ulid
Pyhton version of this: https://github.com/alizain/ulid
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The package is dormant (last release 2016-08-01, no updates in 3665 days) with unspecified Python version support, making compatibility with modern Python uncertain. While the concept is sound and there are no known vulnerabilities, the lack of maintenance and high install friction (source tarball) mean you should consider actively maintained ULID implementations instead.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Python version support is unspecified; the package was last released in 2016 and may not be compatible with modern Python versions.
- High install friction: the package is dormant (last release 2016-08-01, no updates in 3665 days) and ships as a source tarball.
- No runtime dependencies, but the age and lack of maintenance signal suggest limited ongoing support.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD (permissive) — BSD license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it safe to adopt from a licensing perspective.
last release 2016-08-01 (3665 days) · last repo commit 2024-08-13 · 50 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 95,250 downloads/mo, #13,276 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install ulid
import ulid
print(ulid.ulid())- Whether the package works with current Python versions (3.10+) given its 2016 release date and no updates since.
- Whether cryptographically secure randomness is actually used in the current implementation.
- Performance characteristics and suitability for high-volume ID generation workloads.
What it is and what it does
ULID is a Python implementation of Universally Unique Lexicographically Sortable Identifiers, a 128-bit identifier format that combines a 48-bit millisecond timestamp with 80 bits of randomness, encoded as a 26-character base32 string. Unlike UUIDs, ULIDs are sortable by creation time and use a more compact, URL-safe representation without special characters.
The package provides a simple interface to generate new ULIDs. It addresses UUID limitations by offering better character efficiency (26 vs 36 characters), lexicographic sortability, and built-in timestamp information. However, the package has been dormant since its 2016 release with no maintenance activity, raising questions about compatibility with modern Python versions and whether it remains suitable for production use.
Use it for
- Generate sortable unique identifiers for database records where insertion order matters and you want to avoid UUID's random ordering.
- Create URL-safe unique IDs for APIs and web applications without special characters or case sensitivity issues.
- Build distributed systems where you need 128-bit unique IDs with embedded timestamp information for debugging and auditing.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The package is dormant (last release 2016-08-01, no updates in 3665 days) with unspecified Python version support, making compatibility with modern Python uncertain. While the concept is sound and there are no known vulnerabilities, the lack of maintenance and high install friction (source tarball) mean you should consider actively maintained ULID implementations instead.
Install
ulid on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction: the package is dormant (last release 2016-08-01, no updates in 3665 days) and ships as a source tarball. No runtime dependencies, but the age and lack of maintenance signal suggest limited ongoing support.
Python version support is unspecified; the package was last released in 2016 and may not be compatible with modern Python versions.
License in practice
BSD license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it safe to adopt from a licensing perspective.
Quickstart
pip install ulid
import ulid
print(ulid.ulid())Verify before relying
- Whether the package works with current Python versions (3.10+) given its 2016 release date and no updates since.
- Whether cryptographically secure randomness is actually used in the current implementation.
- Performance characteristics and suitability for high-volume ID generation workloads.
Package facts
| License | BSD permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 3,665 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 95,250 / month, #13,276 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: ulid-1.1.tar.gz
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See also lexid · python-ulid · typeid-python · ulid-py · ulid-transform · snowflake-id · timeflake · uuid · cuid · cyksuid