BetterDB for Valkey

Lightweight Valkey database management for VS Code

Browse keys, edit values, and run commands without leaving your editor. Connect to remote databases via built-in SSH tunnel.

Features

Multi-Connection Management

Save and manage multiple Valkey/Redis connections. Credentials are stored securely using VS Code's SecretStorage API—never in plaintext config files.

Key Browser

Scan and filter keys by pattern. See key types and TTL at a glance. Supports wildcard patterns like user:*, session:*, or *:cache.

Full CRUD Support

View and edit Valkey data types with type-specific editors:

Server Stats

Monitor your Valkey instance health at a glance. View real-time metrics including version, memory usage, connected clients, operations per second, hit rate, and more.

• Auto-refreshes every 5 seconds
• Pauses polling when collapsed to save resources
• Shows version, role, uptime, memory, ops/sec, hit rate, total keys, and evicted keys

Integrated CLI

Execute commands directly with full output formatting. Command history persists across sessions.

• Syntax highlighting for responses
• Up/Down arrow for command history
• Ctrl+A/E/U/K/W editing shortcuts
• Tab completion (coming soon)

Secure by Default

• Passwords stored in VS Code's SecretStorage
• TLS/SSL connection support
• No telemetry or data collection

Quick Start

1. Install from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Open the BetterDB panel in the Activity Bar (database icon)
3. Click + to add a connection
4. Enter your connection details and connect
5. Start browsing keys

Alternative Installation (Cursor, VSCodium, etc.)

Download the .vsix file from GitHub Releases, then:

• Cursor: code --install-extension betterdb-for-valkey.vsix
• VSCodium: codium --install-extension betterdb-for-valkey.vsix
• Or: Open the editor → Extensions → ... menu → "Install from VSIX..."

Connection Settings

SSH Tunnel

Connect to remote Valkey/Redis instances through an SSH tunnel — no VS Code Remote-SSH or manual port forwarding required.

• Supports password and private key authentication
• Works with managed services like AWS ElastiCache and MemoryDB that are only accessible from within a VPC
• TLS connections work through the tunnel (SNI is forwarded automatically)
• Multiple simultaneous SSH tunnels supported
• Clear error messages when SSH auth fails, the tunnel times out, or the remote database is unreachable

When adding or editing a connection, choose Yes at the "Connect via SSH tunnel?" prompt and enter your SSH server details. The extension opens an SSH connection, creates a local TCP tunnel, and routes all Valkey traffic through it.

Commands

Access commands via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Additional commands are available via context menus in the sidebar (Connect, Disconnect, Edit Connection, Delete Connection, Delete Key).

Requirements

• VS Code 1.85.0 or higher
• Valkey 7.2+ or Redis 6.0+

Redis compatibility is maintained—BetterDB works with both Valkey and Redis servers. SSH tunneling is built in (ssh2 is bundled) — no additional software needed.

Telemetry

This extension does not collect any telemetry or usage data.

Development

Want to contribute or run locally? See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup instructions.

Links

• BetterDB Monitoring Platform — Full observability for Valkey
• Report Issues
• Valkey

License

MIT — See LICENSE for details.