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EVCache vs Memcached

EVCache: Netflix's memcached-based distributed cache with zone-aware replication, built for AWS microservices. Memcached: The original multi-threaded, dead-simple distributed memory cache for key-value blobs.

key differences

  • EVCache is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Memcached (≤ 1 PB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in EVCache and manual in Memcached.

choose evcache for

  • +Multi-zone caching in front of databases for Java microservices on AWS
  • +Session and personalisation data with short TTLs
  • +Read-heavy caches with sub-millisecond in-zone latency targets

best at · Cache, Sessions

choose memcached for

  • +Read-through caching of database query results
  • +Rendered page and fragment caching
  • +Session storage when losing sessions is acceptable
  • +Very large, horizontally sharded look-aside cache tiers

best at · Cache, Sessions

EVCacheNetflix's memcached-based distributed cache with zone-aware replication, built for AWS microservices.
MemcachedThe original multi-threaded, dead-simple distributed memory cache for key-value blobs.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Netflix
Memcached community (originally Danga Interactive)
First release
2013
2003
Latest version
5.28.1 (Sep 30, 2026)
1.6.45 (Jul 9, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)BSD 3-Clause
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
2.8
50.6
Rank
#457
#25
GitHub stars
2.2K
14.3K
Stack Overflow questions
–
5.2K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Massive (Multi-PB)
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Manual
Multi-region
Active active
None
ACID
None
None
Consistency
Eventual
Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Distributed, In memory, Client server
In memory, Single node, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS
AWS, Google Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud
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
Memcached commands via Java client
Memcached text/meta protocol
Client languages
Java
C, Java, Python, PHP, Go, JavaScript, Ruby, C#
Best for
Cache, Sessions
Cache, Sessions
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

EVCache vs Memcached: FAQ

What is the difference between EVCache and Memcached?

EVCache: Netflix's memcached-based distributed cache with zone-aware replication, built for AWS microservices. Memcached: The original multi-threaded, dead-simple distributed memory cache for key-value blobs. EVCache is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Memcached (≤ 1 PB). Horizontal scaling is native in EVCache and manual in Memcached.

When should I choose EVCache over Memcached?

Choose EVCache for multi-zone caching in front of databases for Java microservices on AWS; session and personalisation data with short TTLs; and read-heavy caches with sub-millisecond in-zone latency targets. Choose Memcached for read-through caching of database query results; rendered page and fragment caching; and session storage when losing sessions is acceptable.

Is EVCache or Memcached more popular?

Memcached ranks #25 on the WhichDB Score (50.6/100) and EVCache ranks #457 (2.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are EVCache and Memcached open source?

Yes. EVCache is open source. License: Apache License 2.0. Yes. Memcached is open source. License: BSD 3-Clause.