Valkey is the Linux Foundation fork of Redis, created in 2024 after Redis moved away from its BSD licence, and it stays under BSD. Redis is still developed by Redis Ltd., and from Redis 8 you can use it under AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1. Both are fast in-memory key/value stores for caching, queues and more; your choice mostly comes down to licence comfort and which managed service you use.
I read Redis's licensing page and its open source docs, then Valkey's home page and the history page on valkey.io. If you only remember one thing, make it this: the technical overlap is large, and the split is about licences and governance.
Redis and Valkey at a glance
| Redis | Valkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Redis Ltd. | A Linux Foundation project |
| Licence | Choose AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 from Redis 8 | BSD, which it promises stays open source forever |
| Origin | Created in 2009 by Salvatore Sanfilippo | Forked from open source Redis in 2024 |
| Latest release named | Redis 8.8 on redis.io | Valkey 9.1.2, the newest release on valkey.io |
| Main uses listed | Cache, vector and document database, streaming, message broker | Caching, message queues and primary database |
| Commercial products | Redis Cloud and Redis Software, closed source | None from the project itself; client libraries such as Valkey GLIDE |
| Free option (as of October 2026) | Yes, Redis Open Source is free to download | Yes, Valkey is free open source software |
Why Valkey exists at all
The Valkey history page tells the story plainly. In 2024 Redis Ltd. changed Redis from the open source BSD licence to two source-available licences, RSALv2 and SSPLv1, and neither counts as open source. Six active contributors, one each from Alibaba, Amazon, Ericsson, Google, Huawei and Tencent, launched Valkey as a Linux Foundation project. The announcement came only eight days after the licence change, and three weeks later seven more companies joined and the first release, Valkey 7.2.5, shipped.
What Redis changed since
Here's the part many comparisons miss. Redis's own licensing page now says that from Redis 8, you can pick one of three licences for Redis Open Source: RSALv2, SSPLv1 or AGPLv3. AGPLv3 is an approved open source licence, so Redis is open source again, but under AGPLv3 rather than the permissive BSD terms Valkey keeps. Redis's proprietary products, Redis Cloud and Redis Software, still need a commercial licence.
On features, Redis describes itself as an in-memory store used by millions of developers, with replication, on-disk persistence and data types from strings and hashes to sorted sets and JSON. Valkey describes itself as a high-performance key/value datastore for caching, message queues and primary database work, and keeps three supported lines: 9.1.2, 8.1.10 and 7.2.14.
If the licence question is what's nagging you, I answer it in my explainer on whether Redis is free.
Questions to settle before you pick
- Does your legal team accept AGPLv3, or does it prefer permissive BSD terms? That alone may decide it.
- Which managed service do you use? Redis lists Redis Cloud, Azure Managed Redis and Redis on AWS and Google Cloud; check what your cloud offers for Valkey.
- Are you on a Redis version older than the licence change? A Valkey 7.2 line exists for that starting point.
- Do you rely on Redis Ltd. products such as Redis Insight or its AI features? Those stay on the Redis side.
- Test your own workload on both before you commit; neither project's claims replace your numbers.
If you're choosing a data layer for a growing product, this guide on why your choice of database matters is a useful wider read, and so is this explainer on what a vector database does.
My advice on Valkey or Redis
If you're starting something new and want the simplest licence story, I'd start with Valkey: BSD terms, Linux Foundation backing and a familiar Redis-style model. If you already run Redis happily and AGPLv3 suits your lawyers, there's no urgent reason to move, especially if you use Redis's own cloud or tools. What I wouldn't do is switch on headlines alone. Run your real traffic through both for a week and let the results and your licence needs decide.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Valkey a fork of Redis?
Yes. Valkey's history page says it's a fork of open source Redis, launched as a Linux Foundation project after Redis changed its licence in 2024.
Is Redis open source again?
Redis's licensing page says that from Redis 8 you can use Redis Open Source under AGPLv3, an approved open source licence, or under RSALv2 or SSPLv1.
Who started Valkey?
Six active contributors, one each from Alibaba, Amazon, Ericsson, Google, Huawei and Tencent, with support from other companies.
What was the first Valkey release?
Valkey 7.2.5, announced three weeks after the project launched, alongside seven more companies joining.
What licence does Valkey use?
BSD. Valkey's home page says the Linux Foundation backing means it will remain open source forever.
