Choosing a Flutter Local Persistence Strategy

Why it exists

Apps often need to store data beyond the app's lifecycle, such as user preferences, cached information, or content for offline use. Flutter provides several approaches to save data directly on the user's device, each solving a different kind of storage problem.

The mental model

Think of local persistence as choosing the right container for your data. For a single setting, you use a small labeled box (key-value store). For a large, unstructured object like a photo, you use a generic shipping crate (a file). For a whole collection of organized, related items you need to search and filter, you use a filing cabinet (SQLite database).

How it works

Flutter's official documentation highlights three primary paths for local persistence. First, storing key-value data on disk, which is ideal for simple data like flags, tokens, or user settings. Second, reading and writing files, giving you direct access to the filesystem for storing unstructured data like JSON blobs, images, or logs. Third, persisting data with SQLite, a powerful embedded database for handling large amounts of structured, relational data that needs to be queried efficiently.

When to use it

Use key-value stores (like shared_preferences) for small, simple pieces of data. Use file storage (like path_provider) when dealing with larger, self-contained data blobs that you don't need to query internally, such as a downloaded PDF or a saved user drawing. Use SQLite (via the sqflite package) when your app manages complex, structured data that requires searching, filtering, or relational links, like a to-do list app or a contact manager.

When not to use it

Avoid using a complex tool for a simple job, or a simple tool for a complex one. Don't use SQLite just to store a single boolean for dark mode. Don't use a key-value store to manage thousands of relational records; you'll end up building a slow and buggy database yourself. Don't use raw files if you need to perform complex queries on the data within them.

One canonical example

An app that needs to remember a user's dark mode preference would use a key-value store. An app that saves a user-generated photo would write it to a file. An e-commerce app that manages a local cache of products with different categories, prices, and inventory levels would use SQLite to allow for efficient filtering and searching.