whichdb
vs

Ehcache vs Infinispan

Ehcache: The standard embedded JVM cache, with heap, off-heap and disk tiers and optional Terracotta clustering. Infinispan: Red Hat's open-source distributed cache and key-value store, embeddable or as a RESP-compatible server.

key differences

  • Infinispan is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Ehcache (≤ 100 GB).
  • Horizontal scaling is addon in Ehcache and native in Infinispan.
  • Only Infinispan has transactions, secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, json.

choose ehcache for

  • +Hibernate second-level cache
  • +Spring @Cacheable method caching
  • +Local caching of reference data in JVM services

best at · Cache, Embedded

choose infinispan for

  • +Hibernate second-level and Keycloak session caching
  • +Clustered HTTP session storage for Java app servers
  • +Distributed cache on OpenShift with operator management

best at · Cache, Sessions, Pub/Sub

EhcacheThe standard embedded JVM cache, with heap, off-heap and disk tiers and optional Terracotta clustering.
InfinispanRed Hat's open-source distributed cache and key-value store, embeddable or as a RESP-compatible server.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
–
Document, Vector
Type
Embedded library
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Terracotta (IBM)
Red Hat (IBM)
First release
2003
2009
Latest version
3.12.0 (Apr 3, 2026)
16.3.1 (Oct 20, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
17.6
28.8
Rank
#188
#93
GitHub stars
2.1K
1.4K
Stack Overflow questions
2.4K
1.1K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Addon
Native
Multi-region
None
Active active
ACID
Limited
Limited
Consistency
Strong, Eventual
Strong, Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Flexible
Architecture
Embedded, In memory
In memory, Distributed, Embedded, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
✓
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
–
capabilities
Transactions
—
✓
Joins
—
—
Secondary indexes
—
✓
Full-text search
—
✓
Vector search
—
✓
Geospatial
—
—
JSON
—
✓
Change data capture
—
—
Triggers
—
—
Stored procedures
—
—
Materialized views
—
—
TTL / expiry
✓
✓
Pub/Sub
—
✓
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
✓
✓
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
—
—
Encryption at rest
—
✓
Role-based access
—
✓
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
—
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
Java API
Ickle (JPQL-like), Redis commands (RESP)
Client languages
Java
Java, C#, C++, JavaScript, Python
Best for
Cache, Embedded
Cache, Sessions, Pub/Sub
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Ehcache vs Infinispan: FAQ

What is the difference between Ehcache and Infinispan?

Ehcache: The standard embedded JVM cache, with heap, off-heap and disk tiers and optional Terracotta clustering. Infinispan: Red Hat's open-source distributed cache and key-value store, embeddable or as a RESP-compatible server. Infinispan is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Ehcache (≤ 100 GB). Horizontal scaling is addon in Ehcache and native in Infinispan. Only Infinispan has transactions, secondary indexes, full-text search, vector search, json.

When should I choose Ehcache over Infinispan?

Choose Ehcache for hibernate second-level cache, spring @Cacheable method caching and local caching of reference data in JVM services. Choose Infinispan for hibernate second-level and Keycloak session caching; clustered HTTP session storage for Java app servers; and distributed cache on OpenShift with operator management.

Is Ehcache or Infinispan more popular?

Infinispan ranks #93 on the WhichDB Score (28.8/100) and Ehcache ranks #188 (17.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Ehcache and Infinispan open source?

Yes. Ehcache is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Infinispan is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.