# Serverless Valkey

> Spin up Valkey in the cloud in under 30 seconds. Free tier, no card. BSD-licensed Redis-compatible fork. TLS, web key-value console, plus Desktop and CLI.

Canonical: https://layerbase.com/db/valkey
Last updated: 2026-08-26

The Linux Foundation fork of Redis, with the same wire protocol and none of the licensing complications. Free tier, TLS by default, cloud or self-host.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Engine | Valkey |
| Category | Key-Value |
| Upstream project | [Valkey](https://valkey.io/) |
| Layerbase Cloud | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan ($0/mo, no credit card), then $5 or $15/mo flat, no meters |
| Default version | 9.0 |
| Versions for new databases | 8.0, 9.0 |
| Layerbase Desktop | Yes |
| SpinDB (local CLI) | Yes |
| Best for | New projects that want Redis semantics without the BSL/SSPL license restrictions; caches, queues, rate limiters, session stores, pub/sub. |

## Use cases

- Replace upstream Redis in a project that needs a permissive license
- Cache layer in front of your primary database, redeployed across clouds without license review
- Edge-friendly key-value store accessed via the REST driver from Cloudflare Workers
- Per-tenant session storage that hibernates between bursts
- Background job queue or scheduled HTTP webhook delivery via the built-in vqueue surface (works with the `@upstash/qstash` client library, no extra provisioning)
- Self-host on your own hardware with the Layerbase CLI

## Cloud features

| Feature | Available |
| --- | --- |
| Always-on option | Yes |
| TLS encryption | Yes |
| HTTP access | No |
| IP allowlisting | Yes |
| Web query console | Yes |
| Sleeps when idle, wakes on connect | Yes |
| Automatic backups | Yes |
| Pooled connections | No |
| Direct connections | Yes |
| Serverless HTTP driver | Yes |

## Edge-ready Valkey, with a queue built in

Valkey exposes the same Upstash-compatible REST endpoint as Redis, so the @upstash/redis client works from Cloudflare Workers and other runtimes that cannot open a raw TCP socket. Every Valkey database also carries vqueue, an HTTP queue supporting the documented @upstash/qstash publishing subset: signed deliveries, scheduled delays, automatic retries, and a dead-letter queue you can inspect and re-enqueue from the dashboard. No separate signup, no separate billing.

## Alternative

Need the upstream Redis version specifically? If your app or third-party tool requires a specific Redis upstream feature or version, Layerbase also runs an OSS-licensed Redis version unchanged. Most apps work on either.

https://layerbase.com/db/redis

## Common Valkey questions

### What is Valkey?

Valkey is the Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, started after Redis moved to a source-available license. It speaks the same wire protocol and the same commands, so redis-cli and standard Redis clients connect to it unchanged. Layerbase runs Valkey as a managed endpoint with TLS, a web key-value console, an Upstash-compatible REST endpoint, and the built-in vqueue HTTP queue surface.

### Is Valkey a drop-in replacement for Redis?

Yes. Valkey forked from the last open-source Redis version and tracks the same wire protocol. redis-cli, ioredis, redis-py, and other Redis clients connect to Valkey without code changes.

### Who maintains Valkey?

Valkey is a Linux Foundation project with maintainers from AWS, Google, Oracle, Ericsson, and others. Released under BSD-3-Clause so redistribution and commercial use are unrestricted.

### When should I pick Valkey over Redis?

For new projects: Valkey is the safer long-term bet on licensing. For existing apps already running on a specific Redis version: stay with Redis. Both run on Layerbase Cloud, so you can change later.

### Does the Upstash REST API work with Valkey?

Yes. Valkey supports the same Upstash REST API as Redis on Layerbase, useful for serverless and edge runtimes.

### Is there a free Valkey tier on Layerbase?

Yes. Valkey is a Standard engine included on the Free plan at $0/mo with no card: 2 databases, 5 GB of storage, and up to 20 concurrent connections. A free Valkey sleeps after 15 minutes with no connections and wakes on the next connection in seconds; Solo at $5/mo and Pro at $15/mo raise the limits without adding a meter.

### Can I run Valkey locally?

Yes. The Layerbase CLI and Layerbase Desktop both ship Valkey alongside Redis, with the same install-and-run workflow.

### Do you support scheduled HTTP webhooks / a job queue on top of Valkey?

Yes, via vqueue. Every Layerbase Valkey database exposes an included HTTP queue supporting the documented `@upstash/qstash` publishing subset under usage limits. Copy VQUEUE_URL, VQUEUE_TOKEN, and VQUEUE_CURRENT_SIGNING_KEY from the dashboard and pass them to `new Client({ baseUrl, token })` and `new Receiver({ currentSigningKey: process.env.VQUEUE_CURRENT_SIGNING_KEY!, nextSigningKey: process.env.VQUEUE_CURRENT_SIGNING_KEY! })` in your app. Deliveries are signed and support scheduled delays; failed deliveries are retried automatically and land in a DLQ you can inspect and re-enqueue from the dashboard. No separate signup, no separate billing.

## Links

- [Valkey on Layerbase](https://layerbase.com/db/valkey)
- [Create a Valkey database](https://layerbase.com/create/valkey)
- [Connecting to Valkey](https://layerbase.com/docs/cloud/connecting/valkey)
- [Pricing](https://layerbase.com/pricing) (markdown: https://layerbase.com/pricing.md)