PGMQ vs Redis

PGMQ: An SQS-style message queue implemented as a lightweight Postgres extension. Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in.

key differences

PGMQ is primarily a relational database; Redis is key-value.
Licensing: PGMQ is open source (permissive) (PostgreSQL License); Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)).
Redis is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than PGMQ (≤ 100 GB).
Horizontal scaling is none in PGMQ and native in Redis.
Transactions: PGMQ offers full ACID; Redis offers limited.
Only Redis has secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, geospatial, stored procedures.

choose pgmq for

+Background job queues for Postgres-backed apps
+Outbox pattern without a separate broker
+Lightweight task queues on Supabase

best at · Queue

choose redis for

+Application and database query caching
+Session storage and user tokens
+Rate limiting and distributed locks
+Leaderboards and counters

best at · Cache, Sessions, Queue

PGMQAn SQS-style message queue implemented as a lightweight Postgres extension.

RedisThe in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in.

overview

Primary model

Relational

Key-Value

Also supports

–

Document, Vector, Time-Series, Search Engine

Type

Extension

Database engine

Status

Active

Developer

PGMQ community (originally Tembo)

Redis Ltd.

First release

2023

2009

Latest version

1.13.1 (Oct 20, 2026)

8.10.3 (Oct 26, 2026)

License

Open source (permissive)PostgreSQL License

Open source (copyleft)Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)

Free tier

✓

popularity

WhichDB Score

21.1

84.3

Rank

#145

GitHub stars

5.4K

77.1K

Stack Overflow questions

–

25.4K

scale & guarantees

Comfortable data size

Small (≤ 100 GB)

Medium (≤ 10 TB)

Horizontal scaling

None

Native

Multi-region

None

Active active

ACID

Full

Limited

Consistency

Strong

Eventual

Schema

Strict

Schemaless

Architecture

Single node, Primary replica, Client server

In memory, Single node, Primary replica, Distributed, Client server

deployment

Self-hosted

✓

Vendor-managed cloud

—

✓

Serverless

—

Embedded

—

Edge

—

Clouds

AWS, Google Cloud, Azure

AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, Heroku, Render

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

SQL

Redis commands (RESP), Lua, Redis Query Engine (FT.*)

Client languages

Python, Rust, JavaScript, Go, Java, C#, Elixir

Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, C#, Rust, Ruby, PHP

Best for

Queue

Cache, Sessions, Queue, Pub/Sub

Add more to this comparison Not sure either fits? Try smart match

PGMQ vs Redis: FAQ

What is the difference between PGMQ and Redis?

PGMQ: An SQS-style message queue implemented as a lightweight Postgres extension. Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. PGMQ is primarily a relational database; Redis is key-value. Licensing: PGMQ is open source (permissive) (PostgreSQL License); Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)). Redis is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than PGMQ (≤ 100 GB).

When should I choose PGMQ over Redis?

Choose PGMQ for background job queues for Postgres-backed apps, outbox pattern without a separate broker and lightweight task queues on Supabase. Choose Redis for application and database query caching; session storage and user tokens; and rate limiting and distributed locks.

Is PGMQ or Redis more popular?

Redis ranks #2 on the WhichDB Score (84.3/100) and PGMQ ranks #145 (21.1/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are PGMQ and Redis open source?

Yes. PGMQ is open source. License: PostgreSQL License. Yes. Redis is open source. License: Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+).