Redis Open Source

The self-managed edition of Redis, the in-memory data store used for caching, queues and vector search.

Open sourceSelf-hostableDatabase management systems

Updated Nov 4, 2026 · AppBreakup editorial · Linux, macOS, Self-hosted

Visit Redis Open Source See 4 alternatives

Is Redis Open Source free?

Yes, free and open source

License:: AGPLv3, SSPLv1 or RSALv2

Checked on Redis Open Source's site Nov 8, 2026

Switch from Redis Open Source to

All 4

Valkey
Open source
Couchbase Server
Free plan + paid
Upstash
Free plan: $0

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Redis Open Source

Redis Open Source is the free, self-managed edition of Redis, the in-memory data structure server that made key/value caching mainstream. Beyond strings, hashes, lists, sets and streams, Redis 8 bundles what used to be separate modules, including JSON documents, a query engine with full-text and vector search, and probabilistic data types. Developers use it as a cache, message broker, session store, rate limiter and increasingly as a vector database for AI apps. In 2024 Redis Ltd. left the BSD licence; since Redis 8 the code is offered under a choice of AGPLv3, SSPLv1 or the source-available RSALv2, which is why the community fork Valkey exists. You can run it on Linux and macOS or in Docker; Windows needs Docker. Redis Ltd. sells Redis Cloud and Redis Software for teams that want a managed service or enterprise support.

Best for: Developers who want the reference Redis with built-in JSON, search and vector features.

What works

Huge ecosystem of clients, tutorials and hosting options
Redis 8 bundles JSON, search and vector features in one install
AGPLv3 option makes it open source again
Free GUI client (Redis Insight) from the same vendor

Why people leave

Licence choices (AGPLv3, SSPL, RSAL) are stricter than the old BSD licence
Windows is only supported through Docker
Mostly single-threaded command execution limits per-node throughput

Redis Open Source vs Valkey, Couchbase Server and Upstash

From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.

Attribute	Redis Open Source	Valkey	Couchbase Server	Upstash
Pricing	Open source	Open source	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Verified price	—	—	—	From $10/month
Free plan	Free app	Free app	Yes	$0
Open source	Yes	Yes	No	No
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Platforms	Linux, macOS, Self-hosted	Linux, macOS, Self-hosted	Linux, Windows, macOS, Self-hosted	Web

Top Redis Open Source alternatives

See all 4

1
Valkey
BSD-licensed Linux Foundation fork that keeps Redis OSS compatibility without the licence change.
68.8
2
Couchbase Server
Pairs an in-memory key-value cache with a JSON document database and SQL-style queries, for apps outgrowing Redis as a data store.
55.3
3
Upstash
Serverless, Redis-compatible database billed per request, if you'd rather not run and patch Redis servers yourself.
51.2
4
Redis Cloud
The same Redis run for you by Redis Ltd., with a free tier and no servers to manage.
50.5

Why people left Redis Open Source

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Redis Open Source, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers

Write a review of Redis Open Source

Your rating of Redis Open Source

Name

Never shown publicly. A work email helps us verify you.

Title

Your review

What did you use it for, and what was good or bad? At least 40 characters.

Did you switch from another app?

Why did you leave it?

How can we verify you use it? (optional)

A GitHub username, your company domain, or say you can send a screenshot. Verified reviews count more.

I received money, credit or a gift for writing this review. (Incentivized reviews are shown but don't count toward rankings.)

By submitting, you confirm you're at least 16 and agree to our terms. Your name, rating, review and the date are published; your email isn't. See our privacy policy.

Redis Open Source: common questions

What is Redis Open Source?

Redis Open Source: The self-managed edition of Redis, the in-memory data store used for caching, queues and vector search. Best for developers who want the reference Redis with built-in JSON, search and vector features. Available for Linux and macOS, and you can host it yourself.

Is Redis Open Source free?

Yes. Redis Open Source is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Redis Open Source open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at redis/redis. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Redis Open Source run on?

Redis Open Source is available for Linux, macOS and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Redis Open Source?

The highest-ranked Redis Open Source alternatives right now are Valkey, Couchbase Server and Upstash. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

Redis Open Source vs Valkey: what's the difference?

Both Redis Open Source and Valkey are free and open source. Both run on Linux and macOS.

See all 4 Redis Open Source alternatives

Redis Open Source facts

3 of 3 verified

License: AGPLv3, SSPLv1 or RSALv2; Checked Nov 8, 2026redis.io(opens source in a new tab); “Server Side Public License v1 ( SSPLv1 ), and the GNU Affero General Public License v3 ( AGPLv3 ).”
Platforms: Docker, Linux, macOS; Checked Nov 8, 2026redis.io(opens source in a new tab); “Redis Open Source is available on Docker, Linux, macOS, and Windows (using Docker only).”
Use cases: Cache, vector and document database; Checked Nov 8, 2026redis.io(opens source in a new tab); “in-memory data store used by millions of developers as a cache, vector database, document database, streaming engine, and message broker.”