# Amazon ElastiCache

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/caching/amazon-elasticache/

AWS-managed Redis OSS, Valkey and Memcached, billed on-demand per node or serverless per GB-hour and ECPU.

## Who it suits

Teams already on AWS that want engine choice (Valkey, Memcached or Redis OSS) under one billing model, or that specifically need Valkey's newer durable-persistence option.

Consider something else if AWS isn't the target cloud, or the free-tier eligibility window matters — it's restricted to accounts that signed up for AWS Free Tier before July 15, 2025.

## What the documentation says

### Pricing

- Free tier: Yes ([source](https://aws.amazon.com/elasticache/pricing/), read 2026-09-11)
- Entry paid plan: On-demand example: cache.r7g.large at $0.1752/hour. Actual entry price depends on node size and engine chosen. ([source](https://aws.amazon.com/elasticache/pricing/), read 2026-09-11)
- Pricing model: Three models: on-demand (hourly per node), serverless (billed on GB-hours of data storage plus ECPUs consumed), or Database Savings Plans for committed use. ([source](https://aws.amazon.com/elasticache/pricing/), read 2026-09-11)

### Caching

- Data persistence: Durable on Valkey 9.0+: data is stored persistently. Synchronous writes cost an 18% premium; asynchronous writes carry no additional cost. Redis OSS and Memcached engines are not documented as persistent here. ([source](https://aws.amazon.com/elasticache/pricing/), read 2026-09-11)
- Multi-region replication: Global Datastore provides managed, secure cross-region replication, with outbound cross-region traffic billed at $0.02/GiB. ([source](https://aws.amazon.com/elasticache/pricing/), read 2026-09-11)

## Compared with

- [Amazon ElastiCache vs Upstash Redis](https://inetgeek.com/compare/amazon-elasticache-vs-upstash-redis/)
- [Amazon ElastiCache vs Redis Cloud](https://inetgeek.com/compare/amazon-elasticache-vs-redis-cloud/)
- [Amazon ElastiCache vs MemCachier](https://inetgeek.com/compare/amazon-elasticache-vs-memcachier/)