Lux vs Redis
Lux stays Redis-compatible where it matters, but it is not trying to be just another Redis host. It is a broader data runtime with tables, vectors, queues, time series, and Lux Cloud on top.
Benchmarks below use redis-benchmark against Redis 8.6.1 and Lux on identical hardware with identical parameters. Treat them as workload-specific measurements, not universal claims.
Throughput (requests/sec)
Product Comparison
| Feature | Lux | Redis |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Rust | C |
| Architecture | Multi-threaded, sharded | Single-threaded |
| Scaling | Scales with CPU cores | Needs clustering |
| Peak measured throughput | 12M ops/sec on this benchmark | ~5.3M ops/sec on this benchmark |
| Streams | Yes | Yes |
| Lua scripting | Yes (Lua 5.4) | Yes (Lua 5.1) |
| BullMQ | Yes | Yes |
| Blocking commands | BLPOP, BRPOP, BZPOPMIN | Full support |
| Vector search | Built-in (VSET/VSEARCH) | Requires Redis Stack |
| Tables | Built-in | Not built-in |
| Realtime subscriptions | Built-in | Raw pub/sub only |
| Time series | Built-in | Requires Redis Stack |
| Binary size | ~2MB | ~8MB |
| Protocol | RESP2 | RESP2 + RESP3 |
| Client libraries | All Redis clients work | Native |
| License | MIT | RSALv2 / SSPL |
| Managed hosting | Lux Cloud ($10/mo per project) | Redis Cloud ($$$) |
Where Lux fits
Use Lux when you want Redis-compatible performance and command coverage, but you also want your app data stack to stay in one system. That means cache, tables, vectors, realtime, jobs, and time series living together instead of being split across separate products.
Why Lux is faster
Redis is single-threaded by design. Lux uses Rust and sharded multi-core execution, so throughput scales with available CPU instead of hitting one-core limits early. Pipeline batching and zero-copy protocol handling reduce overhead on the hot path.
How we benchmark
We use redis-benchmark against both Lux and Redis on identical hardware with identical parameters. The headline numbers are strongest for pipelined single-key workloads. Multi-key commands, large values, persistence settings, and network placement can change the result, so serious evaluations should run the benchmark mix that matches the production workload.
When Redis is still the better fit
Use Redis if you specifically need Redis Cluster, RESP3, modules, or ACLs today. Lux covers a large and growing set of production workloads, but the reason to switch is not just benchmark speed. It is the combination of Redis compatibility with a broader runtime for application data.