Redis Returns to Open Source with AGPLv3 License in Redis 8 Release

Antirez, the founder and former CEO of Redis, announced just 29 minutes ago that Redis is reverting to an open-source license. This decision comes after a months-long internal discussion and reflects the company's commitment to aligning with community expectations and fostering broader collaboration. Five months ago, Antirez rejoined the Redis team and immediately began advocating for a switch from the Server Side Public License (SSPL) to the Affero General Public License Version 3 (AGPLv3). He found that this sentiment was already widely shared within the company, where many felt that the AGPL was a more suitable choice than the SSPL. Despite Redis's initial switch to the SSPL, the internal debate persisted. Antirez strongly believed that the SSPL had not gained acceptance within the open-source community. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) refused to recognize it as an open-source license, and it did not receive widespread acceptance from users. Recognizing this, Antirez worked to bolster the case for the AGPLv3, which gained support across various levels of the company. His personal motivation was also significant. Antirez expressed a deep desire for his new contributions, particularly the Vector Sets data type, to be released under an open-source license. He has a long history of writing open-source software, and this commitment drove his enthusiasm and dedication to the project. While Antirez acknowledges that the final decision to switch licenses was a collective effort, he hopes his influence played a role. The transition to AGPLv3 will help Redis maintain its relevance and integrity within the open-source community, ensuring that it continues to evolve in line with user needs and technological advancements. Today marks a significant milestone, as Redis 8, the first version under the new AGPLv3 license, is officially released. Redis 8 includes numerous new features and performance enhancements, further solidifying the project’s position as a leading in-memory data store. Looking ahead, Antirez is excited to focus on improving the Vector Sets data type, making it more useful and practical for Redis users. He encourages the community to provide feedback, which has already begun to shape his next set of ideas for enhancements. In conclusion, Redis’s return to an open-source license underlines the company’s commitment to the principles of openness and collaboration. For Antirez, this change represents not just a technical improvement but a rekindling of the passion and integrity that define open-source development. The Redis community can now look forward to the continued evolution and excellence of the project. For more details, you can read the official Redis CEO blog post here and the full Redis 8 release notes here.