---
id: cuid
version: "0.4"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# cuid — Fast, scalable unique ID generation

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 1.4M/mo

## What it is and what it does

cuid.py is a Python port of the JavaScript CUID library, generating portable, sequentially-ordered unique identifiers optimized for horizontal scalability and speed. It has no external dependencies beyond the standard library. The package generates IDs that are designed to be collision-resistant and suitable for distributed systems where many machines may be generating IDs concurrently.

However, the package is abandoned and the CUID standard itself has been officially deprecated in favor of CUID2. While the implementation works and has no known vulnerabilities, it receives no maintenance or updates. If you are starting a new project, the maintainers recommend using CUID2 instead.

Use it for:

- Generate unique identifiers for database records in horizontally-scaled web applications.
- Create collision-resistant IDs for distributed systems where multiple services generate identifiers independently.
- Build audit trails or event logs that require sortable, sequentially-ordered unique identifiers.
- Replace UUID/GUID generation when you need better performance and horizontal scalability properties.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Generates fast, sequentially-ordered unique identifiers (CUIDs) designed for horizontal scalability, ported from the JavaScript reference implementation.

No. The package is abandoned (last commit May 2023, no releases for over a year) and the CUID standard itself is officially deprecated in favor of CUID2. While it has no known vulnerabilities and high installation friction is its only technical drawback, choosing a deprecated standard for new code creates long-term maintenance risk. Use CUID2 instead unless you are maintaining legacy code already using this package.

## Install

pip install cuid
uv add cuid
poetry add cuid

## Installing cuid

Before you install: Installation friction is high due to source-only distribution. The package is abandoned—last commit was 2023-05-21 and no releases since 2023-03-06—so expect no maintenance or security updates going forward.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache License (permissive), so you can use it freely in commercial and open-source projects without restrictive obligations.

Quickstart:

pip install cuid

from cuid import cuid

my_id = cuid()
print(my_id)

Verify before relying:

- Whether the deprecated status of the cuid standard itself affects suitability for new projects (cuid2 is the recommended replacement).
- Real-world performance characteristics on modern Python versions beyond the benchmarks provided.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 1.4M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

unique id generation, cuid identifier, scalable unique ids, sequential id generator, distributed id system, fast id creation, horizontal scalability ids, id-generation, distributed-systems, deprecated

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/cuid) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/cuid/)