When to choose Redis, when to choose Valkey
Your decision comes down to finding the best fit for your business goals, comfort with licensing, and long-term plans. Here are some plain-language pointers to help guide your choice:
Redis makes sense if:
- You depend on specific advanced features that Valkey doesn’t offer (yet)
- You’re heavily invested in Redis modules or enterprise capabilities
- You’re fine with the new licensing and don’t expect it to complicate things for you
Valkey is the better choice if:
- You want to avoid any licensing uncertainty or vendor lock-in
- You value having complete control over your technology stack
- You prefer building on a foundation that won't change the rules on you
- You want the peace of mind that comes with true open source licensing
Here's the reality: if you just need fast, reliable in-memory data storage, Valkey gives you everything you need with none of the licensing complexity. If you require Redis-specific features that Valkey doesn't have yet, you'll need to weigh those requirements against the flexibility you give up.
Most teams find that Valkey covers their actual needs while giving them better long-term options.