Redis vs Tile38

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Tile38: In-memory geospatial database and geofencing server that speaks the Redis protocol and HTTP.

key differences

Redis is primarily a key-value database; Tile38 is spatial.
Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Tile38 is open source (permissive) (MIT License).
Horizontal scaling is native in Redis and manual in Tile38.
Transactions: Redis offers limited ACID; Tile38 offers none.
Only Redis has transactions, secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, stored procedures.

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 tile38 for

+Fleet, courier and ride-hailing vehicle tracking
+Geofence alerts for IoT devices
+Location-based notifications in mobile apps
+Real-time nearby search for moving objects

best at · Geo, Real-time analytics, IoT

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

Tile38In-memory geospatial database and geofencing server that speaks the Redis protocol and HTTP.

overview

Primary model

Key-Value

Spatial

Also supports

Document, Vector, Time-Series, Search Engine

Key-Value

Type

Database engine

Status

Active

Developer

Redis Ltd.

Josh Baker (tidwall)

First release

2009

2016

Latest version

8.10.3 (Oct 26, 2026)

1.38.0 (Jun 9, 2026)

License

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

Open source (permissive)MIT License

Free tier

✓

popularity

WhichDB Score

84.3

10.0

Rank

#305

GitHub stars

77.1K

9.8K

Stack Overflow questions

25.4K

–

scale & guarantees

Comfortable data size

Medium (≤ 10 TB)

Horizontal scaling

Native

Manual

Multi-region

Active active

None

ACID

Limited

None

Consistency

Eventual

Schema

Schemaless

Architecture

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

In memory, Primary replica, 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.*)

Tile38 commands

Client languages

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

–

Best for

Cache, Sessions, Queue, Pub/Sub

Geo, Real-time analytics, IoT, Pub/Sub

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Redis vs Tile38: FAQ

What is the difference between Redis and Tile38?

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Tile38: In-memory geospatial database and geofencing server that speaks the Redis protocol and HTTP. Redis is primarily a key-value database; Tile38 is spatial. Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Tile38 is open source (permissive) (MIT License). Horizontal scaling is native in Redis and manual in Tile38.

When should I choose Redis over Tile38?

Choose Redis for application and database query caching; session storage and user tokens; and rate limiting and distributed locks. Choose Tile38 for fleet, courier and ride-hailing vehicle tracking; geofence alerts for IoT devices; and location-based notifications in mobile apps.

Is Redis or Tile38 more popular?

Redis ranks #2 on the WhichDB Score (84.3/100) and Tile38 ranks #305 (10.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Redis and Tile38 open source?

Yes. Redis is open source. License: Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+). Yes. Tile38 is open source. License: MIT License.