Vedis
maintenanceby Symisc Systems · since 2013 · also known as Vedis datastore, symisc vedis
Embeddable C datastore with 70+ Redis-like commands and a single-file ACID key-value store.
maintenance. Still distributed by Symisc (release 1.2.6), but the last code change was a bug fix in Nov 2021; UnQLite gets more attention.
Overview
Vedis is a self-contained C library from Symisc Systems that implements more than 70 commands modelled on Redis, but runs inside your process with no network layer. Data lives in one cross-platform disk file (or in memory) managed by a transactional key-value engine shared with its sibling UnQLite, and the command interface can be extended with your own C functions. That makes it handy for embedded devices and desktop apps that want Redis-style hashes, sets and lists without running a server. The current public release is 1.2.6; repository activity has been limited to occasional fixes, the latest in 2021.
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
- +Redis-style data structures without a server process
- +Whole database in one portable file across 32/64-bit and endianness
- +Zero dependencies; amalgamated C source drops into any project
- +ACID transactions on the underlying key-value store
Trade-offs
- −Sleepycat licence requires releasing source of software that redistributes it
- −Not wire-compatible with Redis; clients must link the library
- −Little development since 2021
Great for
- +Embedded devices needing structured key-value storage
- +Desktop apps wanting Redis-like semantics locally
Think twice for
- −Shared, networked caches
- −Closed-source products unwilling to meet Sleepycat terms
Capabilities
Native or official first-party support · 3 of 25 tracked
Scale & consistency
- Comfortable data size
- Small · ≤ 100 GB
- Horizontal scaling
- None
- Multi-region
- No
- Transactions
- Full ACID
- Consistency
- Strong
- Schema
- Schemaless
- Architecture
- Embedded
- Query languages
- Redis-like commands
Single database file; the vendor claims terabyte-sized databases are supported.
Deployment
Ecosystem
Alternatives to Vedis
Embedded, transactional key-value and JSON document engine in a single C file, with Jx9 scripting.
vedis vs unqlite →The in-memory data structure server that became the default cache, now with search, JSON and vectors built in.
vedis vs redis →Tiny memory-mapped B+tree with ACID transactions and lock-free readers; reached 1.0 in 2026.
vedis vs lmdb →Google's original small, fast LSM key-value library, now in limited-maintenance mode.
vedis vs leveldb →Meta's embeddable LSM-tree key-value engine, the storage layer under dozens of databases.
vedis vs rocksdb →The standard embedded JVM cache, with heap, off-heap and disk tiers and optional Terracotta clustering.
vedis vs ehcache →Vedis FAQ
What is Vedis?
Vedis is a key-value database by Symisc Systems, first released in 2013. Vedis is a self-contained C library from Symisc Systems that implements more than 70 commands modelled on Redis, but runs inside your process with no network layer. Data lives in one cross-platform disk file (or in memory) managed by a transactional key-value engine shared with its sibling UnQLite, and the command interface can be extended with your own C functions. That makes it handy for embedded devices and desktop apps that want Redis-style hashes, sets and lists without running a server. The current public release is 1.2.6; repository activity has been limited to occasional fixes, the latest in 2021.
Is Vedis open source?
Yes. Vedis is open source. License: Sleepycat License.
Does Vedis support ACID transactions?
Yes. Vedis supports full ACID transactions, with strong consistency.
Does Vedis scale horizontally?
Vedis does not scale horizontally; it runs on a single node, so you scale it up rather than out. It is comfortable at small scale (≤ 100 GB).
How can I run Vedis?
You can self-host it and embed it in your application.
What is Vedis best for?
Vedis is a strong fit for embedded devices needing structured key-value storage and desktop apps wanting Redis-like semantics locally. Think twice for shared, networked caches.
What are the best alternatives to Vedis?
Common alternatives to Vedis include UnQLite, Redis, LMDB, LevelDB and RocksDB. The right choice depends on your workload, scale and hosting; WhichDB's smart match ranks them against your requirements.
Is Vedis still maintained?
Vedis is in maintenance mode. Still distributed by Symisc (release 1.2.6), but the last code change was a bug fix in Nov 2021; UnQLite gets more attention.
How popular is Vedis?
Vedis ranks #509 of 844 databases on the WhichDB Score (1.9/100), and #82 among key-value databases. The score combines public adoption signals such as package downloads, GitHub activity, job posts and developer discussion.