Comparison
chroma vs redis
Verdict
Pick chroma if chroma is an open-source data infrastructure for AI designed to support vector, hybrid, and full-text search capabilities with high performance; pick redis if redis is an in-memory database designed as a versatile cache and data structure store with advanced features such as JSON operations and vector searches, making it suitable for real-time applications.
Markdown twin · chroma alternatives · redis alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
Trust & integrity
| Signal | chroma | redis |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Security (OSV) | 8 low (8 low) As of today · osv@v1 | No lockfile As of today · none |
Tagline
- chroma
- Search infrastructure for AI
- redis
- Redis is a preferred cache, data structure server, and document & vector query engine for real-time applications.
Stars
- chroma
- 29k
- redis
- 75k
Forks
- chroma
- 2.4k
- redis
- 25k
Open issues
- chroma
- 728
- redis
- 2.9k
Language
- chroma
- Rust
- redis
- C
Adopt for
- chroma
- Chroma is an open-source data infrastructure for AI designed to support vector, hybrid, and full-text search capabilities with high performance.
- redis
- Redis is an in-memory database designed as a versatile cache and data structure store with advanced features such as JSON operations and vector searches, making it suitable for real-time applications.
Persona
- chroma
- -
- redis
- -
Runtime
- chroma
- -
- redis
- -
License
- chroma
- Chroma is released under the Apache 2.0 license.
- redis
- Other
Last pushed
- chroma
- Jul 10, 2026
- redis
- Jul 10, 2026
Categories
- chroma
- Data & Retrieval, Vector Databases
- redis
- Vector Databases, Data & Retrieval
Trust and health
Open issues (now)
- chroma
- 728
- redis
- 2.9k
Security scan
- chroma
- 8 low (8 low)
- redis
- No lockfile
Full report
- chroma
- Trust report
- redis
- Trust report
Choose chroma if…
- chroma is primarily Rust; redis is C.
- License: chroma is Apache-2.0, redis is Other.
- Pricing: The open-source version is free to use and modify; the hosted service (Chroma Cloud) has a freemium model offering $5 of initial credits..
- Requirements: Min 1 GB RAM.
- Tags unique to chroma: full-text-search, agents, rust, rust-lang.
- - When you require a high-performance data infrastructure that can handle complex query needs for AI applications. - If your project necessitates fast, cost-effective, and scalable serverless services
When NOT to use chroma
- - In scenarios where a more mature or enterprise-grade solution is required, as Chroma might be rapidly evolving and not yet fully stabilized.
- - If your project requires extensive customization at the lower levels that the relatively new tool might not support comprehensively yet
- - When the specific need for an AI application does not benefit from vector, hybrid, or full-text search capabilities that Chroma excels in.
Choose redis if…
- redis is primarily C; chroma is Rust.
- License: redis is Other, chroma is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to redis: cache, json, nosql, in-memory.
- You need high-speed access to frequently used data due to Redis's in-memory nature.
When NOT to use redis
- Your project has limited memory resources since Redis relies on in-memory storage, which could lead to high costs or operational challenges with large datasets.
- You prioritize persistence over speed; while Redis offers persistence options, its primary design is for real-time access and not robust disk-based backup solutions like traditional SQL databases.
- Your application workload does not benefit from the fast read/write capabilities and rich data structure support offered by Redis, possibly implying that a less specialized database would suffice.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (chroma-core/chroma) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (chroma-core/chroma) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (chroma-core/chroma) · observed Jul 10, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (redis/redis) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (redis/redis) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (redis/redis) · observed Jul 10, 2026
- License file (Other) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: chroma 29k · redis 75k (synced Jul 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between chroma and redis?
- chroma: Search infrastructure for AI. redis: Redis is a preferred cache, data structure server, and document & vector query engine for real-time applications.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose chroma over redis?
- Choose chroma over redis when chroma is primarily Rust; redis is C; License: chroma is Apache-2.0, redis is Other; Pricing: The open-source version is free to use and modify; the hosted service (Chroma Cloud) has a freemium model offering $5 of initial credits.; Requirements: Min 1 GB RAM; Tags unique to chroma: full-text-search, agents, rust, rust-lang; - When you require a high-performance data infrastructure that can handle complex query needs for AI applications. - If your project necessitates fast, cost-effective, and scalable serverless services.
- When should I choose redis over chroma?
- Choose redis over chroma when redis is primarily C; chroma is Rust; License: redis is Other, chroma is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to redis: cache, json, nosql, in-memory; You need high-speed access to frequently used data due to Redis's in-memory nature.
- When should I avoid chroma?
- - In scenarios where a more mature or enterprise-grade solution is required, as Chroma might be rapidly evolving and not yet fully stabilized. - If your project requires extensive customization at the lower levels that the relatively new tool might not support comprehensively yet - When the specific need for an AI application does not benefit from vector, hybrid, or full-text search capabilities that Chroma excels in.
- When should I avoid redis?
- Your project has limited memory resources since Redis relies on in-memory storage, which could lead to high costs or operational challenges with large datasets. You prioritize persistence over speed; while Redis offers persistence options, its primary design is for real-time access and not robust disk-based backup solutions like traditional SQL databases. Your application workload does not benefit from the fast read/write capabilities and rich data structure support offered by Redis, possibly implying that a less specialized database would suffice.
- Is chroma or redis more popular on GitHub?
- redis has more GitHub stars (75,394 vs 28,763). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are chroma and redis open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (chroma: Apache-2.0, redis: Other).
- Where can I find alternatives to chroma or redis?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at chroma alternatives and redis alternatives (chroma markdown twin, redis markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, chroma or redis?
- chroma: Very active. redis: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for chroma and redis?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: chroma trust report; redis trust report.