Best Key-Value Databases in 2026
Updated
In short: Amazon DynamoDB is ranked #1 of 32 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Riak KV and RocksDB. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Riak KV. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Oracle NoSQL Database at $0.01/mo.
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.
32 key-value databases ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
15 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon DynamoDBWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | Riak KVWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | RocksDBWindows · Mac · Linux · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | Aerospike DatabaseWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | etcdWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | Redis InsightWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | TiKVWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | VMware Workstation ProWindows · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | Cloudflare Workers KVWeb · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $5/mo | 6.4 | |
| 10 | Google Cloud BigtableWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $0.03/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | Upstash RedisWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $0.20/mo | 6.4 | |
| 12 | Apache AccumuloLinux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 13 | InfinispanLinux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 14 | RonDBLinux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 15 | Oracle NoSQL DatabaseNo platforms listed | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | $0.01/mo | 6.2 | |
| 16 | FoundationDBWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 17 | Oracle DatabaseSelf-hosted | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 18 | Tarantool DBMac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 19 | Apache KvrocksMac · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | RistrettoWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 21 | SuperMassiveWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 22 | ValkeyMac · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 23 | DistKVWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 24 | HibariLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 25 | AntidoteDBNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which key-value database is ranked first on Freedom251?
Amazon DynamoDB is ranked #1 of 32 with a score of 6.8. Riak KV is second and RocksDB third.
How many of these have a free plan?
14 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Oracle NoSQL Database has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.01/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.