DiceDB is an open-source, easy-to-use in-memory database designed for modern applications. It supports fast data access and real-time updates, making it ideal for learning how reactive systems and caching work in practice.
Note: DiceDB development has currently been paused, but the available tools and SDKs still function well for experimentation and lightweight use cases.
This article provides a guide to getting started with DiceDB—from installing the server using Docker, setting up the CLI, to executing your first commands.
1. Installation Options for DiceDB
DiceDB supports multiple installation methods depending on your development environment and preferences:
- Using Docker (the quickest and easiest way)
- Building from source (for advanced users)
This guide focuses on using Docker to start the DiceDB server and then interact with it via the official CLI tool.
2. Setting Up DiceDB with Docker
The most straightforward way to run DiceDB locally is by using Docker. With a single command, you can have the server running and ready to accept commands.
docker run -p 7379:7379 dicedb/dicedb:latest
This command pulls the latest DiceDB image from Docker Hub and starts the server on your local machine. The service will be accessible at localhost:7379, which is DiceDB’s default port.
When the DiceDB server starts successfully, you should see output resembling the following:
2.1 Installing DiceDB CLI
To interact with DiceDB through a command-line interface, you will need the DiceDB CLI. It allows you to send commands to the running server directly from your terminal.
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dicedb/dicedb-cli/refs/heads/master/install.sh | sh
This script installs the DiceDB CLI globally on your system. After installation, you can use the dicedb command to interact with the server. You must have a running DiceDB instance (e.g., via Docker) before issuing commands.
Note: If your operating system is not supported by the above script, you can follow the manual instructions from the official DiceDB CLI GitHub repository.
Once installed, you can launch the interactive DiceDB prompt by running:
dicedb-cli
This will start the CLI and display a prompt like:
localhost:7379>
Verifying the Setup
After installing the CLI and running the Docker container, verify that everything is working as expected:
localhost:7379> PING
The PING command tests the connection between the CLI and the DiceDB server. If successful, the server responds with PONG.
Output
PONG
3. Using DiceDB: Basic Commands
Once the server and CLI are set up, you can begin interacting with DiceDB using simple commands. Here are a few examples:
Set a Key-Value Pair
Stores a key with the associated value.
localhost:7379> SET greeting "Hello, DiceDB"
Retrieve the Value
Retrieves the value of the given key.
localhost:7379> GET greeting OK "Hello, DiceDB"
Check if a Key Exists
Returns 1 if the key exists, otherwise 0.
localhost:7379> EXISTS key OK 0 localhost:7379> EXISTS greeting OK 1
Delete a Key
Deletes the specified key.
localhost:7379> DEL name OK 1
List All Keys
Returns all keys matching the pattern (use * to list all).
localhost:7379> KEYS * OK 0) friend 1) greeting
4. Conclusion
In this article, we explored how to get started with DiceDB by running it with Docker, installing the DiceDB CLI, verifying the server setup, and executing basic key-value commands. Despite its minimal footprint, DiceDB offers a practical solution for learning, rapid prototyping, and building lightweight storage layers in modern applications.
This article provided an intro to DiceDB.
