Hazelcast vs LokiJS vs Redis: What are the differences?

# Introduction

Key differences between Hazelcast, LokiJS, and Redis are outlined below:

1. **Data Storage and Retrieval**: Hazelcast is a distributed, in-memory data grid that provides high-performance data storage and retrieval for large volumes of data. LokiJS, on the other hand, is an in-memory database that stores data in JavaScript objects and operates locally within the browser, making it suitable for small-scale applications. Redis, a popular open-source in-memory data structure store, offers versatile data storage capabilities, including caching, messaging, and real-time analytics.

2. **Data Persistence**: While Hazelcast and Redis support data persistence to disk, allowing data to be stored even after system restarts, LokiJS focuses primarily on in-memory operations and does not offer built-in disk persistence. This distinction makes Hazelcast and Redis more suitable for applications requiring durable data storage and recovery in case of failures.

3. **Scalability and Performance**: Hazelcast is designed for horizontal scalability by distributing data across multiple nodes in a cluster, ensuring high performance and low latency. In contrast, LokiJS and Redis can scale vertically by deploying on more powerful hardware but may encounter limitations in handling massive datasets compared to Hazelcast's distributed architecture.

4. **Data Querying and Indexing**: While Redis supports indexing and querying of data using a variety of data structures like sets, lists, and sorted sets, Hazelcast focuses on distributed data processing and event-driven architecture rather than traditional database querying functionalities. LokiJS provides basic querying capabilities but may not match the performance of Redis for complex data operations.

5. **Programming Language Support**: Hazelcast and Redis offer client libraries for various programming languages, making it easier for developers to integrate these databases into their applications. LokiJS, being tailored for JavaScript environments, provides native support for JavaScript objects and libraries but may require additional effort for integration with other programming languages.

6. **Community Ecosystem and Support**: Redis has a robust community ecosystem with extensive documentation, tutorials, and community plugins available for developers. Hazelcast also has a dedicated community and commercial support options, whereas LokiJS, being a more niche solution, may have limited community resources and support avenues available to users.

In Summary, the key differences between Hazelcast, LokiJS, and Redis lie in their data storage mechanisms, persistence capabilities, scalability, querying functionalities, programming language support, and community support ecosystems.