Redis, a popular in-memory data store, has made a significant shift in its licensing strategy, returning to its open-source roots by offering Redis 8 under the AGPLv3 license. This move follows a similar decision by Elastic in August 2024 and marks a significant change in Redis' licensing path. According to Redis CEO Rowan Trollope, the goal of this change is to level the playing field with cloud providers, allowing Redis to focus on product development and innovation.

The shift to AGPLv3 is seen as a strategic move to counter the Valkey fork, which is maintained by AWS and Google. Trollope believes that this change will enable Redis to compete more effectively with Valkey, as both companies can now focus on shipping the best possible product. With Salvatore Sanfilippo, the creator of Redis, and the team that built it, Trollope is confident that Redis will come out on top.

The Valkey fork, which has gained significant traction with nearly 20,000 GitHub stars, over 750 forks, and more than 5 million Docker pulls, is seen as a viable alternative to Redis. However, Trollope believes that the fork has actually helped Redis, as it has allowed the company to focus on product differentiation and innovation. According to Trollope, the license change has not had any negative impact on Redis' business, and the company has actually seen record growth since making the switch.

The move to AGPLv3 has sparked debate in the open-source community, with some arguing that it is a short-term tactic for marketing and distribution purposes rather than a long-term software development methodology. However, Trollope disagrees, stating that the team that built Redis is best equipped to carry the mantle for open-source Redis. Others argue that a foundation, rather than a company, would be a better steward for an open-source project, citing examples such as Linux and Kubernetes.

Despite the debate, the shift to AGPLv3 has given developers a clear choice between two great alternatives. Valkey, described as a high-performance key/value data store, focuses on scalability and memory efficiency, making it an attractive option for cloud deployments. Redis, on the other hand, positions itself as a real-time data platform, with a focus on AI and emerging technologies. Developers can now choose the solution that best fits their needs, and both open-source options are set to thrive.

In conclusion, Redis' decision to shift to AGPLv3 is a significant move that has far-reaching implications for the open-source community. By focusing on product development and innovation, Redis is poised to compete effectively with Valkey, and developers are set to benefit from having a clear choice between two great alternatives. As Trollope notes, "We think [changing to AGPLv3 is] the right thing to do for our users, and it's the right strategic direction for the company."