Is Memcached or Postgres better?

Neither clearly leads. Memcached starts at Free and Postgres at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Memcached or Postgres?

Memcached starts at Free and Postgres at Free.

Does Memcached or Postgres run on more platforms?

Memcached runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted. Postgres runs on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker.

Can I use Memcached for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Memcached best used for?

Memcached is most often used for caching expensive database query results to cut load, session storage where losing sessions on restart is acceptable, fronting an api whose responses are costly and change slowly. Of those, caching expensive database query results to cut load and session storage where losing sessions on restart is acceptable are not what Postgres is typically brought in for.

What can Memcached do that Postgres cannot?

Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache, Multithreaded, Client-side sharding, Predictable memory use. Postgres covers ACID compliance, Complex queries, Foreign keys, Triggers.

Databases · head to head

Memcached vs Postgres

Memcached

Databases

Distributed memory object caching system

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Postgres

Technology

The world's most advanced open source database

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Memcached no persistence at all: restart a node and its cache is gone, which every design must assume; Postgres each major version is supported for only 5 years after its initial release, after which it is end-of-life
They diverge on capability: Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache, Postgres covers ACID compliance.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Memcached and Postgres actually diverge.

Attributes where Memcached and Postgres differ
Attribute	Memcached	Postgres
Pricing model	Open source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separately	open-source
Platforms	Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted	Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker
Category	Databases	Technology
Founded	Unknown	1996

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 Memcached

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

Only in Postgres

ACID compliance
Complex queries
Foreign keys
Triggers
Views
Stored procedures
JSON/JSONB support
Full-text search

What people use each for

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

Memcached

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

Postgres

Running a general purpose relational database for applicationsnot Memcached
Self-hosting an open source SQL database with no licence feenot Memcached
Workloads needing extensions, JSON and full text search in one enginenot Memcached

Where each one falls short

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

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

Postgres

Each major version is supported for only 5 years after its initial release, after which it is end-of-life
Major version upgrades break on-disk compatibility and require a full dump and reload or the pg_upgrade tool
New major versions ship about once a year, so staying supported means a disruptive upgrade cycle
Minor releases contain only frequently-encountered bug fixes, low-risk fixes, security issues and data corruption fixes, so feature gaps are not addressed within a major version
There is no vendor SLA; commercial support must be bought separately from third party professional services listed by the project

Pricing, plan by plan

Memcached

Free

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

Postgres

Free

Community EditionFree
- Full database features
- No limitations
- Community support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Postgres if

You need acid compliance.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker.
You also want complex queries.

Postgres review

Questions people ask

Is Memcached or Postgres better?: Neither clearly leads. Memcached starts at Free and Postgres at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Memcached or Postgres?: Memcached starts at Free and Postgres at Free.
Does Memcached or Postgres run on more platforms?: Memcached runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted. Postgres runs on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker.
Can I use Memcached for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Memcached best used for?: Memcached is most often used for caching expensive database query results to cut load, session storage where losing sessions on restart is acceptable, fronting an api whose responses are costly and change slowly. Of those, caching expensive database query results to cut load and session storage where losing sessions on restart is acceptable are not what Postgres is typically brought in for.
What can Memcached do that Postgres cannot?: Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache, Multithreaded, Client-side sharding, Predictable memory use. Postgres covers ACID compliance, Complex queries, Foreign keys, Triggers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Memcached: Is Memcached free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Postgres: How much does PostgreSQL cost to use?

PostgreSQL is completely free to download, install, and use. No licensing fees, subscription costs, or per-seat charges apply. The database is open source under the PostgreSQL License. Source: https://www.postgresql.org

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.

Postgres: Are there commercial PostgreSQL support options available?

Official PostgreSQL (the project) is free. Commercial PostgreSQL services such as hosting, professional support, training, and managed database services are offered by third-party vendors, not the PostgreSQL project itself. Source: https://www.postgresql.org

Source

Memcached: Does Memcached persist data?

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

Postgres: Do I need a license to use PostgreSQL commercially?

No. PostgreSQL is open source under the PostgreSQL License, which permits free commercial use without royalties, licensing fees, or support obligations. Source: https://www.postgresql.org

Source

Memcached vs Postgres

Memcached

Postgres

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Memcached

Only in Postgres

What people use each for

Memcached

Postgres

Where each one falls short

Memcached

Postgres

Pricing, plan by plan

Memcached

Postgres

Which should you pick?

Choose Memcached if

Choose Postgres if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Memcached

More on Postgres

Keep looking

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