Comparison with Other Libraries

How does @warlock.js/cache compare to other popular Node.js cache libraries?

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	@warlock.js/cache	node-cache	cache-manager	keyv	lru-cache	ioredis
Multiple Drivers	✅ 6 built-in	❌ Memory only	✅ Via adapters	✅ Via adapters	❌ Memory only	❌ Redis only
Cache Tags	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Event System	✅ 9 types	⚠️ 4 basic	❌	❌	❌	✅ Redis events only
Stampede Prevention	✅ Built-in	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Atomic Operations	✅ Redis native	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅ Low-level
TypeScript	✅ First-class	⚠️ Definitions	⚠️ Definitions	✅ Native	✅ Native	✅ Native
Memory Limits	✅ All memory drivers	✅	❌	❌	✅	N/A
Hierarchical Keys	✅ Namespaces	❌	⚠️ Limited	✅	❌	❌
TTL Support	✅ All drivers	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
High-Level API	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Weekly Downloads	New	~2.5M	~1M	~500K	~35M	~8M

Detailed Feature Comparison

Multiple Drivers

@warlock.js/cache:

• ✅ 6 built-in drivers: Memory, Redis, File, LRU, Memory Extended, Null
• ✅ Switch drivers with zero code changes
• ✅ Framework-agnostic

node-cache:

• ❌ Memory only

cache-manager:

• ✅ Multiple drivers via store adapters
• ⚠️ Requires installing separate adapter packages

keyv:

• ✅ Multiple drivers via adapters
• ⚠️ Requires installing separate adapter packages

lru-cache:

• ❌ Memory only

ioredis:

• ❌ Redis only

Cache Tags

@warlock.js/cache: ✅ First Node.js cache library with comprehensive tag support

const tagged = cache.tags(['users', 'profiles']);
await tagged.set('user.123', data);
await tagged.invalidate(); // Clears all tagged entries

All others: ❌ No tag support

Event System

@warlock.js/cache: ✅ 9 event types (hit, miss, set, removed, flushed, expired, connected, disconnected, error)

node-cache: ⚠️ 4 basic events

Others: ❌ No events or only Redis-specific events

Stampede Prevention

@warlock.js/cache: ✅ Built-in with remember() method

await cache.remember('key', 3600, async () => {
  return await expensiveOperation(); // Only called once even with concurrent requests
});

All others: ❌ No stampede prevention

Atomic Operations

@warlock.js/cache: ✅ Redis-native atomic operations

await cache.increment('counter'); // Uses Redis INCRBY
await cache.setNX('lock', 'val', 30); // Uses Redis SET NX

ioredis: ✅ Low-level atomic commands (must use directly)

Others: ❌ No atomic operations

TypeScript Support

@warlock.js/cache: ✅ TypeScript-first design with full type safety

node-cache / cache-manager: ⚠️ Community type definitions

keyv / lru-cache / ioredis: ✅ Native TypeScript support

Use Case Recommendations

When to Choose @warlock.js/cache

✅ You need cache tags for complex invalidation
✅ You want observability with events
✅ You need stampede prevention for high-traffic scenarios
✅ You want atomic operations without low-level Redis code
✅ You need multiple drivers with consistent API
✅ You're building a TypeScript application

When to Choose node-cache

✅ Simple memory caching only
✅ You don't need advanced features
✅ Maximum compatibility (2.5M weekly downloads)

When to Choose cache-manager

✅ You need multi-level caching
✅ You prefer adapter-based driver system

When to Choose keyv

✅ You want a simple, minimal API
✅ You need adapter-based driver system
✅ You don't need advanced features

When to Choose lru-cache

✅ You need optimized LRU algorithm
✅ Memory-only caching
✅ Maximum performance for LRU use case

When to Choose ioredis (direct)

✅ You need full Redis feature set
✅ You're comfortable with low-level Redis commands
✅ You don't need high-level cache abstractions

Performance Comparison

Memory Operations

Library	Get (O complexity)	Set (O complexity)	Notes
@warlock.js/cache	O(1)	O(1)	With maxSize: LRU eviction
node-cache	O(1)	O(1)	Simple Map-based
lru-cache	O(1)	O(1)	Optimized LRU algorithm
cache-manager	O(1)	O(1)	Depends on store

Redis Operations

Library	Atomic Operations	Network Efficiency
@warlock.js/cache	✅ Native (INCRBY, SET NX)	Optimized batching
ioredis	✅ Full Redis	Low-level control
cache-manager	❌	Varies by store
keyv	❌	Single operations

Unique Features in @warlock.js/cache

1. Cache Tags - First Node.js library with comprehensive tag support
2. Stampede Prevention - Built-in remember() with automatic locking
3. Comprehensive Events - 9 event types for full observability
4. Atomic Redis Operations - High-level API with native Redis commands
5. 6 Built-in Drivers - More variety than most competitors
6. TypeScript-First - Designed for TypeScript from the ground up

Summary

@warlock.js/cache provides the best combination of:

• ✅ Advanced features (tags, events, stampede prevention)
• ✅ Multiple built-in drivers
• ✅ TypeScript-first design
• ✅ Atomic operations for distributed systems
• ✅ Simple, consistent API

If you need these advanced features or want to future-proof your caching strategy, @warlock.js/cache is the ideal choice.