Why AWS Supports Valkey

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Cloud providers and open source value

  • Many argue all major clouds extract enormous value from OSS stacks (Linux, hypervisors, databases, etc.).
  • Some say AWS likely benefits most in absolute profit terms. Others note clouds get paid whether you use managed OSS services or self-hosted VMs, so “profiting off OSS” is not as straightforward.

Redis license change and community reaction

  • A major theme is anger at Redis changing from a permissive license to RSAL/SSPL after many years.
  • Critics frame it as a “rug pull” or “bait and switch” that breaks an implicit social contract with contributors and users.
  • Defenders argue circumstances changed (cloud competition), the company is within its rights, and needs to respond to hyperscalers reselling their work.

Economic and practical impact on users

  • Several point out you can’t realistically stay on old versions because of security fixes and ecosystem drift.
  • Organizations, especially regulated ones, now face legal reviews, migration work, and uncertainty, even if they never planned to offer Redis as a service.
  • Some insist that for most small companies the new licenses change little, since restrictions mainly target managed-service offerings. Others counter that vague “value derives from Redis” language makes lawyers nervous.

Licensing mechanics and trust

  • The core complaint is not “asking for money” but changing terms midstream, especially after public assurances Redis would remain BSD.
  • Suggestions to avoid this in future: use GPL or other copyleft licenses without CLAs, put projects under neutral foundations, and avoid structures that allow unilateral relicensing.

AWS, Valkey, and forks

  • Many see Valkey (like OpenSearch, OpenTofu) as a healthy fork that restores OSI-approved licensing and community governance.
  • Others call AWS’s framing hypocritical: AWS’s earlier behavior is portrayed as having pushed vendors toward restrictive licenses, and now AWS positions itself as the savior.
  • Some argue the best OSS model is when big clouds invest directly in fully open forks they depend on, aligning incentives with users.

Monopoly and ethics concerns

  • There is broader worry about monopoly power mixed with OSS and SSPL-style licenses that effectively target the top tech firms.
  • Opinions on Amazon diverge sharply: from necessary OSS backer to exploitative, anti-worker, and anti-competitive actor.