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Databases · head to head

PostgreSQL vs Redis

PostgreSQL logo

PostgreSQL

Databases

The world's most advanced open source relational database

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: PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments; Redis licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage
  • They diverge on capability: PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, Redis covers In-memory data store.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PostgreSQL and Redis actually diverge.

Attributes where PostgreSQL and Redis differ
AttributePostgreSQLRedis
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, BSD, UnixLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryDatabasesTechnology
Founded19962009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 PostgreSQL

  • ACID Compliance
  • JSON/JSONB Support
  • Full-text Search
  • Extensibility
  • Advanced Indexing
  • Partitioning
  • pgAdmin
  • DBeaver

Only in Redis

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

Both cover

  • Replication

What people use each for

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

PostgreSQL

  • Transaction processingnot Redis
  • Data storagenot Redis
  • Application backendnot Redis
  • Reportingnot Redis
  • Data analyticsnot Redis

Redis

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

Where each one falls short

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

PostgreSQL

  • Requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • Performance tuning requires deep knowledge of database internals
  • No built-in graphical admin interface; command-line tools are primary method

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

PostgreSQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL review.

Redis

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Redis review.

Which should you pick?

Choose PostgreSQL if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
  • You also want json/jsonb support.
PostgreSQL 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 PostgreSQL or Redis better?
Neither clearly leads. PostgreSQL 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, PostgreSQL or Redis?
PostgreSQL starts at Free and Redis at Free.
Does PostgreSQL or Redis run on more platforms?
PostgreSQL runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix. Redis runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use PostgreSQL for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is PostgreSQL best used for?
PostgreSQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Redis is typically brought in for.
What can PostgreSQL do that Redis cannot?
PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, JSON/JSONB Support, Full-text Search, Extensibility. Redis covers In-memory data store, Data structures, Pub/Sub messaging, Lua scripting. Both handle Replication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PostgreSQL: Is PostgreSQL completely free?

Yes. PostgreSQL is completely free and open source with no licensing fees or restrictions on use.

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
PostgreSQL: What platforms does PostgreSQL run on?

PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems including Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, and commercial Unix variants, and has been proven highly scalable managing terabytes to petabytes of data.

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
PostgreSQL: What procedural languages are supported?

PostgreSQL supports stored functions and procedures in multiple languages including PL/pgSQL, Perl, Python, Tcl, Java, JavaScript, R, and Rust.

Source
PostgreSQL: What is ACID compliance in PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL has been ACID-compliant since 2001, ensuring data integrity through atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability guarantees for all transactions.

Source
PostgreSQL: Does PostgreSQL support JSON data?

Yes. PostgreSQL supports JSON and JSONB data types for storing and querying JSON documents, along with XML and other document formats.

Source
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