For anybody using sqlite, they have good documentation about this very question: https://www.sqlite.org/intern-v-extern-blob.html

Is this really the same thing? This page compares storing blobs in sqlite vs in a separate file.

I think a better sqlite page about the concept of serializing things in your database is the fact that sqlite has json support.

https://www.sqlite.org/json1.html

That's with a loadable JSON1 extension, which one won't find e.g. in Android.

Though checking now for this, someone has packaged a later version of SQLite with this extension [1]. I wonder if there is any possible performance advantage when using a system provided SQLite vs. one installed with the application?

[1] https://github.com/requery/sqlite-android