Softwr

Databases · head to head

Dragonfly vs Helm

Dragonfly logo

Dragonfly

Databases

High-performance Redis-compatible in-memory datastore with 25x better throughput

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit DragonflyFull review
H

Helm

Developer Tools

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit HelmFull review

The short version

  • Dragonfly is a modern in-memory data store; Helm is a Kubernetes package manager, licensed Apache 2.
  • Helm is free; Dragonfly starts at $2000/mo.
  • Where Dragonfly falls short: flex tier starting at $36/month may be underpriced, requiring careful usage monitoring.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dragonfly and Helm actually diverge.

Attributes where Dragonfly and Helm differ
AttributeDragonflyHelm
Pricing modelUsage-based cloud pricing with flexible tiersOpen-source
PlatformsWeb, AWS, GCP, AzureWeb
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

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 Dragonfly

  • Redis API compatibility
  • Thread-per-core architecture
  • High-performance caching
  • Memory efficiency
  • Real-time leaderboards
  • Message queue support
  • ML feature serving
  • Cloud deployment

Only in Helm

Nothing recorded that Dragonfly does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Dragonfly

  • High-throughput caching for web applicationsnot Helm
  • Real-time leaderboards and rankingsnot Helm
  • Message queue and event processingnot Helm
  • ML model feature serving at millisecond latenciesnot Helm
  • Gaming session state and player data storagenot Helm

Helm

  • Kubernetes package manager and deployment toolnot Dragonfly

Where each one falls short

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

Dragonfly

  • Flex tier starting at $36/month may be underpriced, requiring careful usage monitoring
  • Business tier $2,000/month represents significant jump in cost
  • Limited to in-memory storage, not suitable for cold data or archival
  • Bring-your-own-cloud requirement on Business tier adds operational complexity
  • Cloud availability dependent on AWS/GCP/Azure uptime

Helm

  • Contributors must sign commits under the Developer Certificate of Origin to have them accepted, per helm.sh, a process requirement not all Kubernetes tools impose

Pricing, plan by plan

Dragonfly

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 100 cloud credits for new signups
    • Equivalent to free trial
  • Business$2,000/mo
    • Starting price for enterprise offering
    • Bring-your-own-cloud deployment
    • Auto-scaling with custom SLAs
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Custom pricing
    • Any-cloud deployment
    • Custom instances and sizing

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Dragonfly if

  • You need redis api compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want thread-per-core architecture.
Dragonfly review

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Questions people ask

Is Dragonfly or Helm better?
Neither clearly leads. Dragonfly starts at Free and Helm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dragonfly or Helm?
Dragonfly starts at Free and Helm at Free.
Does Dragonfly or Helm run on more platforms?
Dragonfly runs on Web, AWS, GCP, Azure. Helm runs on Web.
Can I use Dragonfly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dragonfly best used for?
Dragonfly is most often used for high-throughput caching for web applications, real-time leaderboards and rankings, message queue and event processing, ml model feature serving at millisecond latencies. Of those, high-throughput caching for web applications and real-time leaderboards and rankings are not what Helm is typically brought in for.
What can Dragonfly do that Helm cannot?
Dragonfly covers Redis API compatibility, Thread-per-core architecture, High-performance caching, Memory efficiency.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dragonfly: How much faster is Dragonfly than Redis?

Dragonfly achieves 3.97M queries per second compared to Redis's 718K QPS, representing a 25x improvement. Memory efficiency is also 30% better.

Source
Helm: How much does Helm cost?

Helm is free and open-source. It is a graduated project in the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) with no commercial pricing model.

Source
Dragonfly: Can I migrate from Redis to Dragonfly without code changes?

Yes. Dragonfly maintains full API compatibility with Redis and Memcached, allowing drop-in replacement with minimal to no code modifications.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Dragonfly

More on Helm

Keep looking

Other head to heads