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Redis vs Valkey in 2026: what's different and which to pick

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GET compare:redis-vs-valkey

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For most apps it doesn't matter: Redis 8 and Valkey 9 speak the same protocol, and mainstream Redis clients connect to both. Pick Redis if you need TimeSeries or the newest Redis Query Engine features; pick Valkey if you want a BSD license and a Linux Foundation project. On KVNest you choose per instance, at the same price.

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The short version

Redis Open Source 8Valkey 9
LicenseAGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1, your choiceBSD-3-Clause
Maintained byRedis Inc.A Linux Foundation project
Latest release8.10 (July 2026)9.1 (May 2026)
ProtocolRESP2 and RESP3RESP2 and RESP3
Built-in extrasJSON, Bloom and other probabilistic types, TimeSeries, Query Engine, vector setsSeparate modules: JSON, Bloom, Search, LDAP
Time seriesYesNo official module
ClientsAny Redis clientAny Redis client, plus Valkey's own

How we got two of them

  • March 2024: Redis Inc. moved Redis to RSALv2 and SSPLv1, starting with 7.4. Neither is an OSI-approved license. Eight days later, the Linux Foundation launched Valkey, continuing from Redis 7.2.4 under BSD-3-Clause.
  • September 2024: Valkey 8.0.
  • May 2025: Redis 8 added AGPLv3 as a third option and folded the Redis Stack features, including JSON, TimeSeries and the Query Engine, into Redis Open Source.
  • October 2025: Valkey 9.0 added hash field expiration, atomic slot migration and numbered databases in cluster mode.
  • May 2026: Valkey 9.1 added per-database ACLs, Lua as a module that operators can turn off, and JSON logging.
  • July 2026: Redis 8.10 added compact hashes, a BACKUP command and new TimeSeries and Search commands.

What's the same

Most of what an app touches. Both speak RESP2 and RESP3, share the core data types (strings, hashes, lists, sets, sorted sets, streams) and nearly all of the commands that existed in Redis 7.2. Both take a rediss:// URL for TLS. The same client library, code and connection string work with either.

What's different

License

Valkey is BSD-3-Clause, a permissive license with no conditions on running it as a service. Redis 8 lets you choose AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1. AGPLv3's extra condition is in section 13: if you modify the server and let people use it over a network, you must offer them your modified source.

If you only connect to a hosted server, you aren't modifying or distributing it, so the license asks little of you. It matters more if you ship or host a modified Redis yourself. This isn't legal advice.

Modules

Redis 8 has the extras built in: JSON, Bloom and other probabilistic types, TimeSeries, the Query Engine and vector sets. Valkey keeps them as separate BSD-licensed modules, shipped together in the valkey-bundle image: valkey-json, valkey-bloom, valkey-search and valkey-ldap. There's no official Valkey time-series module.

Search

Both use FT.* command names, with different feature sets. valkey-search supports vector search (HNSW and exact KNN) with numeric, tag and full-text filters, over hashes or JSON, through FT.CREATE, FT.SEARCH, FT.AGGREGATE and a few more. The Redis Query Engine has commands valkey-search doesn't list, such as FT.HYBRID and FT.ALIASLIST. If you depend on search, test your own queries on both.

Performance

Each project publishes its own numbers; these are vendor claims. Redis says Redis 8 brought over 30 performance improvements, with up to 87% faster commands (May 2025). The Linux Foundation says Valkey 9.0 delivers up to 40% more throughput than 8.1 (October 2025). Valkey reports 2.1 million requests per second on one server with 9.1 (May 2026). We haven't benchmarked them against each other yet.

Who hosts which

11 of 11 providers
Which engine each managed service with EU regions runs
Provider Owner Free tier EU region on free Persistence High availability Hosted MCP EU regions Engine
KVNestours: Our own productNetherlands[14]€9/mo (not on sale), 1 GiB[14]256 MiBYesNot yet (Starter is a cache)[14]No[14]Hosted[15]Germany[14]Redis 8.10, Valkey 9.1
Aiven(Partly verified)Finland[25]€16.86/mo, 1 GB[17]1 GBPartlyYes[22]No[21]Hosted[24]Frankfurt, Amsterdam[17]Valkey 9.1
OVHcloud(Partly verified)France[26]€46.93/mo, 4 GB[26]Nonen/aYes[26]No[26]Hosted[29]Gravelines, Roubaix +5[26]Valkey 9.1
UpCloud(Partly verified)Finland[35]€8/mo, 1 GB[30]Nonen/aYes[32]No[33]Community only[30]Helsinki, Frankfurt +6[30]Valkey
Stackhero(Partly verified)France[39]€16.86/mo, 1 GB[36]Nonen/aYes[36]No[36]None[36]France[36]Redis, Valkey
Clever Cloud(Partly verified)France[44]€5/mo, 128 MB[40]128 MBbetaYesYes[40]No[40]Run it yourself[45]Paris, Roubaix +2[41]Redis 8.10.2, Redis-compatible
Scaleway(Partly verified)France[46]€35.04/mo, 2 GB[46]Nonen/aYes[49]No[48]Community only[46]Paris, Amsterdam +1[46]Redis 7.2
Exoscale(Partly verified)Switzerland[54]€43.03/mo, 1 GB[51]Nonen/aYes[50]No[50]Community only[50]Frankfurt, Munich +3[52]Valkey 7.2.4
Redis Cloud(Partly verified)United StatesHQ[62]€4.44/mo, 250 MB[55]30 MBYesYes[57]Yes[58]Run it yourself[63]Frankfurt, Ireland +9[59]Redis 8.6
Render(Partly verified)United States[70]€8.88/mo, 256 MB[64]25 MBNot publishedYes[64]Not published[64]Hosted[69]Frankfurt[68]Valkey 8
Upstash(Partly verified)United States[77]€8.88/mo, 250 MB[71]250 MBYesYes[72]Not published[71]Hosted[75]Frankfurt, Ireland +1[73]Redis-compatible
YesPartlyNoNot publishedPartly verifiedSmallest paid plan a month, excluding VAT. Persistence: what you can buy today; HA: on that plan. [n] is a source.

The Engine column is the one to read. Aiven, OVHcloud, UpCloud, Exoscale and Render run Valkey; Redis Cloud, Scaleway and Clever Cloud run Redis; Stackhero and KVNest offer both. Upstash runs its own Redis-compatible engine.

Which to pick

You need time series: Redis. It's built in, and Valkey has no official module.

The license matters to you: Valkey, if you want BSD-3-Clause and foundation governance. Redis under AGPLv3 is also open source; read its terms if you plan to modify or host the server.

Your host picked for you: both are fine. Moving between them is a key copy, not a rewrite.

AI and vector search: test both. The Redis Query Engine has more commands; valkey-search covers vector search with filters. Run your own queries before you commit.

Try both on KVNest

Create one of each and run the same program. KVNest runs Redis Open Source 8.10 (AGPLv3) and Valkey 9.1 (BSD-3-Clause), upstream builds with admin commands disabled, at the same price. The Starter plan is free during the public preview. Modules are off by default; turning them on restarts the instance. To learn the commands, try the tutorials in your browser.

How we checked

From redis.io, valkey.io, the Linux Foundation and each project's repository, read on 5 November 2026; host facts from our EU provider comparison, checked on 4 November 2026. Found an error? Email legal@kvnest.com.

FAQ

Is Valkey a drop-in replacement for Redis?

For apps that use the core data types and commands, usually yes: Valkey continued from Redis 7.2.4 and speaks the same protocol. Check the modules and newer commands you rely on, since the two projects have added different features since 2024.

Is Redis open source again?

Since Redis 8, released in May 2025, you can use Redis Open Source under AGPLv3, an OSI-approved open source license, or under RSALv2 or SSPLv1. Redis 7.4 is RSALv2 or SSPLv1 only; Redis 7.2 and earlier are BSD-licensed.

Does Valkey have TimeSeries?

Not among its official modules. The valkey-bundle image ships JSON, Bloom, Search and LDAP modules, but no time-series type. Redis 8 includes TimeSeries.

Do I need a different client for Valkey?

No. Valkey speaks the Redis protocol, so mainstream Redis clients connect to it. Valkey also publishes its own client, Valkey GLIDE, which is optional.

Can I switch a KVNest instance from Redis to Valkey?

Not in place. The engine is fixed when you create the instance, so create a new one and copy your keys across.

