---
id: cuid2
version: "2.0.1"
license: The MIT License (MIT) Copyright (c) 2023 Gordon Code Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# cuid2 — Next generation GUIDs. Collision-resistant ids optimized for horizontal scaling and performance.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 486.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

cuid2 is a Python port of the CUID2 reference implementation, providing a generator for collision-resistant identifiers designed for distributed systems. Unlike UUIDs, CUIDs are optimized for horizontal scaling—you can generate IDs on multiple machines simultaneously without central coordination or network calls. The package offers both a simple wrapper for basic use and a configurable class for explicit control over ID length and generation parameters.

The library generates URL-friendly, non-guessable IDs that are secure against prediction attacks. It requires no external dependencies and works offline, making it suitable for applications that need unique identifiers across microservices, databases, or edge deployments where UUID collisions or coordination overhead are concerns.

Use it for:

- Generate unique identifiers for database records in distributed microservice architectures without a central ID service.
- Create collision-resistant session or request IDs across multiple application servers running in parallel.
- Build offline-first applications that need to generate unique identifiers without network connectivity.
- Replace UUIDs in systems where readability, URL-safety, or reduced collision probability are priorities.
- Assign unique IDs to events or logs in horizontally scaled systems without coordination overhead.

## Worth the install?

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

Generates collision-resistant, cryptographically secure unique identifiers (CUIDs) optimized for distributed systems and horizontal scaling without coordination.

Yes. The package is lightweight, actively maintained, has no dependencies, and solves a real problem for distributed systems. MIT licensing is permissive. No known vulnerabilities. Install if you need collision-resistant IDs for horizontal scaling or prefer CUID2 properties over UUID.

## Install

pip install cuid2
uv add cuid2
poetry add cuid2

## Installing cuid2

Before you install: Low friction installation with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained as of 2026-08-12 with stable production status.

License in practice: MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in both open and closed projects with minimal obligations.

Quickstart:

pip install cuid2

from cuid2 import cuid_wrapper

cuid_gen = cuid_wrapper()
my_id = cuid_gen()

Requires Python 3.8 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Actual collision probability and uniqueness guarantees under stated conditions
- Performance characteristics (generation speed, memory overhead) compared to UUID or other CUID implementations
- Whether cryptographic security claim is formally validated or audited

## Package facts

- License: The MIT License (MIT) Copyright (c) 2023 Gordon Code Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),… (full text in the JSON record) (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 486.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

collision-resistant unique id generator, distributed guid generation, secure uuid alternative, cuid2 python, horizontal scaling identifiers, cryptographic id generation, offline-compatible guid, distributed-systems, id-generation, cryptography

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