VARCHAR vs NVARCHAR: Key Differences, Performance Impact & When to Use
VARCHAR stores 1-byte ASCII text; NVARCHAR stores 2-byte Unicode text. The extra byte lets NVARCHAR hold every alphabet on Earth without data loss. Developers panic when accented names like “José” turn into “Jos?”. They rush to switch all columns to NVARCHAR, doubling storage overnight and wondering why backups crawl. The real fear is invisible corruption,…