Amazon ElastiCache vs Redis Cloud: pricing
Managed Redis / Valkey · snapshot captured June 2026
On entry cost, Redis Cloud has the lower entry cost (~$7/mo vs ~$12/mo). Amazon ElastiCache uses node-hour (by ram) or serverless (per gb-hour + ecpu) and Redis Cloud uses fixed essentials plans + consumption-based pro. Their representative entry tiers are ~$12/mo (cache.t4g.micro (0.5 GiB)) and ~$7/mo (Essentials 250 MB plan). For scale, at the top tier we list, Amazon ElastiCache ($160/mo) is below Redis Cloud ($200/mo). Prices are a June-2026 snapshot; verify on the linked vendor pricing page before relying on them.
Data as of June 2026.
Amazon ElastiCache vs Redis Cloud side by side
| Factor | Amazon ElastiCache | Redis Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Redis / Valkey | Redis / Valkey |
| Vendor | Amazon Web Services | Redis Inc. |
| Pricing model | Node-hour (by RAM) or serverless (per GB-hour + ECPU) | Fixed Essentials plans + consumption-based Pro |
| Representative tier | cache.t4g.micro (0.5 GiB) | Essentials 250 MB plan |
| Est. entry / month | ~$12/mo | ~$7/mo |
| Free tier? | No | Yes |
| Free tier detail | No always-free node tier (historic 12-month t3/t4g.micro offer for new accounts may apply). | Free 30 MB database ($0). |
| Storage / extras | Serverless option bills $0.084/GB-hour stored + $0.0023 per million ECPUs (Valkey rates), 100 MB minimum. | Essentials are flat monthly; Pro is consumption-based from $0.014/hour with about a $200/month minimum. |
| Region note | US East (N. Virginia), us-east-1, on-demand; for Valkey / Redis OSS. | Multiple clouds/regions; Essentials are pre-sized shared plans. |
Sources: Amazon Web Services pricing · Redis Inc. pricing.
Cheaper for small vs cheaper for scale
Small / starting out: Redis Cloud wins — it has a free tier. On a flat entry tier, Redis Cloud has the lower entry cost (~$7/mo vs ~$12/mo).
At scale: at the top tier we list, Amazon ElastiCache ($160/mo) is below Redis Cloud ($200/mo). Remember that Amazon ElastiCache is usage-based while Redis Cloud is provisioned, which flips the answer depending on whether your traffic is steady or spiky.
Verdict
On entry cost alone, Redis Cloud has the lower entry cost (~$7/mo vs ~$12/mo). But price is only part of the story: Amazon ElastiCache (tight aws/vpc integration and valkey + redis oss support) versus Redis Cloud (made by redis inc.; latest redis features (search, json, time series modules)). Read each full breakdown — Amazon ElastiCache and Redis Cloud — and model your real workload in the estimator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amazon ElastiCache or Redis Cloud cheaper?
On entry cost, Redis Cloud has the lower entry cost (~$7/mo vs ~$12/mo). And at the top tier we list, Amazon ElastiCache ($160/mo) is below Redis Cloud ($200/mo). The right answer depends on your workload size and traffic pattern — Amazon ElastiCache uses node-hour (by ram) or serverless (per gb-hour + ecpu) and Redis Cloud uses fixed essentials plans + consumption-based pro. snapshot captured June 2026.
Amazon ElastiCache vs Redis Cloud: which for a small project?
For a small project, lean to whichever has a usable free tier and the lower entry price. Amazon ElastiCache has no real free tier. Redis Cloud: Free 30 MB database ($0).
Amazon ElastiCache vs Redis Cloud: which scales better on cost?
At scale, at the top tier we list, Amazon ElastiCache ($160/mo) is below Redis Cloud ($200/mo). Usage-based offerings (serverless) can be cheaper for spiky or low-duty workloads but more expensive for steady high throughput; provisioned/instance pricing is the opposite. Model your real traffic before deciding.
What is the pricing model for Amazon ElastiCache and Redis Cloud?
Amazon ElastiCache: Node-hour (by RAM) or serverless (per GB-hour + ECPU). Redis Cloud: Fixed Essentials plans + consumption-based Pro. Prices are a June-2026 snapshot; verify on the linked vendor pricing page before relying on them.
More comparisons
Last updated: 2026-06-20