Amazon ElastiCache
7.9#1 in caching softwareFrom $0.09 a monthFree planWebAPILinuxmacOS
VisitAmazon ElastiCache vs Varnish Cache
Varnish Cache
5.9#14 in caching softwareFree planFree planLinuxSelf-hosted
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | Amazon ElastiCache | Varnish Cache |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 | 2010 |
| Notable limit | Data tiering is not available with ElastiCache Serverless. | The users guide says Varnish does not cache data unless it is sure doing so is safe, and notes that applications may need configuration changes to achieve a high cache hit rate. |
| Purpose | Amazon ElastiCache is a fully managed caching service compatible with Valkey, Memcached, and Redis OSS that delivers microsecond latency performance. | Varnish Cache is a reverse caching proxy that serves cached responses from memory and proxies other requests to origin servers. |
| Security | ElastiCache supports encryption in transit and at rest, IAM authentication, Valkey or Redis OSS AUTH, and role-based access control. | The security guide describes four control levels: command-line arguments, the CLI interface, VCL programs, and HTTP requests. |
Amazon ElastiCache plans
- AWS Free TierFree
- Backup storage$0.09 a month
- ElastiCache Serverless$6 a month
- Database Savings Plans—
- On-demand nodes—
Varnish Cache plans
- Varnish CacheFree
Pick Amazon ElastiCache if…
ElastiCache may suit teams that want a managed cache for application data, sessions, leaderboards, or supported database integrations. It offers both serverless and node-based deployment options.
Pick Varnish Cache if…
Varnish Cache suits Linux users who want to host a reverse caching proxy themselves and configure caching behavior in VCL. It may fit teams that need container or Kubernetes deployment options and operational logs and metrics.