Redis vs Valkey: What Changed and Which to Use

For years Redis was BSD-licensed open source. In 2024 Redis (the company) switched new versions to source-available licences. In response, contributors forked the last BSD version as Valkey, hosted by the Linux Foundation. Later, Redis added the open-source AGPLv3 as a licence option starting with Redis 8.

The timeline

• Up to Redis 7.2 - BSD licence.
• 2024 - Redis 7.4 moves to dual RSALv2/SSPL licensing. Valkey is forked from 7.2 and backed by several major cloud providers.
• 2025 - Redis 8 adds AGPLv3 as an option, and folds modules such as JSON, search and time series into the core distribution. Valkey continues independently under BSD with its own releases.

Compatibility

• Valkey speaks the same protocol and commands as Redis 7.2, so existing clients (node-redis, ioredis, redis-py, Jedis) work unchanged.
• Features added after the fork can differ between the two, so check docs when you rely on newer commands or modules.
• Configuration and persistence files are compatible for the versions around the fork.

On managed services

Several cloud providers now offer Valkey-based managed caches, sometimes at a lower price than their Redis offering. Your application code usually needs no changes; only the endpoint differs.

How to choose

• Using Redis purely as a cache or queue through standard commands: either works. Pick based on your provider, price and support.
• Need Redis-specific newer features (for example the built-in query engine or vector search in Redis 8): Redis.
• Need a permissive BSD licence, for example because you redistribute it in a product: Valkey.
• Self-hosting under AGPLv3 is fine for most internal use, but get legal advice if you offer it as part of a service to others.

Keep client code to standard commands where you can, and switching between them stays a configuration change.