Side by side
Dragonfly vs Valkey
Both stand on in-memory databases. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free trial APILinuxSelf-hosted
Dragonfly provides an API-compatible in-memory store with automatic sharding, multiple data models, and deployment choices from Docker to managed cloud. Paid options start at $36/month, with higher tiers adding cloud management and enterprise controls.
Visit Dragonfly
Free plan APILinuxMac+1
Valkey offers a broad set of data types and deployment options for caching, queues, and primary database workloads. Follow its security guidance during setup, particularly because authentication is off by default.
Visit ValkeyThe facts
| Dragonfly | Valkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A free trial | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Flex: $36 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Valkey |
| Website | dragonflydb.io | valkey.io |
| On in-memory databases | #17 of 25 | #13 of 25 |
Dragonfly: what it does well
- Compatible with Redis and Memcached APIs
- Automatically shards data between CPU cores
- Supports persistence and high availability
- Prometheus monitoring needs no agent
- Managed cloud supports AWS, GCP, Azure, and on-premises
What to know first
- No free plan
- Cloud Business starts at $2,000/month
- Self-Managed pricing requires contacting the maker
Valkey: what it does well
- Supports varied data structures, including sorted sets and hashes.
- Runs standalone or in clusters with replication options.
- Offers Lua scripting and extensible module plugins.
- Free and open source under the BSD license.
What to know first
- Windows is not officially supported.
- By default, it binds to all interfaces without authentication.
- Security setup requires attention to network access and credentials.
Alternatives to Dragonfly Alternatives to Valkey The whole list