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Databases · head to head

Amazon RDS vs Memcached

Amazon RDS logo

Amazon RDS

Databases

Set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
M

Memcached

Databases

Distributed memory object caching system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amazon RDS no super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization; Memcached no persistence at all: restart a node and its cache is gone, which every design must assume
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon RDS and Memcached actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon RDS and Memcached differ
AttributeAmazon RDSMemcached
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separately
PlatformsAWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-regionLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon RDS

  • Multiple DB Engines
  • Automated Backups
  • Multi-AZ Deployment
  • Read Replicas
  • Encryption
  • Performance Insights
  • Automatic Scaling
  • MySQL

Only in Memcached

  • In-memory key-value cache
  • Multithreaded
  • Client-side sharding
  • Predictable memory use

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon RDS

  • Transaction processingnot Memcached
  • Data storagenot Memcached
  • Application backendnot Memcached
  • Reportingnot Memcached
  • Data analyticsnot Memcached

Memcached

  • Caching expensive database query results to cut loadnot Amazon RDS
  • Session storage where losing sessions on restart is acceptablenot Amazon RDS
  • Fronting an API whose responses are costly and change slowlynot Amazon RDS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon RDS

  • No super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization
  • Pricing unpredictable and expensive compared to GCP alternatives with equivalent features
  • Limited access to system procedures and tables requiring advanced permissions
  • No Oracle RAC (Real Application Clusters) support for high-availability Oracle deployments

Memcached

  • No persistence at all: restart a node and its cache is gone, which every design must assume
  • No replication or failover, so losing a node loses that share of the cache
  • Only simple key-value, with none of the lists, sorted sets or streams Redis offers
  • Values are capped at 1MB by default, which surprises teams caching large documents

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon RDS

Free
  • On-Demand Instances$undefined/per second
  • Reserved Instances$undefined/mo
  • Database Savings Plans$undefined/mo

Memcached

Free
  • MemcachedFree
    • Full functionality
    • Self-hosted
    • No usage limits

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon RDS if

  • You need multiple db engines.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region.
  • You also want automated backups.
Amazon RDS review

Choose Memcached if

  • You need in-memory key-value cache.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want multithreaded.
Memcached review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon RDS or Memcached better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon RDS starts at Free and Memcached at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon RDS or Memcached?
Amazon RDS starts at Free and Memcached at Free.
Does Amazon RDS or Memcached run on more platforms?
Amazon RDS runs on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region. Memcached runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Amazon RDS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amazon RDS best used for?
Amazon RDS is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Memcached is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon RDS do that Memcached cannot?
Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Automated Backups, Multi-AZ Deployment, Read Replicas. Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache, Multithreaded, Client-side sharding, Predictable memory use.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon RDS: What is included in the AWS Free Tier for RDS?

For signups before July 15, 2025: 750 hours per month of single-AZ database instance usage (12 months), 20 GB General Purpose SSD storage monthly, 20 GB automated backup storage monthly, available engines include MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server Express Edition. For signups after July 15, 2025: choice between Free Plan or Paid Plan, $100 in credits plus up to $100 additional credits for activating foundational services, credits valid 12 months. Free Tier unavailable in AWS GovCloud (US) and China (Beijing) regions.

Source
Memcached: Is Memcached free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Amazon RDS: How is data transfer priced in RDS?

Same Availability Zone (EC2 to RDS) is free. Multi-AZ replication is free. Cross-AZ within same region is 0.01 USD per GB in and out. Cross-region snapshots and backups follow standard data transfer charges.

Source
Memcached: Memcached or Redis?

Memcached is a pure cache: simpler, multithreaded and very predictable. Redis adds persistence, replication and rich data structures, which is why it is the default choice unless you specifically want a cache and nothing more.

Amazon RDS: What database engines are supported by RDS?

Aurora, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, SQL Server, and IBM Db2. Pricing varies by engine.

Source
Memcached: Does Memcached persist data?

No. Everything is in memory and lost on restart, by design.

Amazon RDS: What cost components are included in RDS monthly pricing?

DB instance hours (billed in 1-second increments, 10-minute minimum), storage per GB per month, I/O requests (Aurora and magnetic storage only), provisioned IOPS per month, backup storage, and data transfer fees.

Source
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