on RocksDB that trades a little latency for disk-sized capacity. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud.

key differences

  • Only Apache Kvrocks has secondary indexes, json, compression.
  • Only Valkey has in-memory, streaming ingest.

choose apache-kvrocks for

  • +Large Redis datasets that are too expensive to keep in RAM
  • +Persistent key-value storage with a Redis API
  • +Feature and profile stores accessed by key

best at · Cache, Sessions, Queue

choose valkey for

  • +Replacing Redis OSS without license concerns
  • +Application caching and session storage
  • +Rate limiting, counters and leaderboards
  • +Pub/sub fan-out and Streams-based queues

best at · Cache, Sessions, Queue

Apache KvrocksA Redis-protocol database on RocksDB that trades a little latency for disk-sized capacity.
ValkeyThe Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
Document
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Apache Software Foundation
Valkey project (Linux Foundation)
First release
2019
2024
Latest version
2.17.0 (Sep 19, 2026)
9.1.3 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)BSD 3-Clause
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
10.3
58.0
Rank
#299
#16
GitHub stars
4.5K
27.5K
Stack Overflow questions
–
29
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Limited
Limited
Consistency
Eventual
Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Primary replica, Distributed, Client server
In memory, Single node, Primary replica, Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Aiven, DigitalOcean, Akamai
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
—
—
Secondary indexes
✓
—
Full-text search
—
—
Vector search
—
—
Geospatial
✓
✓
JSON
✓
—
Change data capture
—
—
Triggers
—
—
Stored procedures
✓
✓
Materialized views
—
—
TTL / expiry
✓
✓
Pub/Sub
✓
✓
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
—
✓
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
✓
—
Encryption at rest
—
—
Role-based access
✓
✓
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
✓
Offline sync
—
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
Redis commands (RESP), Lua
Redis commands (RESP), Lua
Client languages
Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, C#, Rust, Ruby, PHP
Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, C#, Rust, Ruby, PHP
Best for
Cache, Sessions, Queue, Pub/Sub
Cache, Sessions, Queue, Pub/Sub
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Apache Kvrocks vs Valkey: FAQ

What is the difference between Apache Kvrocks and Valkey?

Apache Kvrocks: A Redis-protocol database on RocksDB that trades a little latency for disk-sized capacity. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud. Only Apache Kvrocks has secondary indexes, json, compression. Only Valkey has in-memory, streaming ingest.

When should I choose Apache Kvrocks over Valkey?

Choose Apache Kvrocks for large Redis datasets that are too expensive to keep in RAM; persistent key-value storage with a Redis API; and feature and profile stores accessed by key. Choose Valkey for replacing Redis OSS without license concerns; application caching and session storage; and rate limiting, counters and leaderboards.

Is Apache Kvrocks or Valkey more popular?

Valkey ranks #16 on the WhichDB Score (58.0/100) and Apache Kvrocks ranks #299 (10.3/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Apache Kvrocks and Valkey open source?

Yes. Apache Kvrocks is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Valkey is open source. License: BSD 3-Clause.