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APIs · head to head

Janus Gateway vs Memcached

Janus Gateway logo

Janus Gateway

APIs

WebRTC gateway and media server for real-time communication

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: Janus Gateway no commercial pricing published; open-source project without official commercial offerings; Memcached no persistence at all: restart a node and its cache is gone, which every design must assume
  • They diverge on capability: Janus Gateway covers WebRTC Gateway, 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 Janus Gateway and Memcached actually diverge.

Attributes where Janus Gateway and Memcached differ
AttributeJanus GatewayMemcached
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separately
PlatformsLinux, MacOS, BSDLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted
CategoryAPIsDatabases
Founded2010Unknown

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

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 Janus Gateway

  • WebRTC Gateway
  • Media Routing
  • Video Conferencing
  • RTP
  • SRTP
  • REST API
  • Linux support
  • MacOS support

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.

Janus Gateway

  • API Developmentnot Memcached
  • API Gatewaynot Memcached
  • API Testingnot Memcached
  • API Documentationnot Memcached
  • Microservicesnot Memcached

Memcached

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

Where each one falls short

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

Janus Gateway

  • No commercial pricing published; open-source project without official commercial offerings
  • Community-supported only; no vendor commercial support or SLA available

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

Janus Gateway

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core WebRTC gateway
    • Community support

Memcached

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Janus Gateway if

  • You need webrtc gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, MacOS, BSD.
  • You also want media routing.
Janus Gateway 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 Janus Gateway or Memcached better?
Neither clearly leads. Janus Gateway 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, Janus Gateway or Memcached?
Janus Gateway starts at Free and Memcached at Free.
Does Janus Gateway or Memcached run on more platforms?
Janus Gateway runs on Linux, MacOS, BSD. Memcached runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
Can I use Janus Gateway for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Janus Gateway best used for?
Janus Gateway is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Memcached is typically brought in for.
What can Janus Gateway do that Memcached cannot?
Janus Gateway covers WebRTC Gateway, Media Routing, Video Conferencing, RTP. Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache, Multithreaded, Client-side sharding, Predictable memory use.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Janus Gateway: How much does Janus Gateway cost?

Janus Gateway has no pricing model; it is a free open-source WebRTC server developed by Meetecho. The general-purpose server is available for download at no cost. There are no subscription tiers or commercial licensing fees.

Source
Memcached: Is Memcached free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Janus Gateway: Is Janus Gateway supported commercially?

Janus Gateway is community-supported open-source software with no official commercial support or SLA from the vendors. While Meetecho developed the project, users must rely on community documentation and forums for assistance.

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.

Memcached: Does Memcached persist data?

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

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