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Developer Tools · head to head

CLion vs Redis

CLion logo

CLion

Developer Tools

A cross-platform IDE for C and C++

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Redis logo

Redis

Technology

The real-time data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CLion specific subscription pricing not listed on product page; Redis licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CLion and Redis actually diverge.

Attributes where CLion and Redis differ
AttributeCLionRedis
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CLion

Nothing recorded that Redis does not also cover.

Only in Redis

  • In-memory data store
  • Data structures
  • Pub/Sub messaging
  • Lua scripting
  • Transactions
  • Persistence options
  • Replication
  • Clustering

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CLion

  • C and C++ development with real-time analysisnot Redis
  • Embedded systems and ARM toolchain developmentnot Redis
  • Remote development via Docker and WSLnot Redis
  • Educational programming instructionnot Redis
  • Cross-platform development for Linux and Windowsnot Redis

Redis

  • Cachingnot CLion
  • Session managementnot CLion
  • Real-time analyticsnot CLion
  • Message queuingnot CLion
  • Leaderboardsnot CLion

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CLion

  • Specific subscription pricing not listed on product page
  • Requires reference to separate store page for tier details
  • AI credits needed for integrated AI features
  • No mention of free trial for commercial use

Redis

  • Licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage
  • All data must fit in memory, limiting scalability to available RAM
  • No built-in support for multi-tenancy
  • Limited transaction support compared to traditional databases

Pricing, plan by plan

CLion

Free
  • Free (Non-commercial)Free
    • Non-commercial use license
    • Full IDE features for hobby and open-source projects
  • Free (Educational)Free
    • Student licenses
    • Teacher licenses
    • Full IDE access for educational purposes
  • Subscription$null/month
    • Different subscription options for individuals and organizations
    • 25% discount for switching from competing products

Redis

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Redis review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CLion if

  • You want to start without paying.
CLion review

Choose Redis if

  • You need in-memory data store.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want data structures.
Redis review

Questions people ask

Is CLion or Redis better?
Neither clearly leads. CLion starts at Free and Redis at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CLion or Redis?
CLion starts at Free and Redis at Free.
Does CLion or Redis run on more platforms?
CLion runs on Web. Redis runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use CLion for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CLion best used for?
CLion is most often used for c and c++ development with real-time analysis, embedded systems and arm toolchain development, remote development via docker and wsl, educational programming instruction. Of those, c and c++ development with real-time analysis and embedded systems and arm toolchain development are not what Redis is typically brought in for.
What can CLion do that Redis cannot?
Redis covers In-memory data store, Data structures, Pub/Sub messaging, Lua scripting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CLion: Is CLion free?

CLion offers free licenses for students, teachers, and non-commercial use. Commercial users can purchase subscriptions with organization pricing available.

Source
Redis: Is Redis open source?

Redis was open source under the BSD license since its inception in 2009 and has remained open source. However, in 2024-2025, Redis Labs changed licensing to source-available and AGPL, prompting the creation of Valkey, a BSD-licensed open-source fork.

Source
CLion: What free options does CLion provide?

CLion provides non-commercial use licenses for open-source and hobby projects, plus full licenses for students and teachers without cost.

Source
Redis: What is Redis used for?

Redis is an in-memory data structure store used primarily as a cache, database, and message broker. It provides high-speed data access for real-time applications, sessions, leaderboards, real-time analytics, and other use cases requiring fast data retrieval.

Source
CLion: Does CLion include AI assistance?

Yes, CLion natively integrates AI with support for Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Grok models. Users can apply JetBrains AI credits or bring their own API keys to avoid vendor lock-in.

Source
CLion: Are there discounts for switching to CLion?

CLion offers a competitive discount of 25% for users switching from other IDEs and similar products.

Source
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