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Redis can easily be customized to run on a different port, with a password, or even as a background Windows Service. In this guide, you’ll learn how to configure a custom Redis instance on Windows with your own settings.
By default, Redis on Windows runs without authentication on port 6379. For better security and flexibility, you can create your own configuration — such as:
6380)requirepassDepending on your operating system, your Redis configuration file (redis.conf) is located in different paths:
Windows:
C:\Program Files\Redis\redis.windows.conf
C:\Program Files\Redis\redis.windows-service.conf ← default Windows Redis service
Linux:
/etc/redis/redis.conf
macOS (Homebrew):
/usr/local/etc/redis.conf
redis.conf to Use Custom SettingsOpen the config file in any text editor and modify the following lines:
port 6380
requirepass mySecret123
You can start your Redis server manually using your custom config file.
# Run Redis with custom config in background
start /min redis-server "C:\Program Files\Redis\redis.windows.conf"
# Stop Redis manually
taskkill /IM redis-server.exe /F
The start /min command opens Redis in the background, and taskkill stops it.
To automatically start Redis on boot or manage it as a service, register it with a custom name:
# Install custom Redis as a Windows service
redis-server "C:\Program Files\Redis\redis.windows.conf"
redis-server --service-install "C:\Program Files\Redis\redis.windows.conf" --service-name RedisCustom
# Start and stop the service
net start RedisCustom
net stop RedisCustom
# Uninstall the custom service
redis-server --service-uninstall --service-name RedisCustom
You can check if your Redis server is running and which port it’s using with:
netstat -ano | findstr :6380
Then connect to it using the Redis CLI:
redis-cli -p 6380
AUTH mySecret123
Once authenticated, you can run Redis commands securely on your new instance.
Finally, use the same credentials in your Node.js app:
import { createClient } from "redis";
const client = createClient({
url: "redis://:mySecret123@127.0.0.1:6380",
});
await client.connect();
console.log("✅ Connected to custom Redis!");
Setting up a custom Redis server allows you to separate environments (development, staging, production) and secure your data with authentication. You can also run multiple instances for testing different projects simultaneously. This flexibility makes Redis a great choice for developers and system architects alike.