In this post, we will show you some quick ways to start and stop Redis database server on multiple operating systems: macOS, Linux, Windows.

1. On macOS

Getting started with Redis is quite easy and straightforward. Using Homebrew, you can get it up and running within a couple of commands:

  • To install Redis on Mac:
brew install redis
  • Launch Redis on computer starts.
ln -sfv /usr/local/opt/redis/*.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents
  • Start Redis server via “launchctl”.
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.redis.plist
  • Start Redis server using configuration file.
redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis.conf
  • Stop Redis on autostart on computer start.
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.redis.plist

Or easier, you can use brew service:

  • start Redis server:
brew services start redis
  • stop Redis server:
brew services stop redis
  • restart Redis server:
brew services restart redis

If you feel uncomfortable working with command lines, use DBngin. It’s a hassle-free way to manage the local Redis database servers. It’s just one click to start, another click to turn off.

No dependencies, no command line required, multiple drivers, multiple versions and multiple ports. And it’s free.

DBngin local server

2. On Windows

  • Open Run Window by Winkey + R
  • Type services.msc
  • Search Redis service
  • Click stop, start or restart the service option.

3. On Ubuntu

To install Redis on Ubuntu, it’s a lot of works to do. There’s a comprehensive guide on how to install Redis server on Ubuntu 16.04. If you haven’t done it before, go take a look.

  • To start Redis server:
sudo systemctl start redis
  • To start Redis automatically when your server boots:
sudo systemctl enable redis
  • To restart Redis server:
sudo systemctl restart redis
  • To stop redis
sudo systemctl stop redis

Need a good GUI tool for Redis on MacOS? TablePlus is a modern, native tool with an elegant GUI that allows you to simultaneously manage multiple databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, Redis and more.


Download TablePlus for Mac. It’s free anyway!

Not on Mac? Download TablePlus for Windows.

TablePlus GUI for Redis