The Redis License Timeline: BSD to SSPL to AGPL (2024-2026)
The license saga that turned a two-way choice (Redis vs Memcached) into a three-way choice (Redis vs Memcached vs Valkey). 7 events, every date sourced.
Why did Redis change its license in March 2024, from BSD to RSALv2 and SSPLv1?
On 20 March 2024 Redis Inc dropped the permissive 3-clause BSD license. Every release from Redis 7.4 onward became dual source-available under RSALv2 or SSPLv1, neither of which is OSI-approved open source. Redis gave two stated reasons:
- Cloud providers commoditizing its work: in Redis's words, “the majority of Redis' commercial sales are channeled through the largest cloud service providers, who commoditize Redis' investments and its open source community.” Under the new licenses those providers must agree commercial terms with Redis before they can host the Redis source for free.
- Simpler packaging: the change let Redis fold the formerly separate Redis Stack modules (search, JSON, vector, probabilistic, time-series) into the core product from Redis 8, ending the need for a separate Stack build.
The details: the change is not retroactive, so Redis 7.2.4 and every earlier release stay BSD. It made Redis non-open-source by the OSI definition until AGPLv3 was added as a third option in Redis 8.0 (May 2025). The following week the Linux Foundation forked Redis 7.2.4 into Valkey, the BSD-licensed successor. Source: Redis blog, 20 Mar 2024.
What is Redis's license in 2026? Is Redis still open source?
Partially open source. Since Redis 8.0 (May 2025) Redis ships under a tri-license: you may choose AGPLv3 (OSI-approved open source) or the source-available SSPLv1 / RSALv2. The current line is Redis 8.10 (July 2026), still tri-licensed. Every release through Redis 7.2.4 (before March 2024) stays BSD. Valkey is the Linux Foundation BSD fork with no copyleft, the fully unrestricted option for commercial shops.
The license points to Valkey. Which engine do you actually pick?
Once the SSPL/AGPLv3 question pushes you off Redis, the real choice is between the two BSD-licensed caches, or a full three-way with Redis 8.x still in the mix. The decision guides:
Do AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure support Valkey? (2024-2026)
Short answer: AWS ElastiCache and Google Cloud Memorystore both default new clusters to Valkey; Microsoft Azure Cache for Redis ships no managed Valkey. The 2024 license change is what reshaped these managed-service defaults, the full timeline is below.
| Provider / service | Managed Valkey? | Since |
|---|---|---|
| AWS ElastiCache (+ MemoryDB) | Yes - default for new clusters | GA Oct 2024 |
| Google Cloud Memorystore for Valkey | Yes - default for new instances | 2025 |
| Azure Cache for Redis / Azure Managed Redis | No managed Valkey - Redis Enterprise only | AMR GA May 2025 |
For Valkey or Memcached on Azure you self-host on VMs or AKS. Verified July 2026 against provider docs (ElastiCache now runs Valkey 9.1, added June 2026; Memorystore runs Valkey 9.0; latest community Valkey is 9.1).
See when each cloud added Valkey: AWS / GCP / Azure, 2024-2026 →Redis launches under 3-clause BSD
Salvatore Sanfilippo (antirez) creates Redis. BSD-3-Clause license: do what you want, just retain the copyright notice. This remains the license through Redis 7.2.4.
Redis drops BSD for SSPLv1 + RSALv2
Redis Inc announces Redis 7.4 onward will use a dual source-available license: SSPLv1 (MongoDB's anti-managed-service license) and RSALv2 (Redis Source Available License v2, which restricts competing with Redis Inc as a managed service). The OSI does not recognise either as open source.
Source: Redis blog: dual source-available licensing→Linux Foundation announces Valkey
The Linux Foundation forks Redis 7.2.4 (last BSD release) and names it Valkey. Backed by AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle, Ericsson, and others. Goal: maintain a BSD-licensed, drop-in-compatible Redis successor. AWS announces ElastiCache will transition to Valkey.