Sources

All 77 sources, last checked 4 Nov 2026
  1. [1]Redis adopts dual source-available licensing (20 Mar 2024) (redis.io), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  2. [2]Redis is now available under the AGPLv3 license (1 May 2025) (redis.io), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  3. [3]Redis LICENSE.txt (tri-license from Redis 8) (github.com), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  4. [4]What's new in Redis 8.10 (redis.io), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  5. [5]Linux Foundation launches Valkey (28 Mar 2024) (linuxfoundation.org), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  6. [6]Valkey history (valkey.io), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  7. [7]Valkey COPYING (BSD-3-Clause) (github.com), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  8. [8]Valkey 9.0 release (Linux Foundation, 21 Oct 2025) (linuxfoundation.org), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  9. [9]Valkey 9.1 release post (19 May 2026) (valkey.io), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  10. [10]valkey-bundle image (modules) (hub.docker.com), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  11. [11]valkey-search README (github.com), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  12. [12]Valkey GLIDE client (github.com), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  13. [13]GNU AGPLv3, section 13 (gnu.org), checked 5 Nov 2026.
  14. [14]KVNest pricing (kvnest.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  15. [15]KVNest MCP docs (kvnest.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  16. [16]KVNest docs (kvnest.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  17. [17]Aiven for Valkey pricing (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  18. [18]Valkey free tier (docs) (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  19. [19]Free Valkey database (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  20. [20]Caching how-to (free tier placement) (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  21. [21]Valkey high availability by plan (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  22. [22]Valkey advanced parameters (valkey_persistence) (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  23. [23]Major version EOL table (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  24. [24]Aiven MCP server README (github.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  25. [25]Aiven terms (Finnish law) (aiven.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  26. [26]Public Cloud price list (Valkey tables) (ovhcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  27. [27]Databases for Valkey product page (ovhcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  28. [28]Valkey capabilities and limitations (docs.ovhcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  29. [29]OVHcloud MCP Server (ovhcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  30. [30]UpCloud pricing (Managed Valkey tables) (upcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  31. [31]Managed Valkey configurations (upcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  32. [32]Managed Valkey backups (upcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  33. [33]Managed Valkey availability (upcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  34. [34]Managed Valkey FAQ (upcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  35. [35]About UpCloud (upcloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  36. [36]Stackhero for Valkey pricing (stackhero.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  37. [37]Stackhero for Redis pricing (stackhero.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  38. [38]Stackhero for Valkey FAQ (stackhero.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  39. [39]Terms of service (stackhero.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  40. [40]Clever Cloud public add-on provider API (Redis and Materia KV plans) (api.clever-cloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  41. [41]Clever Cloud zones API (api.clever-cloud.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  42. [42]Redis add-on docs (clever.cloud), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  43. [43]Materia KV docs (clever.cloud), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  44. [44]Legal notice (clever.cloud), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  45. [45]mcp-simple-server README (github.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  46. [46]Managed Databases pricing (Redis table) (scaleway.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  47. [47]Scaleway public product catalog API (api.scaleway.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  48. [48]Redis FAQ (HA, cluster, node classes) (github.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  49. [49]Ensuring data persistence (github.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  50. [50]América Móvil raises its A1 Telekom Austria stake to 58% (TelecomTalk) (telecomtalk.info), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  51. [51]Exoscale pricing (Managed Valkey) (exoscale.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  52. [52]Exoscale zones (exoscale.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  53. [53]Valkey overview (community docs) (community.exoscale.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  54. [54]A1 group structure (Akenes S.A.) (a1.group), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  55. [55]Redis pricing (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  56. [56]Essentials plan details (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  57. [57]Data persistence (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  58. [58]High availability and replication (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  59. [59]Supported regions (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  60. [60]Quick start (free database region choice) (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  61. [61]Changelog (Redis 8.6 on Essentials, May 2026) (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  62. [62]Cloud terms of service (Redis entities) (redis.io), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  63. [63]mcp-redis-cloud README (github.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  64. [64]Render pricing (Key Value) (render.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  65. [65]Key Value docs (render.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  66. [66]Compute plans (Key Value plan IDs and connections) (render.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  67. [67]Free instances (render.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  68. [68]Regions (render.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  69. [69]MCP server (render.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  70. [70]Privacy policy (Render Services, Inc.) (render.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  71. [71]Upstash Redis pricing (upstash.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  72. [72]Durable storage (upstash.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  73. [73]Global database (region list) (upstash.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  74. [74]Redis API compatibility (upstash.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  75. [75]MCP server docs (upstash.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  76. [76]Prod Pack and Enterprise (upstash.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.
  77. [77]Terms of service (Upstash, Inc., Delaware) (upstash.com), checked 4 Nov 2026.

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