Overview
Flutter Cache Manager is a versatile package for caching web assets in Flutter applications. It stores files locally on device storage and manages cache metadata using sqflite, ensuring efficient retrieval and reduced bandwidth usage. Ideal for images, documents, and other downloadable content, it supports multiple platforms including Android, iOS, Web, macOS, Windows, and Linux. The package provides configurable cache policies, file expiration, and easy integration with HTTP requests.
Use cases
- Caching images in image widgets
- Storing downloaded files for offline access
- Reducing network requests for frequently accessed resources
- Managing app assets with expiration policies
- Supporting offline-first application design
Key features
- Persistent local file storage
- SQLite-based cache metadata management
- Configurable cache expiration
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Easy integration with HTTP clients
- Support for custom cache directories
Suitable for
- Apps requiring offline functionality
- Image-heavy UIs like galleries or social media
- Applications with frequent network calls
- Developers building offline-first experiences
- Projects needing reliable, scalable caching
Considerations
- Requires additional permissions for file system access on some platforms
- Cache size should be monitored to avoid storage issues
- Manual cleanup may be needed for large caches
- Depends on sqflite, which adds database overhead
- Not suitable for very large binary files without optimization