This question keeps popping up time and time again and it's a good question if you are new to Core Data. What you need to know is that Core Data is not a database. That said, when working with Core Data it acts as a relational database hence the confusion.
Core Data is a persistence solution for Apple's platforms and it supports several types of persistent stores, including SQLite. The framework provides an API for interacting with one or more persistent stores.
Managing relationships is a key feature of the Core Data framework and it offers a powerful API for working with relational data. Does this mean Core Data is a relational database? No, but if you need such a solution then Core Data is a very good choice.
