Redis Reverts to Open Source and Introduces Vector Data Types

Redis, the popular in-memory data structure store, has made a significant shift by reverting to an open-source license after a period of proprietary commercialization. The latest version, Redis 8, will now operate under the Affero General Public License (AGPL 3), which is recognized by the Open Source Initiative.

This decision was announced by the company's CEO, Rowan Trollope, who highlighted the necessity of this change following the transition to the Server Side Public License (SSPLv1) in March 2024. This earlier move was aimed at limiting the influence of major cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, which had begun to fork Redis for their own services. Trollope voiced concern over the sustainability of open-source projects, questioning how innovation could be maintained when large cloud providers profit from these projects without contributing back.

The shift back to open source also comes in response to community dissatisfaction with proprietary licensing models. For example, the emergence of forks like Redict following the SSPL implementation illustrated the community's desire for genuine open-source collaboration. Many contributors expressed feelings of betrayal over the previous licensing, citing a need for a more transparent and collaborative development environment.

Alongside the licensing change, Redis is set to introduce new features that will enhance its capabilities. The database will now support vector data types, expanding its functionality beyond traditional key-value storage. This update will also integrate additional data types such as JSON, time series, and probability data, previously available only in the commercial variant known as Redis Stack. The enhancements include a new query engine and performance optimizations aimed at improving user experience.

With these changes, Redis aims to foster a more collaborative ecosystem, encouraging contributions from developers and maintaining its position as a leading choice for developers looking for robust and flexible data storage solutions.