Redis vs SQLite for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Redis Overview

Redis is an in-memory data store that delivers sub-millisecond response times. It is not a traditional database. It is the tool you reach for when you need caching, session storage, job queues, rate limiting, pub/sub messaging, or real-time leaderboards. Data lives in memory, which makes it incredibly fast but also means it is not designed for persistent, primary data storage.

For solo developers, Redis is the Swiss army knife of data infrastructure. Need to cache expensive database queries? Redis. Need session storage that is faster than your database? Redis. Need a job queue for background tasks? Redis with BullMQ or Celery. Need rate limiting on your API? Redis with a simple counter and TTL.

Redis is available everywhere. You can run it locally, self-host on any server, or use managed services like Upstash (serverless), Redis Cloud, or the built-in Redis on platforms like Railway and Render. The ecosystem is massive and the documentation is excellent.

SQLite Overview

SQLite is the most widely deployed database in the world. It runs as an embedded library inside your application, stores data in a single file on disk, and requires zero configuration. There is no separate server process, no network connections, no authentication to set up. You link the library, point it at a file, and start querying with full SQL support.

For solo developers, SQLite is almost magical in its simplicity. Your database is literally a file. You can copy it, back it up by copying a file, version control it, or move it between environments by copying one file. Development, testing, and production can use the same database engine with zero configuration differences.

SQLite has experienced a renaissance for web applications. Tools like Turso, Litestream, and LiteFS have proven that SQLite works for production web apps. Frameworks like Rails 8 default to SQLite. The combination of simplicity, reliability, and zero operational overhead makes it ideal for solo developers.

Key Differences

These tools serve fundamentally different purposes. This is the most important point. Redis is not a replacement for SQLite, and SQLite is not a replacement for Redis. Redis is an in-memory data store for fast, ephemeral data operations. SQLite is a persistent relational database for durable data storage. Many applications use both: SQLite for the primary data and Redis for caching and background jobs.

Persistence model. SQLite writes everything to disk. Your data survives restarts, crashes, and power failures. It is ACID-compliant with full transaction support. Redis stores data in memory with optional persistence (RDB snapshots or AOF logging). Redis persistence works, but it is not the primary design goal. If you lose your Redis instance, you should be able to rebuild the data from your primary database.

Query capabilities. SQLite supports full SQL: JOINs, subqueries, CTEs, window functions, full-text search (FTS5), and JSON functions. You can run complex analytical queries on your data. Redis has no query language in the SQL sense. It operates with commands on data structures: GET, SET, LPUSH, SADD, ZADD. You retrieve data by key, not by query. For ad-hoc reporting or data exploration, SQLite is the tool.

Performance profile. Redis is faster for single-key operations because data is in memory. Sub-millisecond reads are routine. SQLite is fast for a disk-based database (especially reads), but it operates in the low-millisecond range. For caching hot data, rate limiting, or session lookups where nanosecond-level response times matter, Redis wins. For complex queries across structured data, SQLite wins.

Use case overlap. The only area where these tools overlap is simple key-value storage. SQLite can do key-value lookups, and Redis can persist data. But trying to use Redis as your primary database or SQLite as your caching layer is fighting against each tool's design. Use each for what it is built for.

Operational requirements. SQLite requires nothing beyond your application. No daemon, no ports, no configuration. Redis requires a running server process (or a managed cloud instance). For a solo developer who wants to minimize infrastructure, SQLite's zero-ops nature is a clear advantage for primary data storage.

When to Choose Redis

• You need sub-millisecond caching for expensive database queries
• Session storage needs to be faster than your primary database
• Background job queues (BullMQ, Sidekiq, Celery) are part of your stack
• Rate limiting, counters, or leaderboards require atomic operations
• Pub/sub messaging for real-time features

When to Choose SQLite

• You need a primary database for persistent, relational data
• Zero configuration and zero server management are priorities
• Your application has low to medium write concurrency
• You want full SQL querying with JOINs and aggregations
• Simplicity and reliability matter more than raw speed for reads

The Verdict

Use both. This is not a cop-out answer. It is the correct architecture. SQLite as your primary database for durable, structured data with full SQL capabilities. Redis as your caching layer, session store, and job queue for fast, ephemeral operations.

If you can only pick one, pick SQLite. It is your primary data store, and you can survive without Redis by caching in-memory within your application process. You cannot survive without a primary database.

If you are already using PostgreSQL or another database as your primary store, Redis becomes the natural complement for caching and queues. The 8/10 and 9/10 ratings reflect that both are excellent tools, and for most solo developers, the best setup is SQLite (or PostgreSQL) for data plus Redis for speed. They are not competitors. They are teammates.