--- title: "crate vs redis" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/crate-crate-vs-redis-redis" tools: ["crate-crate", "redis-redis"] --- # crate vs redis *GraphCanon updated Aug 21, 2026* ## Verdict Pick crate if crateDB is distinguished by its capability to manage massive data volumes in near real-time with PostgreSQL compatibility and Lucene-based indexing; 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. [crate](https://cratedb.com/database) reports 4.4k GitHub stars, 608 forks, and 331 open issues, last pushed Aug 21, 2026. [redis](http://redis.io) has 76k stars, 25k forks, and 2.9k open issues, last pushed Jul 23, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [crate's repository](https://github.com/crate/crate) and [redis's repository](https://github.com/redis/redis). | | [crate](/tools/crate-crate.md) | [redis](/tools/redis-redis.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Distributed and Scalable SQL Database for Near Real-Time Data Analysis | Redis is a preferred cache, data structure server, and document & vector query engine for real-time applications. | | Stars | 4,424 | 75,627 | | Forks | 608 | 24,730 | | Open issues | 331 | 2,883 | | Language | Java | C | | Adopt for | CrateDB is distinguished by its capability to manage massive data volumes in near real-time with PostgreSQL compatibility and Lucene-based indexing. | 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 | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Other | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, Vector Databases | Data & Retrieval, Vector Databases | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [crate](/tools/crate-crate.md) | [redis](/tools/redis-redis.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Open issues (now) | 331 | 2.9k | | Stars delta | +8 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | +14 (30d) | Unknown | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/crate-crate/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/redis-redis/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: crate - **Adopt for:** CrateDB is distinguished by its capability to manage massive data volumes in near real-time with PostgreSQL compatibility and Lucene-based indexing. ## Decision facts: redis - **Adopt for:** 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. ## Choose when ### Choose crate if… - crate is primarily Java; redis is C. - License: crate is Apache-2.0, redis is Other. - Tags unique to crate: analytics, big-data, cratedb, distributed. - - When you require a SQL-compliant database with the flexibility of distributed architecture that can scale horizontally. ### Choose redis if… - redis is primarily C; crate is Java. - License: redis is Other, crate is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to redis: cache, caching, in-memory, json. - You need high-speed access to frequently used data due to Redis's in-memory nature. ## When NOT to use crate - - Avoid if your application environment strictly mandates a specific type of database that isn’t PostgreSQL-compliant, and requires custom integrations. - - Not suitable for applications needing absolute transactional guarantees with strict ACID compliance at the expense of performance. ## 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. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between crate and redis? crate: Distributed and Scalable SQL Database for Near Real-Time Data Analysis. 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 crate over redis? Choose crate over redis when crate is primarily Java; redis is C; License: crate is Apache-2.0, redis is Other; Tags unique to crate: analytics, big-data, cratedb, distributed; - When you require a SQL-compliant database with the flexibility of distributed architecture that can scale horizontally. ### When should I choose redis over crate? Choose redis over crate when redis is primarily C; crate is Java; License: redis is Other, crate is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to redis: cache, caching, in-memory, json; You need high-speed access to frequently used data due to Redis's in-memory nature. ### When should I avoid crate? - Avoid if your application environment strictly mandates a specific type of database that isn’t PostgreSQL-compliant, and requires custom integrations. - Not suitable for applications needing absolute transactional guarantees with strict ACID compliance at the expense of performance. ### 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 crate or redis more popular on GitHub? redis has more GitHub stars (75,627 vs 4,424). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are crate and redis open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (crate: Apache-2.0, redis: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to crate or redis? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [crate alternatives](/tools/crate-crate/alternatives) and [redis alternatives](/tools/redis-redis/alternatives) ([crate markdown twin](/tools/crate-crate/alternatives.md), [redis markdown twin](/tools/redis-redis/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/crate-crate-vs-redis-redis.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, crate or redis? crate: 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 crate and redis? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [crate trust report](/tools/crate-crate/trust); [redis trust report](/tools/redis-redis/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=crate-crate`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=crate-crate) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_