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Best Key-Value Databases in 2026

Key-value databases give applications a way to store and retrieve values by key. Compared on clustering support, deployment model, persistence modes, and supported protocols, these options also differ in TTL and multi-region support, as well as maximum value size. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Amazon DynamoDB, Riak KV, and RocksDB are among the databases shown, with Aerospike Database and etcd also included. Consider the storage behavior, scale, and deployment choices your application needs, then compare the published capabilities that matter for its workload.

  1. 1

    Aerospike Database

    by Aerospike Database
    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3

    Aerospike Database offers multiple data models, storage choices, and replication modes in one engine. Check edition support and licensing notes for connectors and security features when assessing fit.

    9.3 Free plan Visit site
  2. 2

    Apache Ignite

    Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2

    Choose Apache Ignite if you need a free, open-source distributed database with SQL, partition-spanning transactions, and an in-memory primary tier.

    9.2 Open source Visit site
  3. 3

    Amazon DynamoDB

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5

    DynamoDB offers managed NoSQL storage with automatic scaling, multiple access patterns and recovery options.

    7.7 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    Apache Accumulo

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Apache Accumulo combines distributed key/value storage with per-key query controls and cluster scaling. Check the release maturity and HDFS requirements before choosing a version for deployment.

    7.4 Open source Visit site
  5. 5

    etcd

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    etcd provides self-hosted distributed storage with watches, expiry and failure tolerance, and is central to Kubernetes.

    7.4 Open source Visit site
  6. 6

    Apache Kvrocks

    Free plan APILinuxMac+1

    Apache Kvrocks offers Redis-compatible access with RocksDB storage, persistence, replication, and clustering.

    7.2 Open source Visit site
  7. 7

    Redis Insight

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2

    Redis Insight brings Redis data browsing, command work, and analysis into a free GUI and CLI tool. Check the Docker-only API availability and SSPLv1 licensing if those affect your deployment.

    7.2 Free plan Visit site
  8. 8

    FoundationDB

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    Choose FoundationDB if you need an open-source distributed key-value database with cross-machine ACID transactions and fault handling.

    7.1 Open source Visit site
  9. 9

    Infinispan

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Infinispan combines distributed in-memory storage with search, caching, and transaction features, and can be deployed in several forms.

    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  10. 10

    KVdb.io

    Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

    KVdb.io combines a key-value store with APIs, scripts, transactions, and scoped access tokens. Check the value and request limits, and note what happens to trial buckets before choosing a plan.

    7.1 From $19/mo · 14-day trial Visit site
  11. 11

    Riak KV

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3
    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  12. 12

    RocksDB

    Free plan APIiPhoneLinux+3

    RocksDB provides a configurable, persistent key-value engine for embedded storage and application workloads. Check its build requirements and value-size limit against your project before adopting it.

    7.1 Open source Visit site
  13. 13

    SuperMassive

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

    SuperMassive offers sharding, replication, and failover features in a self-hosted database. Its one-user limit, lack of transactions, and archived repository status may rule it out for some projects.

    7.1 Open source Visit site
  14. 14

    EloqKV

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    EloqKV offers Redis compatibility with distributed consistency, clustering, and NVMe-based storage.

    7.0 Free plan Visit site
  15. 15

    TiKV

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    TiKV provides distributed key-value storage with replication and both raw and transactional APIs.

    7.0 Open source Visit site
  16. 16

    RonDB

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    RonDB combines distributed storage, SQL access, and multiple deployment and replication options for real-time workloads.

    6.9 Open source Visit site
  17. 17

    Valkey

    by Valkey
    Free plan APILinuxMac+1

    Valkey offers a broad set of data types and deployment options for caching, queues, and primary database workloads.

    6.9 Open source Visit site
  18. 18

    Upstash Redis

    Free plan APIWeb

    Choose Upstash Redis for a managed, durable Redis database with REST and TCP access, regional reads, and usage-based pricing.

    6.7 Free plan · paid from $0.20 Visit site
  19. 19

    Cloudflare Workers KV

    Free plan LinuxWeb

    Workers KV offers a free allocation and a paid option with larger monthly request allowances. Review the request limits, storage allocation, and separate charges for usage above paid-plan allocations.

    6.6 Free plan · paid from $5/mo Visit site
  20. 20

    Azure Table Storage

    Free trial API
    6.0 30-day trial Visit site
  21. 21

    Google Cloud Bigtable

    Free trial APIWeb

    Bigtable combines a wide-column and key-value model with SQL querying, horizontal scaling, and multi-region deployment.

    5.9 10-day trial Visit site
  22. 22

    Hibari

    Free plan Linux

    Hibari provides a free, self-hosted Linux option with clustering, TTL support, flexible persistence, and varied protocol interfaces.

    5.9 Free plan Visit site
  23. 23

    Oracle NoSQL Database

    Free plan

    Oracle NoSQL Database offers a defined free allowance alongside separately priced provisioned capacity. Check the included units and the differing paid-from figures before estimating costs.

    5.8 Free plan · paid from $0.01/mo Visit site
  24. 24

    Amazon MemoryDB

    Paid APIWeb

    Amazon MemoryDB combines in-memory performance with durability, scaling options, and Valkey and Redis OSS compatibility.

    5.7 Visit site
  25. 25

    AntidoteDB

    Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted

    AntidoteDB combines geo-replication, high availability, and CRDT data types in a self-hosted database. Review its transaction constraint and preferred client interface before adopting it.

    5.6 Open source Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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