Redis Enterprise Alternatives: Valkey, Redis Open Source, Cloud Caches and Support Options

The short answer

Start with the features you use. Redis Software, the product formerly called Redis Enterprise, adds Active-Active geo-distribution, SSD tiering through Flex, multi-tenant clusters, automated re-sharding and centrally managed RBAC with LDAP. If your applications depend on those, Redis Software or Redis Cloud is the right home. If you use Redis as a cache, a session store or a queue with standard commands, the alternatives are:

• Valkey, the BSD-licensed Linux Foundation fork of Redis 7.2, now on its 9.x line.
• Redis Open Source, which from Redis 8 can be used under AGPLv3 as well as RSALv2 or SSPLv1.
• A managed cache: Amazon ElastiCache for Valkey, Google Memorystore for Valkey or Azure Managed Redis.
• Community Redis or Valkey with a support contract, from Percona, OpenLogic, Canonical or OSSeva.

What Redis Software gives you that the alternatives do not

Redis's own comparison page lists the features of Redis Software that Redis Open Source lacks: Active-Active geo-distribution, extending memory with SSD through Flex, multi-tenancy with several databases in one cluster, automated scaling, re-sharding and rebalancing, built-in high availability and disaster recovery management, centrally managed RBAC, connection and authentication auditing, LDAP integration and HashiCorp Vault support, plus support from Redis. Check your configuration for each before you plan a move. Active-Active databases in particular have no equivalent in Valkey or Redis Open Source, and moving them means redesigning how the application handles writes in more than one region.

Redis Software has its own lifecycle. Cluster version 7.4 reaches end of life on 30 November 2026, 7.8 on 30 May 2027 and 7.22 on 30 October 2027, so a cluster upgrade may be due whichever way you go. Redis and Valkey support providers lists the dates.

Redis Enterprise alternatives compared

Azure is retiring Azure Cache for Redis: the Enterprise and Enterprise Flash tiers on 31 March 2027 and Basic, Standard and Premium on 30 September 2028. Microsoft's replacement, Azure Managed Redis, uses the Redis Enterprise software, so on Azure the managed route keeps you on Redis's commercial stack.

Valkey or Redis Open Source?

Both are drop-in for standard Redis clients and commands. Valkey keeps the BSD licence that Redis used up to 7.2, is developed under the Linux Foundation, and is offered as a managed service by AWS and Google. Redis Open Source 8 brings modules such as JSON, time series and the query engine into the core, under a choice of three licences, AGPLv3 among them. If licence review is the reason you are leaving Redis Enterprise, Valkey is the simpler answer. If you need Redis 8 data types, check whether AGPLv3 works for how you distribute or host the software. Valkey vs Redis compares them in depth, and the Redis licence change covers the history.

How the move works

1. List every Redis Software database and the features each one uses: Active-Active, Flex, modules, RBAC, LDAP.
2. Move the databases that use none of them, and no modules, first. Load the data into Valkey or Redis Open Source and cut over by switching the client endpoint.
3. Rework or keep the databases that depend on Redis Software features, on their own timeline.
4. If the target is a Redis or Valkey cluster, check that every client library is configured for cluster mode.

Migrating from Redis to Valkey covers the replication and cutover steps in detail.

Where OSSeva fits

OSSeva for Redis supports self-managed community Redis and Valkey: patched, signed builds of BSD-licensed Redis 6.2 and 7.0 past community end of life, support for 7.2 and for Valkey 7.2 and 8.x, delivered through Docker, apt and yum. OSSeva Assure adds an ACL, persistence and cluster topology security review with an attestation package, and OSSeva Operate adds 24/7 monitoring, a 15-minute P1 response and a named Redis engineer. Pricing is per cluster, not per GB of memory, so a larger cache does not change the bill. Redis and Valkey sit under the same contract as PostgreSQL, MySQL and RabbitMQ. Teams that rely on Active-Active or other Redis Software features should stay with Redis for those databases. OSSeva vs Redis Enterprise compares the two directly; book a discovery call for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Redis Enterprise?

For standard caching and data structure workloads, Valkey or Redis Open Source, either self-managed with a support contract or as a managed cloud cache. For Active-Active geo-distribution and other Redis Software features there is no open source equivalent.

Is Redis Enterprise the same as Redis Software?

Yes. Redis now calls its self-managed commercial product Redis Software and its managed service Redis Cloud. Both were previously marketed under the Redis Enterprise name.

Is Redis open source again?

From Redis 8, Redis Open Source can be used under AGPLv3, an OSI-approved licence, as one of three options alongside RSALv2 and SSPLv1. Redis 7.4 was available only under RSALv2 or SSPLv1, and Redis 7.2 and earlier are BSD-3-Clause.

How is Redis Enterprise priced?

Redis publishes hourly plans for Redis Cloud and sells self-managed and multi-cloud deployments on annual plans through its sales team. To compare with your current support costs using your own figures, try the support cost calculator.

Who offers Valkey enterprise support?

Percona, Perforce OpenLogic, Canonical through Ubuntu Pro, Broadcom's TrueSource Data Services and OSSeva all name Valkey. AWS, Google and Aiven run it as a managed service.

Can we move from Redis Enterprise to Valkey without downtime?

For databases that use no Redis Software-only features or modules, usually with a short cutover: load the data into Valkey, keep it in step, then switch the client endpoint. Active-Active databases need an application redesign first.