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Databases · head to head

Memcached vs Visual Studio

M

Memcached

Databases

Distributed memory object caching system

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit MemcachedFull review
Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Visual StudioFull review

The short version

  • Both are free.
  • Where Memcached falls short: no persistence at all: restart a node and its cache is gone, which every design must assume.
  • Where Visual Studio falls short: A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Memcached and Visual Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Memcached and Visual Studio differ
AttributeMemcachedVisual Studio
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separatelyFreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Self-hostedWeb
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 Memcached

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

Only in Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that Memcached does not also cover.

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 Visual Studio
  • Session storage where losing sessions on restart is acceptablenot Visual Studio
  • Fronting an API whose responses are costly and change slowlynot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

  • Managing complex, large-scale projects across multiple platformsnot Memcached
  • Commercial development in small businessesnot Memcached
  • DevOps and automated deployment workflowsnot Memcached
  • Windows/SQL Server developer and tester rolesnot Memcached
  • Short-term or month-to-month IDE access needsnot 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

Visual Studio

  • Community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Monthly subscriptions are $45 per user per month for Professional and $250 per user per month for Enterprise, and do not include perpetual use rights the way annual Standard subscriptions do
  • A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers

Pricing, plan by plan

Memcached

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

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

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, Self-hosted.
  • You also want multithreaded.
Memcached review

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Memcached or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Memcached starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Memcached or Visual Studio?
Memcached starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free.
Does Memcached or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Memcached runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted. Visual Studio runs on Web.
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 Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Memcached do that Visual Studio cannot?
Memcached covers In-memory key-value cache, Multithreaded, Client-side sharding, Predictable memory use.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Memcached: Is Memcached free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Visual Studio: What are the pricing differences between subscription types?

Standard subscriptions include access to more benefits, such as Azure dev/test pricing, monthly Azure individual credit, software and download access, services, training, and support. Monthly subscriptions offer flexibility but fewer benefits.

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.

Visual Studio: Are discounts available for startups?

There aren't any discounts available to start-ups, however an unlimited number of users within an organization can use Visual Studio Community for specific scenarios like open source work.

Source
Memcached: Does Memcached persist data?

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

Visual Studio: Who can use Visual Studio Community for free?

In non-enterprise organizations, up to five users can use it. Enterprise organizations (greater than 250 PCs or greater than $1M annual revenue) cannot use it beyond academic/open-source scenarios.

Source
Visual Studio: What's the renewal pricing structure?

Enterprise standard renews at $214.09/month (after initial $499.92); Professional at $66.59/month (after $99.99).

Source
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