What are Local Storage and Session Storage? What’s the difference between Local Storage vs Session Storage vs Cookie? If you’re confused, don’t worry. In this post, MiniTool Partition Wizard provides a tutorial about localstorage vs sessionstorage vs cookie.
We can store data locally on our browsers in several ways, the more popular one being Cookie. To know more detailed information, just keep reading.
Introduction of Local Storage, Session Storage, and Cookie
What Is Local Storage?
Local Storage is a network storage method that helps us store data on the client computer in the form of key/value pairs in the web browser. Data is permanently stored in Local Storage unless the user manually deletes it from the browser. It doesn’t expire even if the user closes the window or tab.
Its data in the browser is only accessible via JavaScript and HTML5. However, users can also clear browser data/cache to clear all Local Storage data. It has four methods that can be used to set, retrieve, delete and clear:
- We can set data in Local Storage using the setItem() method. The method takes two parameters, a key and a value. Using this method, we can store values using keys: localStorage.setItem(key, value).
- To retrieve the data stored in it, we can use the getItem() method: localStorage. getItem(key).
- We can remove data with the help of the removeItem() method, which stores information about the key in memory: localStorage. removeItem(key).
- The clear() method is used to clear all data stored in it.
What Is Session Storage?
It is very similar to Local Storage. The main difference, though, is the lifecycle it persists in the browser until its current tab is opened. Data in Session Storage is also lost once you close the tab or terminate it. We can also set and retrieve its data using the setItem() and getItem() methods respectively, similar to the Local Storage methods. For example: sessionStorage. setItem(key, value); sessioninStorage. getItem(key).
What Is Cookie?
Before the introduction of HTML5 the only option available is Cookie. Therefore, storing data with it is a traditional way of storing data on client machines. It helps us store client data and provide a personalized experience for website users. These are sent to the server with the request, and to the client in response; so, its data is exchanged with the server on every request. Servers can use Cookie data to send personalized content to users.
Right now, you may have an overall understanding of Cookie, Local Storage, and Session Storage. The following section will focus on the differences between Cookie, Local Storage and Session Storage.
Local Session vs Session Storage vs Cookie
In this section, we will talk about the localstorage vs sessionstorage vs Cookie from the aspects of storage limit, accessibility, and expiration.
Storage Limit
Each browser storage method has a specific maximum data size. Both storages offer mass storage. More specifically, local storage stores up to 10 megabytes and session storage stores up to 5 megabytes. Cookies, on the other hand, offer a very limited small storage capacity of 4 KB. So, it is not possible to store large amounts of information in cookies.
Accessibility
From an accessibility standpoint, it can be accessed in any window or tab open on the web browser. Since session storage is associated with a specific session and each tab has its session, the data is only available in the current tab where we set the session storage data. Local storage can be accessed from any window or tab, or on the server. Cookies are somewhat similar to Local Storage.
Expiration
Local storage’s data never expires until you manually delete it. Unless the user manually deletes it from the browser, the data is permanently stored in local storage. It doesn’t expire even if the user closes the window or tab
And once the Session Storage closes the tab or terminates it, the data in the session store will also be lost.
Storage Location
They are stored differently. Cookie can be stored in browsers and servers. And Local Storage and Session Storage can be only stored in the browser.