Redis has made a significant decision to adopt dual source-available licensing, announced by Rowan Trollope, the CEO of Redis, on March 20, 2024. This change will ensure that future versions of Redis will be released under the Redis Source Available License (RSALv2) and Server Side Public License (SSPLv1), effectively replacing the previous three-clause Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) license.
Hello and welcome 🤗 . In this episode, it's all about Redis, so without further ado, lets get started!
Since its inception, Redis has been a cornerstone in providing high performance and simplicity for modern Internet applications and data infrastructure. Over its 15 years of existence, Redis has garnered a substantial user base globally, supporting essential real-time applications. The adoption of dual licensing, a model previously implemented for advanced Redis modules under the Redis Stack distribution, aims to further enhance Redis's capabilities by combining advanced data types and processing engines.
The new source-available licenses will allow Redis to continue offering permissive use of its source code sustainably. This move signifies a transition into the next phase of Redis's development, positioning it as a real-time data platform with a unified set of clients, tools, and core product offerings. These offerings will include features such as search, JSON, vector, probabilistic, and time-series data models, all integrated into one free, downloadable software package.
However, the success of Redis has posed challenges, particularly concerning commercial sales predominantly driven by major cloud service providers. To address this, under the new licensing terms, cloud service providers will no longer have free access to Redis source code for hosting Redis offerings. Instead, they will need to agree to licensing terms with Redis to access future versions of Redis, ensuring support for existing integrated solutions and access to upcoming innovations.
Despite these changes, the Redis developer community will continue to benefit from permissive licensing, and Redis client libraries will remain open source. Additionally, Redis will maintain its support for its partner ecosystem, including managed service providers and system integrators, through its Partner Program.
Overall, Redis's new licensing approach aims to strike a balance between broad availability of the source code, minimal limitations for the developer community, and the protection of Redis's ability to invest in feature-rich software and enterprise products.
The Future
In a recent post (March 21) Redis announced a shift in licensing, paving the way for a future focused on simplicity, innovation, and community collaboration. With plans to integrate advanced features into its Community Edition and streamline the developer experience, Redis aims to stay at the forefront of real-time data platforms. Notably, the acquisition of Speedb promises enhanced speed and efficiency.
Curious about the details? Read more on this blog on how Redis is shaping the future of data management.
Personally, I can't help but wondering : is this the end for Redis as we know it? I'd love to hear your take on these changes.
Until next time!.....
Top comments (15)
IDK, it feels like fully scalable, easy-to-deploy Redis services may be reduced significantly given this. Depends on how much they charge I guess. "Free access" now feels like it's baiting a hook for expensive services - so really feels like the Open Source principles are dying. Perhaps they have to. I'm interested in the new functionality for sure, and this will give them a way to pay for it - but that does mean us paying for it at the end if the day.
Hey Mike,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's understandable to have concerns about the new licensing. Let's hope the changes strike a good balance between innovation and accessibility. Excited to see how Redis evolves!
I feel like there are going to be a number of redis clones coming to market. The idea / tech stack is not exactly a hard one to generate, and there are two well known clones already with keydb and dragon fly db out there. I also found out last night Microsoft open sourced there clone recently as well. I understand where redis is coming from, however they could have taken a module or core/pro approach to this, then change the full license and upset a number of engineers who have worked on the product for free over the years
Considering that Redis the company didn't even invent Redis the software, it's no surprise. Im not sure where his last name originates from or how it sounds in his homeland but if you take off the e from the end of his name you have a word in English, trollop. That describes him.
Redis is the invention of Antirez. He is the one who made the software from the very beginning on his own before Redis the company ever came along. Antirez assigned the rights to the software to the company after going to work for them under the company's old name.
There are a few of them out there already!
Dragonfly & KeyDB for example. And they are good & have some extra functionality for free for which you already had to buy redis enterprise.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. It's true that the landscape might see some shifts. Let's see how Redis adapts to the changes ahead.
"cloud service providers will no longer have free access to Redis source code for hosting Redis offerings"
So, what you are saying is that we should expect our cloud hosting bills to go up, because if they aren't going to eat the cost
@ashrobertsdragon it's possible, yes, the shift in Redis's licensing may prompt adjustments in cloud hosting costs. With cloud service providers no longer having free access to the Redis source code, there might be changes in pricing models.
However, Redis aims to strike a balance between sustainability and accessibility, ensuring continued innovation while supporting its ecosystem. Let's keep an eye on how this unfolds and hope for solutions that benefit all parties involved.
So if the cloud providers aren't going to have access to the source code without agreeing to a license, that means we won't have access to the source code without agreeing to the license. Which kind of makes this not exactly open source anymore.
My other thought is it's a key value store. It sounds like they're tossing everything including the kitchen sink into this, and turning it into the next PostgreSQL, which will impact speed and possibly introduce vulnerabilities.
Cloud providers can have the source code. They can't use it to sell redis services without a licence though.
Why don't software product like Redis provide services to companies? If my company is stuck with redis usecase for 3 days, I would need 5 min call with redis developers to sort it out.
Wouldn't help if they did. Lots of companies have tried and you can't out compete on price if you're paying the development costs and your competitors are getting your product for free. Besides, redis is a fast store. You need it in the same data centre as the code using it. So if redis were to host its own redis service it'd have to offer a full suite wouldn't it? Better they stick to what they do well and let others do what they do well. But amazon, Microsoft etc shouldn't be making huge sums of money off the back of open source devs without compensation
Certainly, we used that to solve our issues with SQLite (previous setup)..
Thank you for sharing !!
My pleasure!