whichdb
vs

EVCache vs Valkey

EVCache: Netflix's memcached-based distributed cache with zone-aware replication, built for AWS microservices. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud.

key differences

  • EVCache is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Valkey (≤ 10 TB).
  • Transactions: EVCache offers none ACID; Valkey offers limited.
  • Only Valkey has transactions, geospatial, stored procedures, pub/sub, durable persistence.

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 valkey for

  • +Replacing Redis OSS without license concerns
  • +Application caching and session storage
  • +Rate limiting, counters and leaderboards
  • +Pub/sub fan-out and Streams-based queues

best at · Cache, Sessions, Queue

EVCacheNetflix's memcached-based distributed cache with zone-aware replication, built for AWS microservices.
ValkeyThe Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud.
overview
Primary model
Key-Value
Key-Value
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Netflix
Valkey project (Linux Foundation)
First release
2013
2024
Latest version
5.28.1 (Sep 30, 2026)
9.1.3 (Oct 26, 2026)
License
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Open source (permissive)BSD 3-Clause
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
2.8
58.0
Rank
#457
#16
GitHub stars
2.2K
27.5K
Stack Overflow questions
–
29
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Massive (Multi-PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Native
Multi-region
Active active
Read replicas
ACID
None
Limited
Consistency
Eventual
Eventual
Schema
Schemaless
Schemaless
Architecture
Distributed, In memory, Client server
In memory, Single node, Primary replica, Distributed, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS
AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Aiven, DigitalOcean, Akamai
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
Redis commands (RESP), Lua
Client languages
Java
Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, C#, Rust, Ruby, PHP
Best for
Cache, Sessions
Cache, Sessions, Queue, Pub/Sub
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

EVCache vs Valkey: FAQ

What is the difference between EVCache and Valkey?

EVCache: Netflix's memcached-based distributed cache with zone-aware replication, built for AWS microservices. Valkey: The Linux Foundation's BSD-licensed fork of Redis, now the default engine on AWS and Google Cloud. EVCache is built for larger datasets (Multi-PB) than Valkey (≤ 10 TB). Transactions: EVCache offers none ACID; Valkey offers limited. Only Valkey has transactions, geospatial, stored procedures, pub/sub, durable persistence.

When should I choose EVCache over Valkey?

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 Valkey for replacing Redis OSS without license concerns; application caching and session storage; and rate limiting, counters and leaderboards.

Is EVCache or Valkey more popular?

Valkey ranks #16 on the WhichDB Score (58.0/100) and EVCache ranks #457 (2.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are EVCache and Valkey open source?

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