Working with data in iOS Apps (What to choose? NSData, CoreData, sqlite, PList, NSUserDefaults)

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You can use these rules of thumb to decide what storage model will work for your app.

  • If the data fits in memory entirely and is relatively unstructured, use plist
  • If the data fits in memory entirely and has tree-like structure, use XML
  • If the data does not fit in memory and has a structure of a graph, and the app does not need extraordinary query capabilities, use Core Data
  • If the data does not fit in memory, has a complex structure, or the app benefits from powerful query capabilities provided by relational databases, use sqlite
  • If the data must be secret (e.g. a password), use keychain.

Note that these choices often overlap, because multiple storage models will fit the same app. Your final decision depends on your personal preferences – you pick a technology that you understand better.

There was a very good question about sqlite vs. Core Data on Stack Overflow, you may want to read through the answers to that question.

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