- Redis changed licence: versions 7.4 to 7.8 are under RSALv2 or SSPLv1, and Redis 8.0 onwards adds AGPLv3 as a third option. Valkey, a BSD-licensed fork of Redis 7.2 backed by the Linux Foundation, is the alternative AWS and Google now support.
- Amazon ElastiCache offers Valkey, Redis OSS and Memcached; AWS prices Valkey 33% lower on Serverless and 20% lower on node-based clusters than its other engines.
- Azure Cache for Redis is retiring: Enterprise tiers on 31 March 2027 and Basic, Standard and Premium on 30 September 2028. Microsoft recommends Azure Managed Redis, built on Redis Enterprise software.
- Redis Cloud (from Redis Inc.) runs on AWS, Google Cloud and Azure with a free 30 MB plan; Upstash sells serverless Redis per request with a free tier.
Redis licence changes and Valkey
Choosing managed Redis now starts with the licence history. The Redis repository on GitHub states that versions 7.2.x and earlier are BSDv3, versions 7.4.x to 7.8.x are under a choice of RSALv2 or SSPLv1, and 8.0.x and later are under RSALv2, SSPLv1 or AGPLv3 at your option. AWS describes the background: in March 2024, after Redis Inc. announced that future versions would no longer be open source, the Linux Foundation and Redis contributors forked Redis OSS 7.2 as Valkey.
Valkey is BSD-licensed and backed by the Linux Foundation; its 9.x line is current. For managed services this has two effects. AWS and Google offer Valkey as a first-class engine alongside, or instead of, Redis OSS. Microsoft and Redis Inc. offer services built on Redis Enterprise software. Both families speak the Redis protocol, so most client libraries work with either, but newer Redis 8 features and newer Valkey features differ, so check the features you rely on.
Managed Redis providers compared
The table summarises what each provider documents. "Redis-compatible" means the service implements the Redis protocol; the engine underneath is named where the provider names it.
| Service | Engine | Clouds | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon ElastiCache | Valkey, Redis OSS, Memcached | AWS | Serverless or node-based clusters | Valkey priced lower than Redis OSS |
| Redis Cloud | Redis (Redis Software features) | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure | Essentials and Pro plans | Free 30 MB Essentials plan |
| Azure Managed Redis | Redis Enterprise software (Redis 7.4.x) | Azure | Memory Optimized, Balanced, Compute Optimized, Flash Optimized tiers | Replaces Azure Cache for Redis |
| Azure Cache for Redis | Fork of Redis OSS | Azure | Basic, Standard, Premium, Enterprise | Retiring 2027 and 2028 |
| Memorystore for Valkey | Valkey 7.2, 8.0, 9.0, 9.1 | Google Cloud | Cluster Mode Enabled or Disabled | Supports a subset of Valkey commands |
| Memorystore for Redis | Redis | Google Cloud | Basic and Standard tiers | Standard tier for high availability |
| Upstash Redis | Redis-compatible | AWS, GCP (and Fly, Vercel) | Pay per request or fixed plans | Free tier 256 MB, 500K commands a month |
Amazon ElastiCache: AWS Redis and Valkey
ElastiCache is the default managed Redis on AWS. AWS documents that it works with the Valkey, Memcached and Redis OSS engines, and that you can run it as a serverless cache or a node-based cluster. All Redis OSS 7.2 features are available in Valkey 7.2 and later, and some existing Redis OSS clusters can be upgraded to Valkey; AWS says Redis OSS reserved nodes carry over to Valkey nodes in the same family and region.
On AWS Redis pricing, Serverless charges for average data stored per GB-hour and for ElastiCache Processing Units (ECPUs); node-based clusters charge per node-hour. AWS states that Valkey "starts at $6/month" and is 33% cheaper on Serverless and 20% cheaper on node-based clusters than its other engines, with a lower minimum storage for Valkey Serverless (100 MB rather than 1 GB). Older Redis OSS versions past end of support incur Extended Support premiums, so plan upgrades.
Azure: Azure Managed Redis replaces Azure Cache for Redis
Microsoft has announced the retirement of Azure Cache for Redis. According to Microsoft Learn, the Enterprise and Enterprise Flash tiers retire on 31 March 2027, and the Basic, Standard and Premium tiers retire on 30 September 2028, with remaining instances disabled from 1 October 2028. Microsoft recommends upgrading to Azure Managed Redis now rather than waiting.
Azure Managed Redis is based on Redis Enterprise software, supports Redis 7.4.x, and comes in four tiers: Memory Optimized (8:1 memory to vCPU), Balanced (4:1), Compute Optimized (2:1) and Flash Optimized, which moves less-used data to NVMe storage. Instances are clustered by default, so client libraries must be configured for clustered Redis, and Microsoft notes some management operations, regions and SKU sizes were not yet available when it published its migration FAQ. Azure Redis pricing is per instance per month, with high availability (two nodes) costing twice the single-node price.
Redis Cloud, Google Memorystore and Upstash
Redis Cloud is Redis Inc.'s fully managed service. You choose AWS, Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure and a region when you create a database. Plans are Essentials (free 30 MB, then paid plans from 250 MB that add high availability and backups) and Pro for larger deployments; Redis documents migration guides from ElastiCache and Memorystore.
Google Memorystore offers Memorystore for Valkey (fully managed, with Cluster Mode Enabled or Disabled and up to five replicas per shard) and Memorystore for Redis (Basic tier standalone, or Standard tier with high availability up to 300 GB), plus Memorystore for Redis Cluster. Google notes that Memorystore for Valkey supports a subset of the Valkey command library.