Source: TechCrunch: why AWS, Google and Oracle are backing Valkey→Aiven migrates 15,000 servers to Valkey
Aiven completes a 15,000-server migration from Redis to Valkey in 3 months (May-August 2024). One of the largest documented production migrations in the ecosystem. Aiven reports 20% cost savings vs equivalent Redis Cloud.
Source: Valkey blog: 2024 year of Valkey→Antirez rejoins Redis Inc
Salvatore Sanfilippo (antirez), original Redis creator who had stepped back from Redis Inc in 2020, rejoins the company (announced 10 December 2024). Community reads this as a signal of Redis Inc refocusing on developer trust; he goes on to drive the AGPLv3 re-licensing and the vector sets data type.
Source: Redis blog: Welcome back to Redis, antirez→Redis 8.0 GA: tri-licensed RSALv2 / SSPL / AGPLv3
Redis 8.0 goes GA with a tri-license: RSALv2, SSPLv1, and AGPLv3. Users may choose whichever license applies to their use case. AGPLv3 is OSI-approved open source, making Redis OSI-open-source-compliant again for the first time since March 2024. Redis 8.0 also ships vector sets (HNSW-based similarity search), hash field TTL, and vendor-claimed latency improvements (up to 78% on bitmaps, vendor-sourced).
Source: Redis blog: AGPLv3 re-add→Valkey 9.0 / 9.1; AWS and GCP default to Valkey
Valkey 8.1 (Mar 2025) used ~28% less memory at 50M sorted-set entries vs Redis 8.0 (Momento benchmark, independent). Valkey 9.0 (21 Oct 2025) added hash field TTL (HEXPIRE) in core plus atomic slot migration; Valkey 9.1 (19 May 2026) is the latest. Vector similarity search is available via the official valkey-search module (GA July 2025). AWS ElastiCache and Google Memorystore both default to Valkey for new deployments. The remaining Redis-only feature is the VADD/VSIM vector set data type built into Redis 8.0 core.
Source: Momento: Valkey vs Redis memory efficiency→The four license options decoded
OSI = Open Source Initiative. "Source-available" means you can read the code but use is restricted.
| License | OSI-approved? | What it restricts | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSD-3-Clause | Yes | Nothing meaningful | Memcached (always), Redis (until 7.2.4), Valkey (always) |
| SSPLv1 | No | Cannot offer as managed service without open-sourcing entire stack | Redis 7.4-8.x (one of three options) |
| RSALv2 | No (source-available) | Cannot compete with Redis Inc as a managed service | Redis 7.4-8.x (one of three options) |
| AGPLv3 | Yes | Copyleft over the network: modified deployments must publish source | Redis 8.0+ (one of three options) |
Which license blocks you?
SaaS / cloud provider offering managed Redis
SSPL and RSALv2 both directly target managed-service providers. AGPLv3 is also problematic. This is why AWS, Google, and Oracle backed Valkey. If you are AWS ElastiCache or a similar service, Redis 7.4+ is effectively not usable. Use Valkey.
Closed-source SaaS embedding Redis in your product
AGPLv3's network copyleft is the concern: if you run a modified Redis as a service, you must publish your modifications. RSALv2 restricts you from competing with Redis Inc as a managed service (most SaaS products do not cross this line). Many legal teams flag AGPLv3 regardless. Valkey BSD is the conservative choice.
Internal tool, no external service
Any Redis license works in practice. AGPLv3 copyleft does not trigger unless you are offering the software as a service to external users. Internal use of Redis 8.0 under AGPLv3 is generally fine, but get your legal team to confirm for your specific context.
Regulated, air-gapped, or distribution-restricted environments
AGPLv3 obligations may not apply if there is no network interaction with external users, but interpretation varies. Valkey BSD is the safe path for environments with strict software distribution policies. Memcached is also BSD.
The “stay on Redis 7.2.4 BSD” question
Redis 7.2.4 is the last BSD-licensed release (released before the March 2024 license change). Some teams are running it in 2026 as a “license dodge”: it works, it is BSD-clean, and it requires no migration. The problem is security patches: community security backports to 7.2.4 are not guaranteed past 2026-2027. Running a frozen version of Redis in production accumulates tech debt fast, and any vulnerability that emerges in Redis 8.x may or may not get a 7.2.4 backport.
