Redis, Memcached, and in-process caches each solve different problems with distinct tradeoffs. Redis excels when you need advanced features like atomic operations, complex data structures, and coordination patterns, but introduces operational complexity. Memcached offers simplicity and predictability for basic key-value caching
Table of contents
IntroductionWhat a Distributed Cache Is Really SolvingRedis: The Swiss Army Knife of Distributed CachesMemcached: The Minimalist CacheIn-Process Caches: Faster Than Everything ElseManaged Cloud Caching ServicesHigh-Level Feature ComparisonPerformance Myths That Lead to Bad DecisionsOperational Complexity and Team ReadinessConsistency and Failure ModelsWhen Redis Is the Right ChoiceWhen Redis Is the Wrong ChoiceA Practical Decision FrameworkAvoiding the One-Cache-for-Everything TrapThe Most Common Mistake Teams MakeSummarySort: