Can I use Redis as a Message Queue?

Ismat Babirli
4 min readJan 31, 2023

Redis is an in-memory data structure store that can be used as a database, cache, and message broker. One of Redis' most common applications is a message queue. In this post, we will explore what a message queue is and how Redis can be used as a message queue.

A message queue is a software architecture pattern that lets different parts of a system talk to each other. A message queue's main job is to store messages that are made by one part of the system and sent to another. The main benefit of using a message queue is that it allows the components to be loosely coupled, which makes the system easier to maintain and grow.

Redis has a number of data structures, such as lists, sets, and streams, that can be used as message queues. The most commonly used data structure for message queues in Redis is the list. Lists in Redis are implemented as linked lists, making them ideal for use as message queues. The messages in a Redis list can be added to one end and removed from the other end, creating a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) queue.

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