Caffeine review

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Caffeine is an open-source Java library for keeping frequently accessed application data in memory, inside the application process. It suits Java teams that need local caching with automatic loading, expiration, eviction, refresh, and access statistics. The library supports both synchronous and asynchronous loading, along with weak and soft references, removal notifications, and cache access statistics. Its focus is embedded application caching rather than edge caching or a separately managed cache service.

Integration is a major part of Caffeine’s fit. The project provides JSR-107 JCache and Guava adapter modules, and it integrates with Spring Cache, Play Framework, Micronaut, Kotlin Coroutines, Bootique, Quarkus, Camel, Scaffeine, JHipster, and Aedile. Supported cache targets include Caffeine cache, JSR-107 JCache, and Guava Cache. This gives Java applications several established ways to add local caching while retaining compatibility with existing APIs or frameworks. Teams already working in these ecosystems should find the library’s positioning straightforward: it adds an in-process cache without requiring a separate hosted service.

Caffeine is less suitable when cached data must survive application restarts, remain available across multiple application instances, or be managed as a shared distributed resource. Its in-memory design and self-hosted deployment model keep the scope narrow, with no persistence or high-availability features. Choose it for fast local caching within Java applications, especially when automatic loading, frequency and recency eviction, expiration, asynchronous refresh, or framework adapters matter. Choose an alternative when the requirement is a persistent, distributed, or highly available cache service rather than an embedded library.

Caffeine pros and cons

• Where it wins
  • Automatic loading, asynchronous refresh, and time-based expiration
  • Frequency- and recency-based eviction for size-limited caches
  • Broad Java framework and cache API integration support
• Where it doesn't
  • In-process storage does not provide a hosted cache service
  • No persistence for retaining cached data across application restarts
  • No high-availability features for distributed cache deployments

Caffeine fact sheet, pricing and score →

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update