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Databases · head to head

Solace PubSub+ vs Valkey

Solace PubSub+ logo

Solace PubSub+

Databases

Multi-protocol event broker sold as software, cloud service or a hardware appliance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Valkey logo

Valkey

Databases

Open-source in-memory data store forked from Redis

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Solace PubSub+ no pricing is published at any tier, so evaluation requires a sales engagement before you can even judge whether it is in budget, and broker tier sizing determines cost in ways buyers frequently get wrong.; Valkey younger project, so its track record is short even though the codebase is not
  • They diverge on capability: Solace PubSub+ covers Multi-protocol broker, Valkey covers Redis-compatible.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Solace PubSub+ and Valkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Solace PubSub+ and Valkey differ
AttributeSolace PubSub+Valkey
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separately
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud, Hardware applianceLinux, macOS, Docker, Self-hosted

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

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 Solace PubSub+

  • Multi-protocol broker
  • Dynamic message routing
  • Hardware appliance
  • Event Portal
  • Guaranteed delivery
  • Mission Control
  • Topic hierarchies and wildcards
  • Kafka and MQ bridging

Only in Valkey

  • Redis-compatible
  • BSD licensed
  • Rich data structures
  • Replication and persistence

What people use each for

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

Solace PubSub+

  • A bank building an event mesh across regions where a Java JMS application and an MQTT mobile client must share the same topic spacenot Valkey
  • An exchange or trading platform with a latency budget that needs the hardware appliance rather than a software brokernot Valkey
  • An airline distributing operational events to ground systems, aircraft and partner APIs over different protocolsnot Valkey
  • A manufacturer bridging factory MQTT telemetry into an enterprise Kafka estate without writing translation servicesnot Valkey

Valkey

  • Continuing on a permissively licensed in-memory store after the Redis licence changenot Solace PubSub+
  • Caching and session storage where a foundation-governed project is a procurement requirementnot Solace PubSub+
  • Migrating from Redis without rewriting application codenot Solace PubSub+

Where each one falls short

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

Solace PubSub+

  • No pricing is published at any tier, so evaluation requires a sales engagement before you can even judge whether it is in budget, and broker tier sizing determines cost in ways buyers frequently get wrong.
  • The free Standard edition has hard capacity and support limits, which makes it useful for development but means any real deployment triggers a commercial negotiation.
  • The proprietary SMF protocol gives the best performance and feature coverage, so teams that lean on it acquire real switching costs even though open protocols are supported.
  • Operating a self-managed high availability broker pair with disaster recovery is a specialist task, and Solace expertise is scarce in the hiring market compared with Kafka skills.
  • Event Portal and Mission Control are licensed as part of platform packages, so the governance tooling that makes an event mesh manageable is not simply included with the broker.

Valkey

  • Younger project, so its track record is short even though the codebase is not
  • Divergence from Redis grows over time, so compatibility is strongest near the fork point and weakens as both evolve
  • Ecosystem tooling and documentation still frequently assume Redis, leaving translation work

Pricing, plan by plan

Solace PubSub+

Free
  • Software Event Broker StandardFree
    • Free for production within capacity limits
    • Single node, capped connections and queues
    • No vendor support
  • Solace Cloud$undefined/year
    • Managed brokers in tiers from ENT-250 to ENT-100K
    • Foundation, Accelerate and Scale platform packages
    • Fixed subscription or annual consumption drawdown
  • Software Enterprise self-managed$undefined/year
    • Deploy in your own Kubernetes, VMs or data centre
    • High availability and disaster recovery
    • Support with SLA
  • Hardware appliance$undefined/year
    • Purpose-built appliance with FPGA message offload
    • Deterministic low latency
    • Sold with support contract

Valkey

Free
  • ValkeyFree
    • Full functionality
    • Self-hosted
    • No usage limits

Which should you pick?

Choose Solace PubSub+ if

  • You need multi-protocol broker.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud, Hardware appliance.
  • You also want dynamic message routing.
Solace PubSub+ review

Choose Valkey if

  • You need redis-compatible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want bsd licensed.
Valkey review

Questions people ask

Is Solace PubSub+ or Valkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Solace PubSub+ starts at Free and Valkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Solace PubSub+ or Valkey?
Solace PubSub+ starts at Free and Valkey at Free.
Does Solace PubSub+ or Valkey run on more platforms?
Solace PubSub+ runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud, Hardware appliance. Valkey runs on Linux, macOS, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Solace PubSub+ for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Solace PubSub+ best used for?
Solace PubSub+ is most often used for a bank building an event mesh across regions where a java jms application and an mqtt mobile client must share the same topic space, an exchange or trading platform with a latency budget that needs the hardware appliance rather than a software broker, an airline distributing operational events to ground systems, aircraft and partner apis over different protocols, a manufacturer bridging factory mqtt telemetry into an enterprise kafka estate without writing translation services. Of those, a bank building an event mesh across regions where a java jms application and an mqtt mobile client must share the same topic space and an exchange or trading platform with a latency budget that needs the hardware appliance rather than a software broker are not what Valkey is typically brought in for.
What can Solace PubSub+ do that Valkey cannot?
Solace PubSub+ covers Multi-protocol broker, Dynamic message routing, Hardware appliance, Event Portal. Valkey covers Redis-compatible, BSD licensed, Rich data structures, Replication and persistence.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Solace PubSub+: Is there a free version of Solace?

Yes, the Standard edition of the software event broker is free for production within capacity limits, with no vendor support.

Valkey: Is Valkey free?

Yes, BSD-licensed open source under the Linux Foundation.

Solace PubSub+: Does Solace publish prices?

No. Cloud, software and appliance are all quoted, based on broker tier from ENT-250 to ENT-100K and licensing model.

Valkey: Why does Valkey exist?

Redis changed its licence away from BSD in 2024. Valkey is the community fork continuing under permissive terms, backed by AWS, Google Cloud and Oracle among others.

Solace PubSub+: Why buy an appliance in 2026?

Deterministic low latency with message processing offloaded to hardware, which matters in capital markets and little elsewhere.

Valkey: Can I switch from Redis to Valkey?

At the fork point it is drop-in compatible with existing clients and data. The further both projects move from that point, the more you should verify the specific features you use.

Solace PubSub+: Can it replace Kafka?

Not for log retention and stream reprocessing. It is stronger at multi-protocol routing and guaranteed delivery, and the two are often bridged.

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