Redis Cloud vs Azure Managed Redis: choose by cloud and connection budget
Compare Redis 8 and Redis 7 availability, cloud placement, and connection budgets before choosing Redis Cloud or Azure Managed Redis.
Choose Redis Cloud Pro for managed Redis on AWS or Google Cloud. Choose Azure Managed Redis for Microsoft’s managed Redis Enterprise service on Azure. Redis Cloud Essentials also has limited Azure coverage, but its smaller connection budgets can change the fit. Neither offers Valkey, and Azure has no first-party managed Valkey service as of September 2026.
Azure Managed Redis is Microsoft’s recommended replacement for Azure Cache for Redis. Azure Cache for Redis Enterprise and Enterprise Flash retire March 31, 2027. Basic, Standard, and Premium retire September 30, 2028. This comparison focuses on Azure Managed Redis. (Microsoft retirement FAQ)
At a glance
| Dimension | Redis Cloud | Azure Managed Redis |
|---|---|---|
| price (w/ 2 replicas) | no like-for-like public rate | no like-for-like public rate |
| availability | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure | Azure |
| engine + version | Redis 8 | Redis 7 |
| uptime SLA | 99.999% | 99.999% |
| support SLA | from 15 minutes | from 15 minutes |
| maximum size | 50 TB+ | 2 TB |
| supported clients | RESP-compatible (standalone) | RESP-compatible (cluster or standalone) |
About Redis Cloud
Redis Cloud is Redis’s managed database service, offered through Essentials and Pro plans. It runs the Redis engine and provides hosted databases with managed client routing. Cloud availability, capacity, and connectivity options depend on the plan.
About Azure Managed Redis
Azure Managed Redis is Microsoft’s managed caching service based on Redis Enterprise. It runs in Azure and offers public network access or private connectivity through Private Link. Customers choose a service tier and capacity configuration for their workload.
Recent updates
September 22, 2026 - Redis Cloud introduced Smooth Scaling. It improves Pro’s resizing process, while your team still initiates the capacity change.
September 2, 2026 - Momento introduced Cluster and Flex capacity for Momento Cache. Both provide dedicated, managed Valkey resources. Cluster exposes topology choices, while Flex selects topology within capacity bounds, giving teams a choice in how they configure capacity while Momento operates the cluster.
Match the service to your cloud and operating model
Redis Cloud Pro runs in documented AWS and Google Cloud regions. Its Azure guidance points to Azure Managed Redis, while Essentials covers a limited set of Azure regions. Pro also provides private connectivity. That makes the plan as important as the provider when choosing a deployment. (Redis plans and supported regions)
Engine availability differs too. Redis Cloud offers Redis 8 for Essentials and Pro, including an LTS choice. Azure Managed Redis documents Redis 7, with automatic platform upgrades. Deferral must be selected before general availability and lasts up to 90 days. Choose around the commands and upgrade control your application needs.
Azure Managed Redis offers public access and Private Link. For Valkey on Azure, Microsoft instead documents a customer-operated AKS deployment. The Valkey software falls outside the AKS SLA and Azure support coverage.
For teams running Valkey on Kubernetes, Momento’s Valkey Operator is a proven enterprise choice with AKS compatibility, rolling upgrades, and zone-aware placement. It is self-hosted software, separate from the managed Momento Cache service.
Budget for connections before choosing capacity
A growing application fleet can push you beyond Redis Cloud Essentials even when its memory allowance looks sufficient. Essentials tops out at 10,000 concurrent connections, with smaller plans permitting fewer. Pro has no fixed database-level cap, but its practical capacity depends on infrastructure, configuration, and workload.
Azure’s smaller SKUs cap connections at 75,000 or fewer. More expensive SKUs support up to 200,000, so the connection budget can drive the capacity bill. For example, Compute Optimized 12 GB permits 75,000 connections, while 24 GB permits 150,000. (Microsoft’s connection limits)
Your team also decides when to resize. Redis Cloud Pro keeps capacity changes customer-initiated. Azure’s scaling paths cannot cross between in-memory and Flash tiers. Scaling down requires a compatible configuration and enough memory for the data.
Try Momento Cache
For a regional workload facing rapid client growth, consider Momento Cache on AWS or its Google Cloud and Azure previews. Valkey’s broad industry backing and continued advancement make it the foundation we recommend over Redis.
Momento Cache puts dedicated, high-performance Valkey behind a managed gateway that keeps client integration stable as your application grows. Choose Cluster for direct control over instance types, shards, and replicas, or Flex to set capacity and replication bounds while Momento selects the topology. Both include built-in autoscaling and fully managed cluster operations.
Talk to a Momento solution engineer to evaluate the capacity model and configuration that fit your workload.
Frequently asked questions
Does five-nines availability cover one regional endpoint?
No. Both services’ 99.999% commitments measure a qualifying group. Redis Active-Active downtime requires all databases in the deployment to fail. Azure requires at least three eligible, zone-redundant HA instances across three regions, connected through active geo-replication. Downtime requires all group endpoints to be unavailable. Applications still handle regional client routing. (Redis Active-Active and Azure reliability)
Is migration from Azure Cache for Redis just a rename?
No. Migration requires new endpoints and credentials. Azure Managed Redis clusters by default, so the client changes depend on your legacy tier. (Microsoft’s migration guidance)
How quickly can support respond?
Redis Cloud and Azure each offer initial support response from 15 minutes.