Amazon ElastiCache vs Upstash Redis: pricing
Managed Redis / Valkey · snapshot captured June 2026
On entry cost, Upstash Redis has the lower entry cost (~$10/mo vs ~$12/mo). Amazon ElastiCache uses node-hour (by ram) or serverless (per gb-hour + ecpu) and Upstash Redis uses serverless per-request, with fixed monthly plans. Their representative entry tiers are ~$12/mo (cache.t4g.micro (0.5 GiB)) and ~$10/mo (Fixed 250 MB plan). For scale, at the top tier we list, Upstash Redis ($100/mo) is below Amazon ElastiCache ($160/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 Upstash Redis side by side
| Factor | Amazon ElastiCache | Upstash Redis |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Redis / Valkey | Redis / Valkey |
| Vendor | Amazon Web Services | Upstash |
| Pricing model | Node-hour (by RAM) or serverless (per GB-hour + ECPU) | Serverless per-request, with fixed monthly plans |
| Representative tier | cache.t4g.micro (0.5 GiB) | Fixed 250 MB plan |
| Est. entry / month | ~$12/mo | ~$10/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: 500K commands/month, 256 MB max size, 10 GB bandwidth, 1 database. |
| Storage / extras | Serverless option bills $0.084/GB-hour stored + $0.0023 per million ECPUs (Valkey rates), 100 MB minimum. | Pay-as-you-go: $0.20 per 100K commands, storage $0.25/GB (first 1 GB free), bandwidth free to 200 GB then $0.03/GB. |
| Region note | US East (N. Virginia), us-east-1, on-demand; for Valkey / Redis OSS. | Global / regional; serverless per-command billing. |
Sources: Amazon Web Services pricing · Upstash pricing.
Cheaper for small vs cheaper for scale
Small / starting out: Upstash Redis wins — it has a free tier. On a flat entry tier, Upstash Redis has the lower entry cost (~$10/mo vs ~$12/mo).
At scale: at the top tier we list, Upstash Redis ($100/mo) is below Amazon ElastiCache ($160/mo). Remember that Amazon ElastiCache is usage-based while Upstash Redis is usage-based, which flips the answer depending on whether your traffic is steady or spiky.
Verdict
On entry cost alone, Upstash Redis has the lower entry cost (~$10/mo vs ~$12/mo). But price is only part of the story: Amazon ElastiCache (tight aws/vpc integration and valkey + redis oss support) versus Upstash Redis (true serverless: pay per command, scales to zero, ideal for spiky/edge workloads). Read each full breakdown — Amazon ElastiCache and Upstash Redis — and model your real workload in the estimator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amazon ElastiCache or Upstash Redis cheaper?
On entry cost, Upstash Redis has the lower entry cost (~$10/mo vs ~$12/mo). And at the top tier we list, Upstash Redis ($100/mo) is below Amazon ElastiCache ($160/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 Upstash Redis uses serverless per-request, with fixed monthly plans. snapshot captured June 2026.
Amazon ElastiCache vs Upstash Redis: 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. Upstash Redis: Free: 500K commands/month, 256 MB max size, 10 GB bandwidth, 1 database.
Amazon ElastiCache vs Upstash Redis: which scales better on cost?
At scale, at the top tier we list, Upstash Redis ($100/mo) is below Amazon ElastiCache ($160/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 Upstash Redis?
Amazon ElastiCache: Node-hour (by RAM) or serverless (per GB-hour + ECPU). Upstash Redis: Serverless per-request, with fixed monthly plans. Prices are a June-2026 snapshot; verify on the linked vendor pricing page before relying on them.
More comparisons
Last updated: 2026-06-20