Valkey vs Varnish:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Valkey had more branded searches than Varnish among caching platforms worldwide. Valkey had about 450,000 branded searches, while Varnish had 112,000. Valkey made up 9.1% of all caching platform searches we track, and Varnish accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about caching platforms, Valkey appeared in two of the four answers and Varnish in one. Valkey was mentioned before Varnish in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Valkey, about 4 searches for every 1 for Varnish
Who does AI mention more?
Valkey, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, Varnish in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Valkey, named ahead of Varnish in 2 of 3 answers
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Top caching platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Valkey was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Varnish was mentioned in one out of four: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in the Google AI Overview. Valkey was listed before Varnish in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Cloudflare4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Redis3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers- Memcached3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Valkey2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Varnish1 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Fastly1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about caching platforms
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which caching platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best caching platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best caching platform for faster websites?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“caching platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“website caching software”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Valkey or Varnish more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Valkey and Varnish by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six caching platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Valkey, Varnish. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Cloudflare | Valkey | Redis | Varnish | Fastly | Memcached |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 69.8% | 14% | 9.9% | 3.5% | 2.2% | 0.56% |
| Nov 2025 | 90.9% | 4.5% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.18% |
| Dec 2025 | 82.7% | 9.1% | 4.4% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 75% | 12.3% | 7.2% | 3.1% | 2% | 0.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 76.4% | 10.3% | 7.4% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 0.41% |
| Mar 2026 | 79.5% | 8.7% | 6.4% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 0.35% |
| Apr 2026 | 80.1% | 8.8% | 6.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.29% |
| May 2026 | 80.1% | 8.8% | 6.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.29% |
| Jun 2026 | 81.2% | 8.9% | 5.3% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 0.29% |
| Jul 2026 | 82% | 9% | 4.6% | 2.8% | 1.4% | 0.24% |
| Aug 2026 | 82.6% | 9.1% | 4.5% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 82.8% | 9.1% | 4.4% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 0.2% |
How has the Valkey and Varnish comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Valkey was ahead of Varnish in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Valkey’s share of searches among caching platforms worldwide moved from 14% to 9.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Varnish’s share of searches among caching platforms worldwide moved from 3.5% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 114K to 112K.
How did search popularity change for caching platforms worldwide in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Valkey nor Varnish moved beyond provider rounding among caching platforms in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Valkey’s and Varnish’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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