Azure Managed Redis offers both clustered and standalone modes, each catering to different needs and scenarios. While clustered mode is the default for new resources due to its scalability and ability to seamlessly expand with additional shards, standalone mode remains relevant for its simplicity, cost efficiency, and compatibility with certain applications. Standalone mode, being a lighter-weight deployment, is ideal for developers working on proof-of-concepts, functional testing, or experimenting with new features, as it minimizes complexity and cost. Additionally, it serves as a reliable option for legacy applications that require a single endpoint, avoiding the overhead associated with cluster management. Despite clustered mode being more suitable for production environments due to its support for growth and resilience, standalone mode offers a cost-effective entry point for smaller development or test environments, especially now that non-clustered mode is generally available in Azure Managed Redis.