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Redis vs Tarantool

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Tarantool: In-memory database and Lua application server in one process, with an optional disk engine.

key differences

  • Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Tarantool is open source (permissive) (BSD 2-Clause License).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in Redis and addon in Tarantool.
  • Transactions: Redis offers limited ACID; Tarantool offers full.
  • Only Redis has full-text search, vector search, ttl / expiry, pub/sub, streaming ingest.
  • Only Tarantool has triggers, compression.

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 tarantool for

  • +Low-latency transactional caches that are also the source of truth
  • +Session and user-profile storage for high-traffic sites
  • +Queues and real-time counters
  • +Fintech and telecom billing hot paths

best at · OLTP, Cache, Sessions

RedisThe in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in.
TarantoolIn-memory database and Lua application server in one process, with an optional disk engine.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
Document, Vector, Time-Series, Search Engine
Document, Relational
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Redis Ltd.
VK
First release
2009
2008
Latest version
8.10.3 (Oct 26, 2026)
3.9.0 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (copyleft)Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)
Open source (permissive)BSD 2-Clause License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
84.3
21.2
Rank
#2
#140
GitHub stars
77.1K
3.7K
Stack Overflow questions
25.4K
219
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Addon
Multi-region
Active active
Read replicas
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Eventual
Strong, Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Flexible
Architecture
In memory, Single node, Primary replica, Distributed, Client server
In memory, Primary replica, Multi primary, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
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
Redis commands (RESP), Lua, Redis Query Engine (FT.*)
Lua, SQL
Client languages
Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, C#, Rust, Ruby, PHP
Lua, Go, Java, Python, C, C++, JavaScript, PHP
Best for
Cache, Sessions, Queue, Pub/Sub
OLTP, Cache, Sessions, Queue
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Redis vs Tarantool: FAQ

What is the difference between Redis and Tarantool?

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Tarantool: In-memory database and Lua application server in one process, with an optional disk engine. Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Tarantool is open source (permissive) (BSD 2-Clause License). Horizontal scaling is native in Redis and addon in Tarantool. Transactions: Redis offers limited ACID; Tarantool offers full.

When should I choose Redis over Tarantool?

Choose Redis for application and database query caching; session storage and user tokens; and rate limiting and distributed locks. Choose Tarantool for low-latency transactional caches that are also the source of truth; session and user-profile storage for high-traffic sites; and queues and real-time counters.

Is Redis or Tarantool more popular?

Redis ranks #2 on the WhichDB Score (84.3/100) and Tarantool ranks #140 (21.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Redis and Tarantool open source?

Yes. Redis is open source. License: Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+). Yes. Tarantool is open source. License: BSD 2-Clause License.