vs

Redis vs Volt Active Data (VoltDB)

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Volt Active Data (VoltDB): In-memory, partitioned SQL engine running Java stored procedures serially for millisecond decisioning.

key differences

  • Redis is primarily a key-value database; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is relational.
  • Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is proprietary (Proprietary (commercial)).
  • Transactions: Redis offers limited ACID; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) offers full.
  • Only Redis has full-text search, vector search.
  • Only Volt Active Data (VoltDB) has joins, change data capture, materialized views, online schema changes.

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 volt-active-data for

  • +Telecom online charging and policy control
  • +Real-time fraud and risk decisions
  • +Ad bidding and personalization at high TPS
  • +Gaming leaderboards and in-game economies

best at · OLTP, Real-time analytics, Streaming

overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Relational
Also supports
Document, Vector, Time-Series, Search Engine
Document, Spatial
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Redis Ltd.
Volt Active Data, Inc.
First release
2009
2010
Latest version
8.10.3 (Oct 26, 2026)
16.0.0 (Sep 30, 2026)
License
Open source (copyleft)Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)
ProprietaryProprietary (commercial)
Free tier
✓
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
84.3
20.7
Rank
#2
#154
GitHub stars
77.1K
–
Stack Overflow questions
25.4K
153
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Active active
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Eventual
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Strict
Architecture
In memory, Single node, Primary replica, Distributed, Client server
Distributed, In memory, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, Heroku, Render
AWS, Google Cloud
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.*)
SQL, Java (stored procedures)
Client languages
Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, C#, Rust, Ruby, PHP
Java, Python, C++, Go, C#, JavaScript
Best for
Cache, Sessions, Queue, Pub/Sub
OLTP, Real-time analytics, Streaming, Tick data

Redis vs Volt Active Data (VoltDB): FAQ

What is the difference between Redis and Volt Active Data (VoltDB)?

Redis: The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in. Volt Active Data (VoltDB): In-memory, partitioned SQL engine running Java stored procedures serially for millisecond decisioning. Redis is primarily a key-value database; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is relational. Licensing: Redis is open source (copyleft) (Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+)); Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is proprietary (Proprietary (commercial)). Transactions: Redis offers limited ACID; Volt Active Data (VoltDB) offers full.

When should I choose Redis over Volt Active Data (VoltDB)?

Choose Redis for application and database query caching; session storage and user tokens; and rate limiting and distributed locks. Choose Volt Active Data (VoltDB) for telecom online charging and policy control; real-time fraud and risk decisions; and ad bidding and personalization at high TPS.

Is Redis or Volt Active Data (VoltDB) more popular?

Redis ranks #2 on the WhichDB Score (84.3/100) and Volt Active Data (VoltDB) ranks #154 (20.7/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Redis and Volt Active Data (VoltDB) open source?

Yes. Redis is open source. License: Tri-license: AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 (Redis 8+). No. Volt Active Data (VoltDB) is proprietary, closed-source software.