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Dropbox vs Redis

Dropbox logo

Dropbox

Technology

Cloud storage and file synchronization service

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: Dropbox the free Basic plan gives 2 GB of storage; Redis licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage
  • They diverge on capability: Dropbox covers File synchronization, Redis covers In-memory data store.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dropbox and Redis actually diverge.

Attributes where Dropbox and Redis differ
AttributeDropboxRedis
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebLinux, macOS, Windows
Founded20072009

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

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 Dropbox

  • File synchronization
  • Cloud storage
  • File sharing
  • Version history
  • Offline access
  • Microsoft Office
  • Google Workspace
  • Slack

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.

Dropbox

  • File backupnot Redis
  • Team collaborationnot Redis
  • Content sharingnot Redis
  • Remote worknot Redis

Redis

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dropbox

  • The free Basic plan gives 2 GB of storage
  • Version history is 30 days on Plus, 180 days on Standard and 1 year on Advanced
  • File transfers are capped at 50 GB on Plus and 100 GB on the team plans
  • The Advanced team plan requires a minimum of 3 users at $24 per user per month
  • eSignature requests are limited to 3 per month on Plus and Standard

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

Dropbox

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 2GB storage
    • File sharing and storage
  • Plus$9.99/month
    • 2TB storage
    • File transfer up to 50GB
    • PDF editing
  • Standard$15/month
    • 3TB for team
    • 180-day file recovery
    • 100GB transfers
  • Advanced$24/month
    • 15TB for team
    • 1-year file recovery
    • End-to-end encryption

Redis

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Redis review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Dropbox if

  • You need file synchronization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want cloud storage.
Dropbox 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 Dropbox or Redis better?
Neither clearly leads. Dropbox 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, Dropbox or Redis?
Dropbox starts at Free and Redis at Free.
Does Dropbox or Redis run on more platforms?
Dropbox runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Redis runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Dropbox for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dropbox best used for?
Dropbox is most often used for file backup, team collaboration, content sharing, remote work. Of those, file backup and team collaboration are not what Redis is typically brought in for.
What can Dropbox do that Redis cannot?
Dropbox covers File synchronization, Cloud storage, File sharing, Version history. Redis covers In-memory data store, Data structures, Pub/Sub messaging, Lua scripting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dropbox: How much does Dropbox cost?

Dropbox offers a free 2GB plan. Plus is $9.99/month (2TB), Standard is $15/user/month (3TB team), and Advanced is $24/user/month (15TB team).

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
Dropbox: Is Dropbox free?

Yes, Dropbox Basic is free with 2GB of storage for personal use and file sharing.

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
Dropbox: What is the difference between Dropbox Plus, Standard, and Advanced?

Plus at $9.99/month offers 2TB personal storage. Standard at $15/user/month offers 3TB for teams with 180-day recovery. Advanced at $24/user/month offers 15TB with 1-year recovery and single sign-on.

Source
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