Valkey Java Client: GLIDE, Redisson, valkey-java

A Valkey Java client is the library a Java application uses to talk to a Valkey server. Valkey's own list of tested and recommended clients names three for Java: Valkey GLIDE, Redisson and valkey-java. They differ in API style, in which Valkey-only server features they support, and in how often they ship.

Valkey is the Linux Foundation fork of Redis 7.2.4, started in 2024 after Redis moved off the BSD licence. It kept the Redis protocol, RESP, so a Java client sends the same commands to either server, and neither server has a Java API of its own. For how the two servers have diverged since the fork, see Valkey vs Redis.

Valkey Java Clients Compared

Versions are the latest releases on Maven Central as of October 24, 2026. Pre-releases are left out.

The replica-read and caching rows, like the first two rows of the next table, follow the advanced-features matrix on Valkey's client list, with two cells corrected. On October 24, 2026 that matrix still listed GLIDE without client-side caching, which GLIDE added in 2.4.0, and Redisson without availability-zone reads, which Redisson added in 4.8.0.

Valkey-Only Features and Which Clients Support Them

Valkey has added server features that Redis doesn't have, and Java code can only use one once its client implements it:

• Replica redirect lets a replica answer a read or write command with a redirect to the primary, which the client follows, instead of serving the read itself or rejecting the write. Lua scripts are not redirected. It matters in standalone and Sentinel deployments, where a failover can leave a client briefly connected to a node that is no longer the primary. The client has to declare the capability when it connects.

• Availability-zone reads keep replica reads inside the client's own zone, which cuts latency and, on AWS, cross-zone transfer charges. AZ affinity for Valkey in Java covers the read modes and the arithmetic.

• Numbered databases in cluster mode remove a long-standing Redis limit, where a cluster has only database 0. The server must be configured for more than one database first.

The third row comes from each client's code and release notes. How to switch each feature on with Redisson is covered in the Valkey-only settings section of the Redis to Valkey migration guide.

Can You Use Jedis or Lettuce With Valkey?

They connect, because Valkey kept the Redis protocol, and commands the two servers share work as before. But Redis maintains both libraries and neither states Valkey support, and Valkey's list of tested and recommended clients doesn't include them. Their current source code doesn't mention Valkey, and they implement neither the replica-redirect handshake nor availability-zone reads. By default, Jedis client-side caching also refuses to start against a Valkey server.

For the Redis side of the picture, see Redis clients for Java, and for the libraries themselves, the Jedis guide and the Lettuce guide.

Which Valkey Java Client Should You Use?

• Valkey GLIDE suits teams that are happy with an asynchronous API, run on AWS or Google Cloud, or want the same client design across several languages. It is also the driver Spring Data Valkey uses by default.

• Redisson suits applications that need distributed locks, collections, caches or queues, or both synchronous and reactive APIs. It also fits teams that want Spring or Hibernate integration, a pure-Java dependency or one client for both Valkey and Redis, and it is the only one of the three that advertises a commercial support contract.

• valkey-java suits existing Jedis-style code that should move to a Valkey-maintained library. Check its release history first: the latest release is from October 2025.

For a head-to-head comparison of the two clients the Valkey project maintains, including Sentinel support, default timeouts and release activity, see Valkey GLIDE vs valkey-java.

Valkey GLIDE vs Redisson compares GLIDE with Redisson in depth, including the defaults that change when you switch. If you already run GLIDE and need more than commands, the Valkey GLIDE to Redisson migration guide covers the move. Which companies offer Valkey support covers support for both the server and the client.

Using Redisson as a Valkey Java Client

Redisson connects to Valkey the same way it connects to Redis, and accepts valkey:// and valkeys:// (TLS) addresses. This example uses a distributed map and takes a distributed lock:

Config config = new Config();
config.useSingleServer().setAddress("valkey://127.0.0.1:6379");
RedissonClient redisson = Redisson.create(config);

// A distributed map that implements java.util.Map
RMap<String, Integer> scores = redisson.getMap("leaderboard");
scores.put("player:1", 100);

// A distributed lock: only one thread, across all JVMs, runs the critical section at a time
RLock lock = redisson.getLock("job:lock");
lock.lock();
try {
    // critical section
} finally {
    lock.unlock();
}

redisson.shutdown();

For complete, runnable programs in all three clients, with Maven setup, TLS and Spring Boot, see the Valkey Java example.

For cluster deployments, see connecting Redisson to a Valkey cluster on Kubernetes and upgrading a Valkey cluster with zero downtime. For the settings that matter in production, see Valkey and Redis best practices for Java applications.

Valkey Java Clients: Frequently Asked Questions

Which Java Clients Does Valkey Recommend?

Valkey's client list, which includes only clients the project regularly tests and recommends, names three for Java: Valkey GLIDE, Redisson and valkey-java. The Valkey project maintains GLIDE and valkey-java. Redisson is maintained independently and supports both Valkey and Redis.

Can I Use Jedis or Lettuce With Valkey?

They connect and run the commands Valkey shares with Redis, but neither states Valkey support and neither is on Valkey's list of recommended clients. They don't implement Valkey-only features such as replica redirect or availability-zone reads, and Jedis client-side caching refuses to start against Valkey by default.

Does Valkey GLIDE Need a Native Library?

Yes. GLIDE's core is written in Rust and shared across languages, and the Java client loads it as a native library. GLIDE publishes a jar for each operating system and CPU, selected with a Maven classifier, and a larger jar that bundles every supported platform. GLIDE for Java runs on JDK 8 or later, and the project recommends JDK 11 or later.

Is valkey-java Still Maintained?

Its latest release is 5.5.0, from October 2025, and its README does not say it is deprecated. It is a fork of Jedis maintained by the Valkey project, and Valkey's feature matrix shows it with replica redirect but without replica reads, availability-zone reads or client-side caching.

Similar terms

• Valkey
• Redis Clients for Java
• Redis
• Near Cache
• Redis Cluster
• Redis Sentinel
• What Is a Java Distributed Lock?
• Managed Redis