Connecting to Managed Providers
BetterDB works with any Redis-compatible managed service. This index covers the providers we have first-class guides for, and the two connection methods BetterDB uses to reach them.
Quick connect with a connection URL
The fastest way to connect: paste a full connection URL into the Quick connect box on the connect screen (or into the Host field of the Add Connection form - it expands into the individual fields automatically).
rediss://default:your-password@your-host.example.com:6379
Supported forms:
| Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
redis://host:6379 | Plain connection, no TLS |
rediss://host:6379 | TLS enabled (note the double s) |
valkey:// / valkeys:// | Same as above, Valkey-flavored |
redis://user:password@host:6379/2 | Credentials and database index 2 |
host:6379 | Bare host and port |
HTTP REST endpoints (such as Upstash’s
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL) will not work - BetterDB speaks the Redis wire protocol over TCP. Use the TCP endpoint and token instead.
Connection methods
BetterDB connects to your database in one of two ways. Most providers support both; some only support one.
Direct connection
BetterDB Cloud opens a TCP connection (with TLS) directly to your database’s public endpoint. Best for managed providers that expose a public endpoint with TLS, like Upstash, Redis Cloud, and Aiven. Configure in the connection selector under Direct by entering the host, port, and credentials.
BetterDB Cloud allows outbound connections on ports 443, 2000–2999, and 6000–6999 (with a small number of sensitive infrastructure ports blocked). Any database on a port outside these ranges requires the agent.
Via the BetterDB Agent
The BetterDB Agent is a lightweight Docker container or npm package that runs inside your network. It connects outbound (port 443) to BetterDB Cloud over a WebSocket, then relays monitoring commands from BetterDB Cloud to your local database. The database never needs a public endpoint.
Required for:
- AWS ElastiCache (VPC-only)
- AWS MemoryDB (VPC-only)
- Google Cloud Memorystore (VPC-only)
- Azure Cache for Redis (VNet-only) if you use private endpoints
- Any self-hosted database not exposed to the internet
- Any database on a port other than 6379, 6380, or 443
The agent supports two authentication modes:
- Password - works against any Valkey/Redis instance with AUTH or ACL credentials.
- AWS IAM - SigV4-signed short-lived tokens for ElastiCache Valkey 7.2+ / Redis OSS 7.0+. No static passwords; credentials rotate automatically. See AWS ElastiCache for setup.
See the Agent Connection guide for full configuration, environment variables, and troubleshooting.
Provider matrix
| Provider | Protocol | TLS | Connection method | Auth modes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upstash | Redis/Valkey | Required | Direct | Password |
| Redis Cloud | Redis | Optional (plan-dependent) | Direct | Password |
| AWS ElastiCache | Redis/Valkey | Optional (required on Serverless and for IAM auth) | Agent via EC2 | Password, IAM |
| AWS MemoryDB | Redis | Required | Agent via EC2 | Password |
AWS services (ElastiCache, MemoryDB) are VPC-only and require the BetterDB Agent running on an EC2 instance inside the same VPC. Upstash, Redis Cloud, and other providers with public endpoints support direct connection.