Readyset vs Valkey
Readyset: A wire-compatible SQL cache for Postgres and MySQL that keeps cached queries fresh from replication. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud.
key differences
- Readyset is primarily a relational database; Valkey is key-value.
- Licensing: Readyset is source-available (Business Source License 1.1); Valkey is open source (permissive) (BSD 3-Clause).
- Horizontal scaling is manual in Readyset and native in Valkey.
- Transactions: Readyset offers none ACID; Valkey offers limited.
- Only Readyset has joins, change data capture, materialized views.
- Only Valkey has transactions, geospatial, stored procedures, ttl / expiry, pub/sub.
choose readyset for
- +Offloading repetitive read queries from Postgres or MySQL
- +Replacing Redis-based query caches with automatic invalidation
- +Scaling read-heavy SaaS dashboards
best at · Cache, OLTP
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
Readyset vs Valkey: FAQ
What is the difference between Readyset and Valkey?
Readyset: A wire-compatible SQL cache for Postgres and MySQL that keeps cached queries fresh from replication. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud. Readyset is primarily a relational database; Valkey is key-value. Licensing: Readyset is source-available (Business Source License 1.1); Valkey is open source (permissive) (BSD 3-Clause). Horizontal scaling is manual in Readyset and native in Valkey.
When should I choose Readyset over Valkey?
Choose Readyset for offloading repetitive read queries from Postgres or MySQL, replacing Redis-based query caches with automatic invalidation and scaling read-heavy SaaS dashboards. Choose Valkey for replacing Redis OSS without license concerns; application caching and session storage; and rate limiting, counters and leaderboards.
Is Readyset or Valkey more popular?
Valkey ranks #16 on the WhichDB Score (58.0/100) and Readyset ranks #264 (12.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.
Are Readyset and Valkey open source?
Not in the OSI sense. Readyset is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: Business Source License 1.1. Yes. Valkey is open source. License: BSD 3-Clause.