Electrolytic vs ceramic capacitors use case breakdown

[Circuitsmith]

I'm trying to figure out the best capacitors to use for different jobs, and I'm comparing electrolytic and ceramic ones. I'm mainly looking at how much voltage they can handle, their ESR, and how they react to different frequencies. Any thoughts on matching capacitor types to what they'll be used for?

 

[King_Mickey]

Yeah, they each have their lane. Electrolytics are great for power supply rails or where you need a few hundred microfarads to keep voltage steady. Ceramics shine when you’re decoupling ICs or cleaning up high-frequency noise. Just remember, ceramics lose capacitance under voltage load, especially the smaller MLCC types.

 

[OhmMy]

Hey, also think about how steady the temperature is. Ceramics (C0G/NP0) are super consistent, but electrolytics can change a bit more. When it comes to switching power, low-ESR polymers handle ripple better than regular electrolytics.