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Tech riderRev. 30 Sept 2026

Memcached

Ch 077.0of 26 Caching Software
  1. 1Runs onAPI, Linux, Mac, self-hosted
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Deploymentself hosted
  4. 4Cache targetsdatabase-call results, API-call results, page-rendering results
  5. 5Data persistenceYes
  6. 6High availabilityYes
  7. 7Supported cache enginesText protocol, Meta Text protocol, Binary protocol, SASL authentication
7 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: memcached.org
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The Memcached homepage

Overview

Memcached is ranked #7 of 26 in caching software on Specifiction. It runs on API, Linux, macOS, Self-hosted. There is a free plan.

Memcached plans and pricing

All plans
Memcached Free Free & open source Self-hosted software · no hosted plan or price listed memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on caching software

Free plan
Yesmemcached.org
Deployment
self_hostedmemcached.org
Cache targets
database-call results, API-call results, page-rendering resultsmemcached.org
Data persistence
Yesmemcached.org
High availability
Yesmemcached.org
Supported cache engines
Text protocol, Meta Text protocol, Binary protocol, SASL authenticationmemcached.org

Facts

Purpose
Memcached is a distributed in-memory key-value cache intended to speed up dynamic web applications by reducing database load.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Cached data
It stores small chunks of arbitrary data, such as strings and objects, including results from database calls, API calls, or page rendering.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Cluster model
Clients use a key-based hashing algorithm to select a server, while servers operate independently without synchronization or replication.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Expiration and eviction
Items can expire after a specified time, and the default eviction policy is least recently used (LRU).docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Performance
The documentation says queries on slow machines should run well under 1 ms and high-end servers can serve millions of keys per second.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Developer audience
The documentation describes Memcached as a developer tool and says it is not code acceleration software or database middleware.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Language support
The maker says its API is available for most popular languages.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Installation
The downloads page provides a source tarball and installation instructions, including package prerequisites for Debian/Ubuntu and Red Hat/CentOS.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
TLS security
Memcached 1.5.13 and later supports authentication and encryption via TLS when built with TLS enabled and used with a TLS-capable client.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
SASL security
SASL can authenticate clients but does not encrypt communications, and the documentation says it is not suitable for use over the internet.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Flash storage
The optional extstore feature moves values to external storage while keeping keys and the hash table in memory, and requires Memcached 1.6.0 or newer.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Flash storage limit
Extstore requires flash storage rather than rotational media, and a Memcached restart effectively empties its flash data.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Item size limit
The use cases documentation cites a 1 MB item-size limit.docs.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Support
The project directs users to its Discord chat, documentation, and mailing list for questions, and points to Cache Forge for business support.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026
Origin
Memcached was originally developed by Brad Fitzpatrick for LiveJournal in 2003.memcached.org · 30 Sept 2026

Company

Founded
2003memcached.org · 28 Sept 2026

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Where it ranks on Specifiction

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