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Databases · head to head

Google Cloud SQL vs Memcached

Google Cloud SQL logo

Google Cloud SQL

Databases

Fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Memcached logo

Memcached

Databases

Distributed memory object caching system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Google Cloud SQL locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability; Memcached no persistence at all: restart a node and its cache is gone, which every design must assume
  • They diverge on capability: Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability, Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Cloud SQL and Memcached actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Cloud SQL and Memcached differ
AttributeGoogle Cloud SQLMemcached
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separately
PlatformsGoogle Cloud PlatformLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted
Founded2008Unknown

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 Google Cloud SQL

  • High Availability
  • Automated Backups
  • Point-in-time Recovery
  • Encryption
  • Regional/Zonal Instances
  • Read Replicas
  • Private IP
  • BigQuery

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.

Google Cloud SQL

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

Memcached

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

Where each one falls short

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

Google Cloud SQL

  • Locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing can become expensive with unpredictable workloads
  • Limited customization options compared to self-managed databases

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

Google Cloud SQL

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • db-f1-micro instance
    • 30GB storage
    • Limited usage
  • Standard$25/month
    • High availability
    • Automated backups
    • Point-in-time recovery

Memcached

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Cloud SQL if

  • You need high availability.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Google Cloud Platform.
  • You also want automated backups.
Google Cloud SQL 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 Google Cloud SQL or Memcached better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud SQL 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, Google Cloud SQL or Memcached?
Google Cloud SQL starts at Free and Memcached at Free.
Does Google Cloud SQL or Memcached run on more platforms?
Google Cloud SQL runs on Google Cloud Platform. Memcached runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Google Cloud SQL for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Google Cloud SQL best used for?
Google Cloud SQL 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 Google Cloud SQL do that Memcached cannot?
Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability, Automated Backups, Point-in-time Recovery, Encryption. Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache, Multithreaded, Client-side sharding, Predictable memory use.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Cloud SQL: What database engines does Google Cloud SQL support?

Google Cloud SQL supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. Users can choose their preferred engine when provisioning an instance and Google handles automated backups, replication, patching, and scaling.

Source
Memcached: Is Memcached free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Google Cloud SQL: Does Google Cloud SQL have a free tier?

Google Cloud SQL does not have a free tier, though new users receive free trial credits from Google Cloud Platform. Pricing is based on compute resources (CPU and memory) and storage used, with options for committed use discounts.

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.

Google Cloud SQL: Can Google Cloud SQL scale automatically?

Yes. Cloud SQL automatically scales database storage and compute resources to handle increased workloads without manual intervention, and includes automated backups and high availability configurations.

Source
Memcached: Does Memcached persist data?

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

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Related pages

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