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GDBM VS Redis

Compare GDBM VS Redis and see what are their differences

GDBM logo GDBM

GNU dbm (or GDBM, for short) is a library of database functions that use extensible hashing and...

Redis logo Redis

Redis is an open source in-memory data structure project implementing a distributed, in-memory key-value database with optional durability.
  • GDBM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-19
  • Redis Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-19

Redis is an open source (BSD licensed), in-memory data structure store, used as a database, cache and message broker. It supports data structures such as strings, hashes, lists, sets, sorted sets with range queries, bitmaps, hyperloglogs, geospatial indexes with radius queries and streams. Redis has built-in replication, Lua scripting, LRU eviction, transactions and different levels of on-disk persistence, and provides high availability via Redis Sentinel and automatic partitioning with Redis Cluster.

GDBM features and specs

  • Simple API
    GDBM provides a simple and intuitive API for database operations, making it easy for developers to integrate and use in different applications.
  • Lightweight
    As a lightweight library, GDBM requires minimal system resources, making it suitable for projects where memory and processing power are constrained.
  • Fast Access
    GDBM offers fast data retrieval and storage due to its key-value store design, which can be advantageous for applications needing quick database interactions.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, GDBM allows developers to modify, distribute, and use the code freely, fostering collaboration and customization.

Possible disadvantages of GDBM

  • Limited Scalability
    GDBM is not designed for large-scale applications, which can hinder performance and data handling capabilities as database size grows.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    Compared to more comprehensive database systems, GDBM lacks advanced features like transactions, data indexing, and complex querying.
  • Single Process Access
    GDBM is designed primarily for single process access, making concurrent access by multiple processes challenging and requiring additional mechanisms for consistency.
  • File-based Storage
    Being file-based, GDBM can become limited by file system constraints, such as file size limitations and file lock issues.

Redis features and specs

  • Performance
    Redis is an in-memory data store, which allows it to provide extremely fast read and write operations. This makes it ideal for applications requiring real-time interactions.
  • Data Structures
    Redis offers a variety of data structures, such as strings, hashes, lists, sets, and sorted sets. This flexibility helps developers manage data more efficiently in different scenarios.
  • Scalability
    Redis supports horizontal scalability with features like clustering and partitioning, allowing for easy scaling as your application grows.
  • Persistence
    Though primarily an in-memory store, Redis provides options for data persistence, such as RDB snapshots and AOF logs, enabling data durability across reboots.
  • Pub/Sub Messaging
    Redis includes a built-in publish/subscribe messaging system, which can be used to implement real-time messaging and notifications.
  • Simple API
    Redis has a simple and intuitive API, which can speed up development time and make it easier to integrate Redis into various application stacks.
  • Atomic Operations
    Redis supports atomic operations on data structures, reducing the complexity of concurrent programming and making it easier to maintain data consistency.

Possible disadvantages of Redis

  • Memory Usage
    Being an in-memory data store, Redis can become expensive in terms of memory usage, especially when working with large datasets.
  • Data Persistence Limitations
    While Redis offers data persistence, it is not as robust as traditional databases. There can be data loss in certain configurations, such as when using asynchronous persistence methods.
  • Complexity in Scaling
    Although Redis supports clustering, setting up and managing a Redis cluster can be complex and may require significant DevOps expertise.
  • Single-threaded Nature
    Redis operates on a single-threaded event loop, which can become a bottleneck for certain workloads that could benefit from multi-threading.
  • Limited Query Capabilities
    Compared to traditional relational databases, Redis offers limited querying capabilities. Complex queries and joins are not supported natively.
  • License
    As of Redis 6 and higher, the Redis modules are under the Server Side Public License (SSPL), which may be restrictive for some use cases compared to more permissive open-source licenses.

