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ehcache.org
What it is
Ehcache is a free, open-source Java caching library for keeping application data, database results, and web pages available to applications. It is designed to improve performance, reduce database work, and support scaling. It can run inside an application or in mixed in-process and out-of-process deployments, including terabyte-sized caches. Ehcache 3 supports off-heap storage, including configurations that rely on it exclusively, and is compatible with the JCache API defined by JSR-107. The project describes Spring Caching and Hibernate integration through javax.cache support. Configuration is available through XML or the Java API, and data can be shared between application instances using Terracotta clustered storage. Ehcache 3.11 also allows caches to share resources. It supports JTA-managed XA transactions, including two-phase commit and crash recovery, but documents Read-Committed as the only supported isolation level and Bitronix 2.1.4 as the only tested transaction manager. Ehcache 3.11 requires Java 8 or later and is the last release line to support Java 8. The license is Apache 2.0.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Ehcache is a Java cache intended to improve application speed, reduce database load and support scalable deployments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Purpose
- Ehcache is an open-source, standards-based Java cache that boosts performance, offloads databases, and simplifies scalability.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Support
- Ehcache documentation directs users with unanswered questions to its support forums.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- API documentation
- The project publishes JavaDoc for core, clustered and transaction modules plus older 2.x APIs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Cache sharing
- Ehcache 3.11 adds the ability to share resources between caches.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Cache-through extensibility
- CacheLoaderWriter combines read-through loading and write-through persistence callbacks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Clustering
- Ehcache can use Terracotta clustered storage to share cache data across application instances.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Configuration
- Ehcache supports XML configuration as well as configuration through its Java API.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Deployment model
- The project supports in-process caching and mixed in-process/out-of-process deployments with caches sized for terabytes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Deployment scale
- It supports in-process and mixed in-process/out-of-process deployments, including terabyte-sized caches.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Distributed caching
- Terracotta integration enables clustered caches across distributed nodes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Documentation depth
- The current guide covers getting started, tiering, XML, JCache, clustering, expiry, resilience, serializers, transactions, writers, listeners, OSGi and tuning.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Downloads
- Official downloads include Ehcache 3.11 jars, clustering kits and the older 2.10.8 archive.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Eviction
- The product provides configurable eviction strategies for deciding which entries leave a cache.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Expiration
- Cache entries can use configurable expiration policies, including time-to-live settings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Framework integrations
- The project describes out-of-the-box Spring Caching and Hibernate integration through javax.cache support.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Installation
- Ehcache 3.11.1 can be added with Maven or Gradle using org.ehcache:ehcache:3.11.1.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Java requirement
- Ehcache 3.11 requires Java 8 or later, and is the last Ehcache release line to support Java 8.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- JCache compatibility
- Ehcache 3 implements the JSR-107 JCache API so applications can use the standard cache interfaces.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Licence
- The open-source project is distributed under the Apache License 2.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Limit: administration and recovery
- Gartner reviewers criticized difficult debugging and weaker administration, data-recovery and export/import capabilities.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Limit: high availability and performance
- Gartner feedback said high-availability and performance lagged leading alternatives in some deployments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Maintenance note
- The downloads page says FOSS Ehcache 2.x is no longer actively maintained.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Maker founded and size
- LinkedIn lists Terracotta as founded in 2003 with a company size of 51–200 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Maker headquarters
- LinkedIn lists Terracotta headquarters in San Francisco, California.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Maker ownership
- Ehcache is maintained by Terracotta, Inc., which the official site identifies as a Software AG company.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Maven metadata
- Maven Central lists version 3.11.1 under the Apache Software License 2.0 and identifies IBM Corp. as the organization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · central.sonatype.com
- OSGi support
- Ehcache publishes OSGi-compatible bundles and uses service discovery to load functionality in OSGi environments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Praise: clustering and integration
- Gartner reviewers praised easy session propagation across cluster nodes and integration with the Software AG ESB stack.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Praise: off-heap memory management
- A Gartner reviewer described the Terracotta BigMemory off-heap memory-management implementation as robust.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Public API
- The Java API exposes Cache, CacheManager, PersistentCacheManager and user-managed cache interfaces.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Rating on Gartner Peer Insights (Terracotta BigMemory legacy)
- 3.2 out of 5 from 5 ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Rating on TrustRadius
- 0 out of 10 from 0 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
- Release news
- GitHub records Ehcache 3.11.1 as a release adding shared resource pools for unclustered caches and fixing a hashing denial-of-service performance regression.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Release ownership
- The Ehcache 3.11.1 release notes describe it as the first new minor release under IBM ownership.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Repository activity
- The Ehcache 3 GitHub repository shows about 2.1 thousand stars and more than 580 forks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Security and enterprise features
- The project says its enterprise offering Terracotta BigMemory Max provides security, a management monitoring console, fast-restartable store, and worldwide professional support.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Security disclosure
- The older Ehcache web-service documentation says security is disabled by default and must be configured through servlet or XWSS settings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Spring and Hibernate
- The project documents integration with Spring caching and Hibernate second-level caching.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Standards API
- Ehcache 3 is compatible with the JCache API defined by JSR-107.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Storage
- Ehcache 3 supports off-heap storage, including caches that use only off-heap storage.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Storage tiers
- Ehcache supports heap, off-heap and disk storage tiers, including combinations of those tiers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- System requirement
- Ehcache 3.11 requires Java 8 or newer, and its 3.11 line is the last one planned to support Java 8.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Transaction limit
- For XA caches, the documentation identifies Read-Committed as the only supported isolation level and Bitronix 2.1.4 as the only tested transaction manager.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Transactions
- Ehcache supports caches within JTA-managed XA transactions, including two-phase commit and crash recovery.Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- Transactions API
- XA/JTA transaction support is delivered through a separate ehcache-transactions artifact rather than the core jar.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
- TrustRadius pricing listing
- TrustRadius lists no Ehcache pricing plans and says deployment is on-premise; it also reports no free version or trial in its catalog record.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Plans and prices
Ehcache Free Open source · Apache 2.0 license Read 3 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
Ehcache open-source Free Apache 2.0 licensed · self-hosted Java cache Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
Enterprise Ehcache Priced on request Commercial licensing and support · enterprise features Read 15 Oct 2026 · ehcache.org
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Free under the Apache 2.0 license
- Supports off-heap and terabyte-sized caches
- Compatible with JCache API, JSR-107
- XML and Java API configuration
- Supports persistence and high availability
Limits
- Ehcache 3.11 requires Java 8 or later
- Read-Committed is the only supported XA isolation level
- Only Bitronix 2.1.4 is listed as tested
- FOSS Ehcache 2.x is no longer actively maintained
Who it suits
Ehcache suits Java application teams that need configurable caching for application data, database results, or web pages, including deployments using off-heap storage or clustered cache data. Teams using Ehcache 3.11 should account for its Java 8 minimum and the documented XA transaction limits.
Verdict
Ehcache offers a broad set of caching and integration options for Java applications, with free Apache 2.0 licensing. Check the Java requirement and XA transaction constraints against your deployment needs.
Where Specifiction places it
- Caching Software#4 of 278.5
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