Upstash sells serverless Redis billed per request, which suits low or spiky traffic and edge platforms. Its free tier includes 256 MB of data and 500K commands a month; pay-as-you-go is priced per 100K commands, and fixed plans start at 10 USD a month.
How to choose a managed Redis service
- Your app runs on AWS: ElastiCache, choosing Valkey unless you need a Redis-only feature.
- Your app runs on Azure: Azure Managed Redis for anything new; plan migrations off Azure Cache for Redis before the retirement dates.
- Your app runs on Google Cloud: Memorystore for Valkey, or Memorystore for Redis for existing Redis deployments.
- You want Redis 8 features or multi-cloud: Redis Cloud.
- Serverless or edge apps with uneven traffic: Upstash or ElastiCache Serverless.
Redis is usually a cache or secondary store next to a primary database; for how it compares as a data store, see Redis vs PostgreSQL and Redis vs MongoDB.
Pricing
Prices from the provider's official pricing pages, checked 8 October 2026, region AWS US East (N. Virginia) as used in AWS's pricing examples; Azure Central US; Upstash list prices, in USD, excluding tax. List prices only; discounts, commitments and your actual usage change the bill.
These are starting points, not complete bills. ElastiCache node-hour rates for each instance type did not render in our verification tool, so only the prices AWS states in its pricing text and examples are quoted. Google Memorystore and Redis Cloud paid plan prices are not quoted here; check their pricing pages for your region and size.
| Service | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| ElastiCache Serverless for Valkey, storage | 0.084 USD per GB-hour | US East (N. Virginia), AWS example |
| ElastiCache Serverless for Valkey, requests | 0.0023 USD per million ECPUs | US East (N. Virginia), AWS example |
| ElastiCache for Valkey, entry point | Starts at 6 USD per month | AWS pricing FAQ |
| ElastiCache backup storage | 0.085 USD per GiB per month | All AWS Regions |
| Azure Managed Redis Balanced B0 (1 GB) | 13.14 USD per month one node; 26.28 USD high availability | Central US, pay as you go |
| Azure Managed Redis Balanced B1 (1 GB) | 25.55 USD per month one node; 51.10 USD high availability | Central US, pay as you go |
| Redis Cloud Essentials (30 MB) | Free | Learning and test projects |
| Upstash Redis | Free tier; 0.2 USD per 100K commands; fixed from 10 USD per month | Upstash pricing page |
Small ElastiCache Serverless for Valkey cache
- 2 GB average data stored, running 730 hours
- 1,000 requests per second, each under 1 KB (1 ECPU per request)
- US East (N. Virginia); excludes data transfer and backups
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| Data storage | 2 GB x 0.084 USD x 730 hours | 122.64 USD |
| ECPUs | 3.6 million ECPUs per hour x 0.0023 USD per million x 730 hours | 6.04 USD |
| Estimated total | 128.68 USD per month |
Azure Managed Redis Balanced B0 with high availability
- 1 GB Balanced B0, two nodes (high availability), Central US
- Pay as you go; excludes data transfer
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| B0 two-node instance | Listed monthly price | 26.28 USD |
| Estimated total | 26.28 USD per month |
Worked examples are estimates calculated from the list prices above; they are not quotes or measured bills.
Frequently asked questions
Is Redis still open source?
Redis 8.0 and later can be used under AGPLv3, RSALv2 or SSPLv1 at your option, according to the Redis GitHub repository. Versions 7.4 to 7.8 are only under RSALv2 or SSPLv1. Valkey, the Linux Foundation fork of Redis 7.2, is BSD-licensed.
Should I use Valkey or Redis OSS on ElastiCache?
AWS prices Valkey lower (33% on Serverless, 20% on node-based) and documents that all Redis OSS 7.2 features are available in Valkey 7.2 and later. Choose Redis OSS only if you depend on behaviour specific to it.
Is Azure Cache for Redis being retired?
Yes. Microsoft Learn states the Enterprise and Enterprise Flash tiers retire on 31 March 2027 and the Basic, Standard and Premium tiers on 30 September 2028. Microsoft recommends moving to Azure Managed Redis.
What is the cheapest managed Redis?
For tiny workloads, the free tiers of Redis Cloud (30 MB) and Upstash (256 MB, 500K commands a month) cost nothing. For paid caches, ElastiCache for Valkey starts at about 6 USD a month by AWS's own figure, and Azure Managed Redis B0 is 13.14 USD a month for one node in Central US.
Is Redis Cloud available on AWS and Azure?
Yes. When you create a Redis Cloud database you choose Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure as the cloud vendor, then a region.
Sources
- Amazon ElastiCache pricing
- AWS: What is Valkey
- Amazon ElastiCache User Guide: What is ElastiCache
- Amazon ElastiCache User Guide: Engine versions
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Cache for Redis retirement FAQ
- Microsoft Learn: What is Azure Managed Redis
- Azure Managed Redis pricing
- Google Cloud: Memorystore for Valkey overview
- Google Cloud: Memorystore for Redis overview
- Redis Cloud documentation
- Redis Cloud: Essentials plans
- Redis Cloud quick start
- Redis on GitHub (licence)
- Valkey
- Upstash Redis pricing
Checked 8 October 2026.
How we research cloud database guides: our editorial method. CodeWithSQL earns nothing from the providers mentioned.