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Redis vs Valkey

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud.

key differences

  • Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Valkey is open source (permissive) (BSD 3-Clause).
  • Only Redis has secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, json.

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 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

RedisThe in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in.
ValkeyThe Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
Document, Vector, Time-Series, Search Engine
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Redis Ltd.
Valkey project (Linux Foundation)
First release
2009
2024
Latest version
8.10.3 (Oct 26, 2026)
9.1.3 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (copyleft)Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)
Open source (permissive)BSD 3-Clause
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
84.3
58.0
Rank
#2
#16
GitHub stars
77.1K
27.5K
Stack Overflow questions
25.4K
29
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Read replicas
ACID
Limited
Limited
Consistency
Eventual
Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
In memory, Single node, Primary replica, Distributed, 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, DigitalOcean, Heroku, Render
AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Aiven, DigitalOcean, Akamai
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
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, Queue, Pub/Sub
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Redis vs Valkey: FAQ

What is the difference between Redis and Valkey?

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud. Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Valkey is open source (permissive) (BSD 3-Clause). Only Redis has secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, json.

When should I choose Redis over Valkey?

Choose Redis for application and database query caching; session storage and user tokens; and rate limiting and distributed locks. Choose Valkey for replacing Redis OSS without license concerns; application caching and session storage; and rate limiting, counters and leaderboards.

Is Redis or Valkey more popular?

Redis ranks #2 on the WhichDB Score (84.3/100) and Valkey ranks #16 (58.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Redis and Valkey open source?

Yes. Redis is open source. License: Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+). Yes. Valkey is open source. License: BSD 3-Clause.