Memcached vs Scylla: What are the differences?
# Key Differences between Memcached and Scylla
Memcached and Scylla are both popular choices for caching and data storage in modern applications, but they differ in several key aspects.
1. **Data Model**: Memcached is a simple key-value store, while Scylla is a distributed NoSQL database that supports a wide range of data models including wide columns, JSON, and more. This difference in data model capabilities gives Scylla more flexibility in handling various types of data compared to Memcached.
2. **Consistency**: Memcached provides eventual consistency, meaning that there can be a delay in data synchronization across nodes. On the other hand, Scylla offers strong consistency with support for tunable consistency levels, ensuring data accuracy and integrity in distributed environments.
3. **Scaling**: Memcached is designed to be a caching layer and may not scale as efficiently for large datasets or high-throughput applications. In contrast, Scylla is built for horizontal scalability, allowing it to handle massive amounts of data and traffic with ease.
4. **Data Persistence**: Memcached is an in-memory store with no built-in persistence, meaning that data can be lost if a node fails. In comparison, Scylla offers durable data storage by persisting data to disk, ensuring data integrity even in the event of hardware failures.
5. **Deployment Complexity**: Setting up and maintaining a Memcached cluster is relatively straightforward, making it easier to deploy for smaller projects or temporary caching needs. On the other hand, deploying Scylla requires more operational overhead due to its distributed nature and configuration options.
6. **Query Language**: Memcached does not provide a query language, as it simply stores and retrieves key-value pairs. In contrast, Scylla supports CQL (Cassandra Query Language), a powerful SQL-like language for interacting with the database, offering more advanced querying capabilities.
In Summary, Memcached and Scylla differ in terms of data model, consistency, scaling capabilities, data persistence, deployment complexity, and query language support.