Neon vs Redis
Neon is a serverless Postgres database platform that separates storage and compute so databases scale to zero when idle, with instant copy-on-write branching for development and testing. Redis is an in-memory data structure store known for very low-latency reads and writes, most often used as a cache, session store or message broker sitting alongside a primary database rather than replacing one. Most applications use them together: Neon (or another database) for durable primary data, Redis for speed-critical caching and ephemeral state.
Facts checked on against the official sources listed at the end. Usage numbers update daily.
Best for
Holding an application's durable relational data with branching for dev workflows
Free plan.
Best for
Low-latency caching, session storage and messaging alongside a primary database
Free plan. Paid from about $0.007 an hour, with a $5 a month minimum, for the Essentials plan.
Neon vs Redis at a glance
| Compared on | Neon | Redis |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Primary relational database for application data | Cache, session store and message broker |
| Data persistence | Fully durable, disk-backed Postgres storage | In-memory by default; can be configured for persistence but optimized for speed |
| Database branching | Instant, copy-on-write branching for full database copies | No built-in equivalent |
| Typical latency | Millisecond-range, suited to durable relational queries | Sub-millisecond reads and writes for in-memory data |
| Licensing | Apache-2.0 (core storage engine), fully open source | Dual source-available license as of a March 2024 change; not a traditional open source license |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 (core storage engine) | No, Dual source-available license (not a traditional open source license as of the 2024 change) |
| Free plan | Yes: 0.5 GB storage and 100 compute hours a month per project, no credit card required | Yes: Redis Cloud's free tier includes up to 30 MB of storage on a shared deployment |
| Paid plans from | Not listed | about $0.007 an hour, with a $5 a month minimum, for the Essentials plan |
| Made by | Neon, Inc. (a Databricks company) | Redis (company) |
| Launched | 2021 | Not listed |
What's the difference between Neon and Redis?
Durable primary data vs speed-optimized caching
Neon is designed to be an application's system of record, storing durable relational data on disk; Redis is designed for speed, typically holding transient data like cached results, sessions or queues rather than a durable primary dataset.
Branching is unique to Neon
Neon's instant, copy-on-write database branching lets you create a full copy of a database for development or testing in seconds; Redis has no equivalent concept since it isn't built around durable, versioned datasets.
Licensing history diverges
Redis's licensing changed in March 2024 to a dual source-available model, meaning current versions aren't traditionally open source, prompting permissively licensed forks like Valkey. Neon's core storage engine remains Apache-2.0 licensed.
Data model differs
Redis supports data structures like sorted sets, streams and pub/sub channels suited to caching and messaging; Neon's relational Postgres model is built around tables, joins and transactions.
Neon vs Redis pricing
Neon has a free plan (0.5 GB storage, 100 compute hours/month) and usage-based Launch and Scale plans billed hourly. Redis Cloud has a free tier limited to 30 MB and paid plans starting around $5 a month minimum for Essentials.
Neon
Free: 0.5 GB storage and 100 compute hours a month per project. Launch and Scale: usage-based, billed hourly for compute and storage.
- Free
- $0 a month
- Launch
- Usage-based, billed hourly
- Scale
- Usage-based, billed hourly
Redis
Free: 30 MB storage on a shared deployment. Essentials from about $0.007 an hour, $5 a month minimum, covering 250 MB to 100 GB. Pro from about $0.014 an hour, $200 a month minimum, unlimited RAM.
- Free
- $0
- Essentials
- From $0.007 an hour, $5 a month minimum
- Pro
- From $0.014 an hour, $200 a month minimum (first $200 free)
Prices in USD from the official pricing pages on 3 October 2026. They change often, so confirm on neon.com and redis.io before you commit.
Usage and activity
Redis has 3.3 times as many GitHub stars as Neon (76.8k against 23.2k). Weekly npm downloads: 5.2M for @neondatabase/serverless and 17M for redis.
| Measure | Neon | Redis |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 23,210 | 76,834 |
| npm downloads a week | 5.2M (@neondatabase/serverless) | 17M (redis) |
| Latest release | release-proxy-88…, 1 year ago | 8.10.2, 4 weeks ago |
| Releases in 90 days | 0 | 5 |
From the public GitHub and npm APIs, updated daily. Stars and downloads show developer interest, not product quality.
Do you need Neon, Redis or both?
Use Neon when
- You need a durable primary Postgres database for your application's core data
- You want instant database branching for previews, tests or development copies
- You want compute that scales to zero and back up automatically to control cost
- Your data is relational and benefits from Postgres's structure
Use Redis when
- You need very low-latency caching in front of a slower primary database
- You want a message broker or pub/sub system for real-time messaging between services
- You're storing session data or rate-limiting counters that don't need long-term durability
- You already have a primary database and want to speed up specific hot paths
Switching between Neon and Redis
These tools are typically used together rather than as a substitute for each other. A common pattern is to keep durable data in Neon's Postgres database and add Redis in front of it purely for caching frequently accessed queries, storing sessions, or handling pub/sub messaging between services. There's no real migration path from one to the other, since they solve different problems; adopting Redis alongside an existing Neon project usually just means adding a Redis client library and caching layer to your application code.
Neon vs Redis: common questions
Can Redis replace a primary database like Neon?
Generally no. Redis is optimized for speed with in-memory storage, and while it can be configured for more durability, it's not typically used as an application's system of record the way a Postgres database is.
Is Redis still open source?
As of a licensing change announced 20 March 2024, current versions of Redis use a dual source-available license rather than a traditional open source license. Permissively licensed forks such as Valkey emerged in response.
Do most apps use Neon and Redis together?
Many do. It's common to use Neon (or another primary database) for durable data and add Redis as a caching or session layer to speed up specific parts of an application.
Does Neon's branching work for Redis-style caching too?
No, branching is a Postgres-specific feature for creating copies of durable relational data; it doesn't apply to Redis's in-memory, ephemeral data model.
What's the cheapest way to try Redis?
Redis Cloud's free tier includes up to 30 MB of storage on a shared deployment, enough for testing caching patterns before committing to a paid plan.
Other options to consider
All databases tools
Supabase
Open source Postgres development platform with auth, instant APIs, realtime, storage and edge functions.
MongoDB Atlas
MongoDB's fully managed cloud database service, with a free tier and usage-based paid tiers.
Firebase
Google's backend-as-a-service platform for mobile and web apps: database, auth, hosting and functions.
Pocketbase
Open source backend in a single executable file, with a database, auth and storage built in.
Sources
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