If you want BSD-clean and maintained, the correct path is Valkey, not frozen Redis 7.2.4. Valkey is the intended open-source successor to that baseline.
Calculate the cost of accumulated tech debt → techdebtcost.comVerdict: 2026 license guidance
If license is the primary question, Valkey is the safer 2026 answer for most commercial shops. Redis 8.0 AGPLv3 is fine for many uses, especially internal tooling, but check with your legal team before shipping a product on it. Memcached has always been BSD and continues to be. Redis 7.2.4 BSD works today but stop-gap only.
License FAQ
Is Redis still open source?⌄
Partially, since May 2025. Redis 8.0 added AGPLv3 as a third option alongside SSPLv1 and RSALv2. AGPLv3 is OSI-approved open source. But SSPLv1 and RSALv2 are source-available, not open source by OSI definition. Many commercial shops cannot use AGPLv3's copyleft. Valkey (BSD) is the fully unrestricted option.
Why did Redis change its license in March 2024, from BSD to RSALv2 and SSPLv1?⌄
Redis Inc announced the change in March 2024, effective from Redis 7.4 onward. Its stated reason: the majority of Redis's commercial sales were being channeled through the largest cloud service providers, who in Redis's words commoditize Redis's investments and its open source community. Under the new licenses, cloud providers can no longer host Redis from the source code free of charge; they must agree to commercial terms with Redis. Redis also used the move to fold the formerly separate Redis Stack modules (search, JSON, vector, time-series) into the core product. Because neither SSPLv1 nor RSALv2 is OSI-approved, Redis was no longer open source by the OSI definition until AGPLv3 was added in May 2025. The change is not retroactive: Redis 7.2.4 and all earlier releases stay under the original 3-clause BSD license.
What is SSPL?⌄
Server Side Public License, written by MongoDB. Requires that if you offer a product that uses SSPL-licensed software as a service, you must open-source the entire stack (your service, provisioning, monitoring, etc.). The OSI rejected SSPL as not open source. AWS, Google, and Oracle backed the Valkey fork partly because SSPL makes managed-service offerings legally fraught.
What is AGPLv3?⌄
GNU Affero General Public License v3. OSI-approved open source. Copyleft that triggers over the network: if you run a modified AGPLv3 program as a service and users interact with it over the network, you must provide the modified source. For companies with proprietary services built on Redis, this may require open-sourcing your application code. Valkey's BSD license has no such restriction.
Is Redis 7.2.4 still safe to run?⌄
Redis 7.2.4 is the last BSD-licensed Redis release (March 2024 cutoff). It is safe to run in 2026, but security patches are not backported to it. Estimated end-of-community-patch: 2026-2027. Running it as a 'license dodge' works today but accumulates tech debt. Valkey is the intended successor for BSD-compatibility.
Why did AWS back Valkey?⌄
AWS backed the Valkey fork because Redis's SSPL and RSALv2 licenses make the managed-service business model (AWS ElastiCache for Redis) legally fraught. SSPLv1 specifically targets managed-service providers. With Valkey's BSD license, AWS can continue offering managed in-memory stores without license risk. AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle, and Ericsson co-founded the Linux Foundation Valkey project in April 2024.
Do AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure support Valkey?⌄
AWS and Google Cloud do; Azure does not. Amazon ElastiCache for Valkey went GA in October 2024 and Valkey is now the default engine for new ElastiCache clusters (AWS MemoryDB is also Valkey-based). Google Cloud Memorystore for Valkey launched in 2025 and is the default and recommended path for new instances. Microsoft Azure ships no managed Valkey: its first-party services are Azure Cache for Redis and Azure Managed Redis (Redis Enterprise, GA May 2025), and Azure steers new workloads there. For managed Valkey on Azure you self-host on VMs or AKS.