Redis Is Open Source Again. But Is It Too Late?
I stumbled upon the Redis 8 release announcement a few days ago and had to do a double take.
Redis is open source again.
Not “source available,” not dual-licensed under a proprietary wrapper, but actually open source under the AGPLv3 license, which is OSI-approved. After a year of heated debate, forks, and community backlash, this is a significant shift.
And it left me thinking about the many teams, including several I know, that already made the switch to Valkey.
How Did We Get Here?¶
This didn’t happen in a vacuum. In March 2024, Redis moved away from its long-standing BSD license to a dual-license model using RSALv2 and SSPLv1. The goal was straightforward: stop large cloud providers from monetizing Redis as a managed service without contributing back.
It worked to a point. Microsoft signed commercial terms. Amazon and Google didn’t. Instead, they backed a fork called Valkey, built on Redis 7.2.4, and hosted it under the Linux Foundation. Distros like Arch Linux dropped Redis in favor of Valkey. The move sent a clear message: the community wasn’t happy.
At the time, Redis CEO Rowan Trollope believed most users wouldn't care about the license change. But over time, the conversations shifted. Developers, open source advocates, and potential Redis users began raising concerns. It wasn’t just about functionality anymore. It was about trust.
Salvatore’s Return and the Redis 8 Pivot¶
Then came the return of Salvatore Sanfilippo, the original creator of Redis. His influence on Redis 8 is hard to miss. He brought back a vision that focused not just on innovation, but also on rebuilding ties with the developer community.
Redis 8 introduces some major upgrades. Vector sets, a new data type optimized for AI use cases, is now part of core Redis. JSON, time series, and probabilistic data types from Redis Stack are also integrated natively. All of this, now available under the AGPLv3 license.
AGPL is not a permissive license like BSD. It has strict copyleft requirements, especially for software offered over a network. But it is still open source, and it represents a major step in trying to realign with the broader community.
But Here’s the Problem¶
For many in the community, it feels like Redis is showing up after the party ended.
A lot of developers have already made the move to Valkey. They’ve rewritten their Dockerfiles, Helm charts, and even monitoring setups. Some of them are contributors now. Others have already convinced their teams and clients to switch. And more importantly, many no longer trust Redis Ltd. to stick to an open source promise.
When the license changed in 2024, contributors were caught off guard. Projects relying on Redis had to freeze or fork. Even now, the Redis website lists RSALv2, SSPLv1, and AGPLv3 as “choices.” This tri-license model, while flexible, also raises concerns. If Redis decided to remove AGPLv3 in the future, would users be stuck again?
One commenter put it bluntly: "Trust is built over years and lost in a moment."
Should You Switch Back?¶
If you're already using Valkey, there’s probably no urgency to change anything. Redis 8 is technically impressive, but it doesn’t offer anything game-changing for those happy with Valkey’s roadmap. And with Valkey getting multi-threaded I/O and ongoing backing from major cloud providers, it has momentum.
On the other hand, if you're starting a new project and looking for a fast, feature-rich in-memory database, Redis 8 is now a valid open source choice again. It has better defaults, new data types, and a familiar ecosystem.
But whether Redis can recover from the damage to its reputation is a bigger question. It’s one thing to open source your code. It’s another to rebuild the trust of a community that felt abandoned.
Final Thoughts¶
Part of me is happy Redis made this move. Salvatore returning, AGPL adoption, and Redis 8’s improvements all show they are listening again. But I also can’t ignore how many people I know have moved on. For them, Redis 8 is a “good to know” moment, not a “time to switch back” one.
Redis may be open source again. The real challenge now is proving it means to stay that way.
FAQs
What license is Redis using now, and how is it different from before?
Redis 8 is now licensed under the AGPLv3, a true open-source license with strong copyleft provisions. This marks a shift from the previous RSALv2/SSPLv1 dual-license model, which restricted commercial use and sparked community backlash.
Why did Redis change its license back to an open-source one?
The license reversion followed widespread community dissatisfaction, forks like Valkey, and Redis’s loss of trust among developers. The return of Redis creator Salvatore Sanfilippo played a key role in refocusing Redis on openness and developer trust.
What’s new in Redis 8?
Redis 8 introduces several features natively:
- Vector sets for AI/ML workloads
- Built-in JSON, time series, and probabilistic data types (previously part of Redis Stack)
These enhancements aim to modernize Redis while staying competitive with forks like Valkey.
Should teams currently using Valkey switch back to Redis?
Not necessarily. Valkey continues to be backed by major cloud vendors, supports modern features, and has built trust in the open-source community. Redis 8 is a strong offering, but teams happy with Valkey’s direction may not see a compelling reason to switch back.
Why is there still skepticism about Redis’s open-source commitment?
Despite adopting AGPLv3, Redis maintains a tri-license model that still includes RSALv2 and SSPLv1. Many developers recall the abrupt 2024 license change and remain cautious about Redis Ltd.'s long-term intentions and governance model.
