--- title: "raft vs redis" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/nvidia-raft-vs-redis-redis" tools: ["nvidia-raft", "redis-redis"] --- # raft vs redis *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick raft when raft is primarily Cuda; redis is C; pick redis when redis is primarily C; raft is Cuda. [raft](https://docs.rapids.ai/api/raft/stable/) reports 1.0k GitHub stars, 240 forks, and 448 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. [redis](http://redis.io) has 75k stars, 25k forks, and 2.9k open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [raft's repository](https://github.com/NVIDIA/raft) and [redis's repository](https://github.com/redis/redis). | | [raft](/tools/nvidia-raft.md) | [redis](/tools/redis-redis.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | RAFT contains fundamental widely-used algorithms and primitives for machine learning and information retrieval. The algorithms are CUDA-accelerated and form building blocks for more easily writing hig | Redis is a preferred cache, data structure server, and document & vector query engine for real-time applications. | | Stars | 1,026 | 75,394 | | Forks | 240 | 24,718 | | Open issues | 448 | 2,867 | | Language | Cuda | C | | 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. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Other | | Categories | Data & Retrieval, LLM Frameworks, Vector Databases | Data & Retrieval, Vector Databases | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [raft](/tools/nvidia-raft.md) | [redis](/tools/redis-redis.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Open issues (now) | 448 | 2.9k | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/nvidia-raft/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/redis-redis/trust.md) | ## 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 raft if… - raft is primarily Cuda; redis is C. - License: raft is Apache-2.0, redis is Other. - Tags unique to raft: anns, building-blocks, clustering, cuda. - Also covers LLM Frameworks. ### Choose redis if… - redis is primarily C; raft is Cuda. - License: redis is Other, raft is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to redis: cache, caching, database, in-memory. - You need high-speed access to frequently used data due to Redis's in-memory nature. ## When NOT to use raft - Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ## 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 raft and redis? raft: RAFT contains fundamental widely-used algorithms and primitives for machine learning and information retrieval. The algorithms are CUDA-accelerated and form building blocks for more easily writing hig. 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 raft over redis? Choose raft over redis when raft is primarily Cuda; redis is C; License: raft is Apache-2.0, redis is Other; Tags unique to raft: anns, building-blocks, clustering, cuda; Also covers LLM Frameworks. ### When should I choose redis over raft? Choose redis over raft when redis is primarily C; raft is Cuda; License: redis is Other, raft is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to redis: cache, caching, database, in-memory; You need high-speed access to frequently used data due to Redis's in-memory nature. ### When should I avoid raft? Data & Retrieval: Skip a heavy ingestion framework when your corpus is small and static; a script plus the embedding API is enough. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ### 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 raft or redis more popular on GitHub? redis has more GitHub stars (75,394 vs 1,026). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are raft and redis open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (raft: Apache-2.0, redis: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to raft or redis? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [raft alternatives](/tools/nvidia-raft/alternatives) and [redis alternatives](/tools/redis-redis/alternatives) ([raft markdown twin](/tools/nvidia-raft/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/nvidia-raft-vs-redis-redis.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, raft or redis? raft: 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 raft and redis? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [raft trust report](/tools/nvidia-raft/trust); [redis trust report](/tools/redis-redis/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=nvidia-raft`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=nvidia-raft) - 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/_