What are the differences between cache stores in Laravel?

Caching is an essential performance improvement practice that enables faster data retrieval by storing data temporarily in high-speed storage areas. Laravel, one of the most popular PHP frameworks, provides caching capabilities with different cache driversCache drivers in Laravel are different storage mechanisms that determine where and how cached data is stored and retrieved within the application.. These cache stores vary in terms of performance, scalability, persistence, and use case applicability.

Cache store in Laravel

In Laravel, a cache store is a mechanism for storing cached data, providing different methods for caching and retrieving information. The default cache store is file-based, but Laravel offers several other stores, each with its own advantages and considerations.

Different cache stores

Let's explore different cache stores a bit.

• File cache store: The simplest cache store. It uses the local filesystem to store cached objects.

• Database cache store: Stores cached items in the database, which is a more persistent option compared to the file store.

• Memcached / Redis cache store: They are in-memory data storage systems, highly efficient for caching as they offer superior speed and performance.

• Array cache store: It only stores cached items for the current request’s duration. It’s primarily used for tests where the cache doesn’t need to persist.

• APC / APCu cache store: Uses the PHP opcode caching system. While it offers high performance, its applicability is limited as it doesn’t support PHP-FPMPHP-FPM (PHP FastCGI Process Manager) is a PHP interpreter with enhanced FastCGI capabilities, improving the performance and scalability of PHP web applications. or distributed systems.

Configuring cache stores

Before using a cache store, you need to configure it in your .env file.

The .env file is a configuration file in Laravel that holds environment-specific settings and variables for the application.

For example, for a file store, the configuration would be:

For Redis:

Comparing cache stores

Let's compare different cache stores and see their differences.

File vs. database

File cache store is the easiest to set up but can become slow if the number of cached items is large, as each cache item is stored in a separate file. Database cache, although more complex to set up, can be faster as it can efficiently handle many cache items.

Redis vs. Memcached

Both Redis and Memcached are in-memory stores, providing superior speed. However, Redis offers more advanced data structures and supports persistence if the data needs to be kept for longer periods.

Array vs. APC / APCu

The array store is short-term and only exists during the lifecycle of a single request, ideal for testing. On the other hand, APC / APCu offers faster access speed and is excellent for opcode caching but doesn’t support PHP-FPM or distributed systems.

Summary

Here is a table comparing different types of cache stores in Laravel.

Conclusion

Selecting the right cache store depends on your application requirements. For smaller applications, file or database cache stores could suffice. However, as your application grows, in-memory stores like Redis or Memcached can provide the speed and performance you need.