ulid-py
Universally Unique Lexicographically Sortable Identifier
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, with conditions. The package is stable and production-ready for generating sortable identifiers, with no known vulnerabilities and low install friction. However, it is abandoned (last update September 2020) and may lack support for newer Python versions beyond 3.8. Install it if you need ULID functionality and can accept a dependency that will not receive updates; consider alternatives if you require active maintenance or support for Python 3.9+.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies.
- The project is marked abandoned with last commit in March 2023, though it remains stable and has accumulated 739 repository stars.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache 2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache 2.0 (permissive), allowing use in both open-source and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2020-09-15 (2159 days) · last repo commit 2023-03-14 · 739 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,853,145 downloads/mo, #3,491 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install ulid-py
import ulid
# Generate a new ULID
u = ulid.new()
print(u) # <ULID('01BJQE4QTHMFP0S5J153XCFSP9')>
# Parse from various types
u2 = ulid.parse('01BJQE4QTHMFP0S5J153XCFSP9')
# Extract timestamp and randomness
ts = u.timestamp()
rand = u.randomness()- Whether the abandoned status and lack of updates since 2020 affects compatibility with current Python 3.9+ releases
- Performance characteristics compared to other ULID or UUID libraries in production workloads
What it is and what it does
ulid-py is a pure-Python implementation of the ULID specification, providing a 128-bit identifier format that combines a 48-bit millisecond-precision timestamp with 80 bits of cryptographic randomness. Unlike UUIDs, ULIDs are lexicographically sortable as strings, making them efficient for database indexing and time-ordered queries. The library generates new ULIDs with timestamp and randomness from standard library sources (time.time() and os.urandom()), and supports creating ULIDs from existing values including UUIDs, timestamps, and raw randomness.
The package provides a MemoryView base class that allows ULIDs, timestamps, and randomness values to be represented in multiple formats (string, bytes, hex, int, binary, octal) and compared lexicographically. It handles type conversion automatically through a parse() method when the input type is unknown. The implementation is designed for fast, pure-Python operation without external dependencies, making it suitable for applications that need sortable, distributed identifiers without database coordination.
Use it for
- Generate sortable unique IDs for database records that maintain insertion order without requiring a central sequence
- Replace UUIDs in systems where lexicographic ordering and string efficiency matter, such as URL slugs or API keys
- Create time-ordered event IDs in distributed systems where multiple services generate identifiers independently
- Convert existing UUIDs or timestamps to ULID format for compatibility with systems expecting sortable identifiers
- Extract timestamp information from existing ULID values for time-based queries or analytics
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, with conditions.
The package is stable and production-ready for generating sortable identifiers, with no known vulnerabilities and low install friction. However, it is abandoned (last update September 2020) and may lack support for newer Python versions beyond 3.8. Install it if you need ULID functionality and can accept a dependency that will not receive updates; consider alternatives if you require active maintenance or support for Python 3.9+.
Install
ulid-py on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The project is marked abandoned with last commit in March 2023, though it remains stable and has accumulated 739 repository stars.
License in practice
Licensed under Apache 2.0 (permissive), allowing use in both open-source and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install ulid-py
import ulid
# Generate a new ULID
u = ulid.new()
print(u) # <ULID('01BJQE4QTHMFP0S5J153XCFSP9')>
# Parse from various types
u2 = ulid.parse('01BJQE4QTHMFP0S5J153XCFSP9')
# Extract timestamp and randomness
ts = u.timestamp()
rand = u.randomness()Verify before relying
- Whether the abandoned status and lack of updates since 2020 affects compatibility with current Python 3.9+ releases
- Performance characteristics compared to other ULID or UUID libraries in production workloads
Package facts
| License | Apache 2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 2,159 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,853,145 / month, #3,491 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: ulid_py-1.1.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “lexicographically sortable IDs”
- ulid-pyGenerates and parses ULIDs (Universally Unique Lexicographically…
- ulidGenerates ULIDs (Universally Unique Lexicographically Sortable…
- python-ulidGenerates and manipulates ULIDs (universally unique lexicographically…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Python Modules packages
Converts domain names between Unicode and ASCII-compatible encoding (Punycode) according to IDNA 2008 and Unicode Technical Standard 46, with security validation and broader script coverage than the standard library.
Install it if you work with internationalized domain names, need to validate domains, or use HTTP clients that depend on it transitively.
Setuptools is a Python build backend and package management tool that handles building, distributing, and installing Python packages, including support for C/C++ extension modules.
PyYAML parses and emits YAML 1.1 data format, enabling serialization and deserialization of configuration files and Python objects to and from human-readable YAML text.
Pydantic validates Python data structures against type hints, coercing and checking input at runtime to ensure it matches a declared schema.
Provides reusable metadata objects for use with PEP-593 `typing.Annotated` to express common constraints like bounds, collection sizes, and predicates on types.
Install it if you use or build libraries that need to express type constraints in a standardized, inspectable way—or if you want to annotate your own types with…
Provides runtime tools to inspect and introspect Python type annotations, enabling programmatic examination of type hints at execution time.
See also python-ulid · snowflake-id · ulid · timeflake · uuid · typeid-python · ulid-transform · cyksuid · py-deviceid · pksuid