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Redis vs Redis Cloud

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Redis Cloud: Redis Ltd.'s own managed Redis on AWS, Azure and GCP, with Active-Active geo-replication and tiering.

key differences

  • Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Redis Cloud is proprietary (Redis Cloud service terms).
  • Redis Cloud is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Redis (≤ 10 TB).
  • Only Redis Cloud has encryption at rest.

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

choose redis-cloud for

  • +Global session stores and leaderboards with multi-region writes
  • +Vector search and semantic caching for AI apps
  • +Managed caching across multiple clouds

best at · Cache, Sessions, Vector search

RedisThe in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in.
Redis CloudRedis Ltd.'s own managed Redis on AWS, Azure and GCP, with Active-Active geo-replication and tiering.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
Document, Vector, Time-Series, Search Engine
Document, Vector, Time-Series, Search Engine
Type
Database engine
Managed service
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Redis Ltd.
Redis Ltd.
First release
2009
2013
Latest version
8.10.3 (Oct 26, 2026)
–
License
Open source (copyleft)Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)
ProprietaryRedis Cloud service terms
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
84.3
1.6
Rank
#2
#529
GitHub stars
77.1K
–
Stack Overflow questions
25.4K
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Active active
ACID
Limited
Limited
Consistency
Eventual
Eventual, Causal
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
In memory, Single node, Primary replica, Distributed, Client server
In memory, Distributed
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
—
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, Heroku, Render
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
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 Query Engine (FT.*)
Redis commands (RESP), Lua, Redis Query Engine (FT.*)
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, Vector search, RAG
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Redis vs Redis Cloud: FAQ

What is the difference between Redis and Redis Cloud?

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Redis Cloud: Redis Ltd.'s own managed Redis on AWS, Azure and GCP, with Active-Active geo-replication and tiering. Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Redis Cloud is proprietary (Redis Cloud service terms). Redis Cloud is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Redis (≤ 10 TB). Only Redis Cloud has encryption at rest.

When should I choose Redis over Redis Cloud?

Choose Redis for application and database query caching; session storage and user tokens; and rate limiting and distributed locks. Choose Redis Cloud for global session stores and leaderboards with multi-region writes; vector search and semantic caching for AI apps; and managed caching across multiple clouds.

Is Redis or Redis Cloud more popular?

Redis ranks #2 on the WhichDB Score (84.3/100) and Redis Cloud ranks #529 (1.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Redis and Redis Cloud open source?

Yes. Redis is open source. License: Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+). No. Redis Cloud is proprietary, closed-source software. License: Redis Cloud service terms.