What is difference between storing data in a blob, vs. storing a pointer to a file?

Question

I have a question about the blob data type in MySQL.

I read that the data type can be used to store files. I also read that an alternative is to store

Answer 1

The better approach is to store your file in the filesystem folder and point to their paths through a varchar field in the database. One of the drawbacks of saving files in the database is slowing it or reducing its performance.