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Technology · head to head

Redis vs Zilliz

Redis logo

Redis

Technology

The real-time data platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zilliz logo

Zilliz

Databases

Managed vector database and vector lakebase for AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Redis licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage; Zilliz pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact
  • They diverge on capability: Redis covers In-memory data store, Zilliz covers Vector indexing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Redis and Zilliz actually diverge.

Attributes where Redis and Zilliz differ
AttributeRedisZilliz
Pricing modelUnknowncontact-sales
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsCloud, Self-hosted
CategoryTechnologyDatabases
Founded20092017

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 Redis

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

Only in Zilliz

  • Vector indexing
  • Distributed architecture
  • SQL interface
  • Tensor support
  • Real-time search
  • Cloud-native
  • Open-source compatible

What people use each for

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

Redis

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

Zilliz

  • Build retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systemsnot Redis
  • Implement semantic search over documentsnot Redis
  • Create multimodal search with text and imagesnot Redis
  • Power recommendation engines with vector similaritynot Redis
  • Enable similarity search on user embeddingsnot Redis

Where each one falls short

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

Zilliz

  • Pricing structure not publicly disclosed, requires sales contact
  • Operational complexity for self-hosted Milvus deployments
  • Learning curve for those unfamiliar with vector databases
  • Limited built-in analytics compared to some alternatives

Pricing, plan by plan

Redis

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Redis review.

Zilliz

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zilliz review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Zilliz if

  • You need vector indexing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want distributed architecture.
Zilliz review

Questions people ask

Is Redis or Zilliz better?
Neither clearly leads. Redis starts at Free and Zilliz at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Redis or Zilliz?
Redis starts at Free and Zilliz at Free.
Does Redis or Zilliz run on more platforms?
Redis runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Zilliz runs on Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use Redis for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Redis best used for?
Redis is most often used for caching, session management, real-time analytics, message queuing. Of those, caching and session management are not what Zilliz is typically brought in for.
What can Redis do that Zilliz cannot?
Redis covers In-memory data store, Data structures, Pub/Sub messaging, Lua scripting. Zilliz covers Vector indexing, Distributed architecture, SQL interface, Tensor support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Zilliz: What is the difference between Milvus and Zilliz Cloud?

Milvus is the open-source vector database that you can self-host. Zilliz Cloud is the fully managed service built on Milvus that removes operational overhead and handles scaling automatically.

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
Zilliz: How many vectors can Zilliz handle?

Milvus and Zilliz Cloud can store and search billions of vectors through their distributed architecture that separates storage and compute layers.

Source
Zilliz: Is Milvus open-source?

Yes, Milvus is open-source under the Apache License 2.0 and is part of the LF AI & Data Foundation.

Source
Zilliz: What pricing does Zilliz Cloud offer?

Zilliz Cloud pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting their team to discuss your specific scale and use case requirements.

Source
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