GDBM videos

C Programming in Linux Tutorial #073 - GDBM Embedded Database

More videos:

  • Review - GDBM Pantsdown BodyJam 69

Redis videos

Improve your Redis developer experience with RedisInsight, Redis Labs

More videos:

  • Review - What is Redis? | Why and When to use Redis? | Tech Primers
  • Review - Redis Enterprise Overview with Yiftach Shoolman - Redis Labs
  • Review - Redis Labs "Why NoSQL is a Safe Bet"
  • Review - Redis system design | Distributed cache System design
  • Review - What is Redis and What Does It Do?
  • Review - Redis Sorted Sets Explained

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GDBM and Redis)
Databases
3 3%
97% 97
NoSQL Databases
3 3%
97% 97
Key-Value Database
5 5%
95% 95
Relational Databases
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GDBM and Redis

GDBM Reviews

We have no reviews of GDBM yet.
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Redis Reviews

Redis Alternative for App Performance | Gigaspaces
Redis offers a RESTful API for accessing data stored within its in-memory technology data structures. This API provides a simple and efficient way to interact with Redis, enabling developers to leverage its capabilities seamlessly in their applications. Developers also need to manage the Redis cached data lifecycle, it’s the application responsibility to store the data &...
Are Free, Open-Source Message Queues Right For You?
A notable challenge with Redis Streams is that it doesn't natively support distributed, horizontal scaling. Also, while Redis is famous for its speed and simplicity, managing and scaling a Redis installation may be complex for some users, particularly for persistent data workloads.
Source: blog.iron.io
Redis vs. KeyDB vs. Dragonfly vs. Skytable | Hacker News
1. Redis: I'll start with Redis which I'd like to call the "original" key/value store (after memcached) because it is the oldest and most widely used of all. Being a long-time follower of Redis, I do know it's single-threaded (and uses io-threads since 6.0) and hence it achieves lesser throughput than the other stores listed above which are multi-threaded, at least to some...
Memcached vs Redis - More Different Than You Would Expect
Remember when I wrote about how Redis was using malloc to assign memory? I lied. While Redis did use malloc at some point, these days Redis actually uses jemalloc. The reason for this is that jemalloc, while having lower peak performance has lower memory fragmentation helping to solve the framented memory issues that Redis experiences.
Top 15 Kafka Alternatives Popular In 2021
Redis is a known, open-source, in-memory data structure store that offers different data structures like lists, strings, hashes, sets, bitmaps, streams, geospatial indexes, etc. It is best utilized as a cache, memory broker, and cache. It has optional durability and inbuilt replication potential. It offers a great deal of availability through Redis Sentinel and Redis Cluster.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Redis seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 216 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GDBM mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of GDBM yet. Tracking of GDBM recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Redis mentions (216)

  • Finding Bigfoot with Async Generators + TypeScript
    Of course, these examples are just toys. A more proper use for asynchronous generators is handling things like reading files, accessing network services, and calling slow running things like AI models. So, I'm going to use an asynchronous generator to access a networked service. That service is Redis and we'll be using Node Redis and Redis Query Engine to find Bigfoot. - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • Caching Isn’t Always the Answer – And Here’s Why
    Slap on some Redis, sprinkle in a few set() calls, and boom—10x faster responses. - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • RisingWave Turns Four: Our Journey Beyond Democratizing Stream Processing
    Real-time serving: Many push processed data into low-latency serving layers like Redis to power applications needing instant responses (think fraud detection, live recommendations, financial dashboards). - Source: dev.to / 26 days ago
  • Setup a Redis Cluster using Redis Stack
    Redis® Cluster is a fully distributed implementation with automated sharding capabilities (horizontal scaling capabilities), designed for high performance and linear scaling up to 1000 nodes. . - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Modern Web Development Sucks? How PostgreSQL Can Replace Your Tech Stack
    Instead of spinning up Redis, use an unlogged table in PostgreSQL for fast, ephemeral storage. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GDBM and Redis, you can also consider the following products

Kyoto Cabinet - Kyoto Cabinet: a straightforward implementation of DBM

MongoDB - MongoDB (from "humongous") is a scalable, high-performance NoSQL database.

Berkeley DB - Berkeley DB (BDB) is a software library that provides a high-performance embedded database for...

ArangoDB - A distributed open-source database with a flexible data model for documents, graphs, and key-values.

Tokyo Cabinet - Tokyo Cabinet: a modern implementation of DBM

Apache Cassandra - The Apache Cassandra database is the right choice when you need scalability and high availability without compromising performance.