nanoid vs shortid vs uniqid vs uuid

Generating Unique Identifiers in JavaScript Applications

Generating Unique Identifiers in JavaScript Applications

nanoid, shortid, uniqid, and uuid are libraries used to generate unique identifiers for keys, tokens, and entity IDs in JavaScript applications. nanoid is a modern, secure, and tiny library that has become the industry standard for most use cases. uuid generates RFC4122 compliant IDs, ensuring compatibility with systems that require standard UUID formats. shortid was popular for creating short, unique IDs but is now deprecated and should be avoided. uniqid generates unique IDs based on time and random numbers but lacks the security guarantees and maintenance of modern alternatives.

Npm Package Weekly Downloads Trend

3 Years

Github Stars Ranking

Stat Detail

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License
Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License
nanoid	0	26,726	12.8 kB	6	a month ago	MIT
shortid	0	5,719	21.7 kB	16	a year ago	MIT
uniqid	0	613	-	26	5 years ago	MIT
uuid	0	15,254	66.7 kB	3	7 months ago	MIT

Generating Unique IDs: nanoid vs shortid vs uniqid vs uuid

In modern web development, generating unique identifiers is a daily task. Whether you are creating temporary keys for React lists, session tokens for authentication, or primary keys for database records, the library you choose impacts security, performance, and compatibility. Let's compare nanoid, shortid, uniqid, and uuid to understand which tool fits your architecture.

⚠️ Maintenance Status: Active vs Deprecated

Before looking at features, we must address the maintenance status. Using a deprecated library introduces security risks and technical debt.

nanoid is actively maintained and widely adopted. It is the current community standard.

// nanoid: Active and recommended
import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
const id = nanoid();

uuid is also actively maintained. It is the standard for RFC4122 UUIDs.

// uuid: Active and standard
import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
const id = uuidv4();

shortid is deprecated. The repository is archived, and the maintainer advises switching to nanoid.

// shortid: DEPRECATED - Do not use in new projects
import shortid from 'shortid';
const id = shortid.generate();

uniqid has low activity and is considered legacy. It does not have the same security guarantees as modern tools.

// uniqid: Legacy/Low maintenance
import uniqid from 'uniqid';
const id = uniqid();

🔒 Security and Randomness

For tokens or IDs that should not be guessed, cryptographic strength matters. Predictable IDs can lead to security vulnerabilities like enumeration attacks.

nanoid uses cryptographically strong random values. It is safe for session IDs and security tokens.

// nanoid: Secure random bytes
import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
// Uses crypto.getRandomValues() in browser or crypto.randomBytes in Node
const secureId = nanoid();

uuid (specifically v4) also uses cryptographically strong random numbers. It is safe for security contexts.

// uuid v4: Secure random bytes
import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
const secureId = uuidv4();

shortid used a secure random generator, but due to lack of maintenance, potential unpatched vulnerabilities exist. It is no longer trusted.

// shortid: Was secure, now unsafe due to deprecation
import shortid from 'shortid';
const id = shortid.generate(); // Not recommended

uniqid relies heavily on the current time and process ID. It is not cryptographically secure. Do not use it for authentication tokens.

// uniqid: Time-based, predictable
import uniqid from 'uniqid';
const id = uniqid(); // Easy to guess if time is known

📏 ID Format and Length

The shape of the ID affects database storage, URL readability, and user experience.

nanoid generates URL-friendly strings by default. They are shorter than UUIDs, saving space in databases and URLs.

// nanoid: Short, URL-friendly (default 21 chars)
import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
console.log(nanoid()); // e.g., "V1StGXR8_Z5jdHi6B-myT"

uuid generates standard 36-character strings with hyphens. This is verbose but universally recognized.

// uuid: Standard format (36 chars)
import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
console.log(uuidv4()); // e.g., "9b1deb4d-3b7d-4bad-9bdd-2b0d7b3dcb6d"

shortid generated short, non-sequential strings similar to nanoid, but with less control over the alphabet.

// shortid: Short string (deprecated)
import shortid from 'shortid';
console.log(shortid.generate()); // e.g., "P8xG9z"

uniqid generates hex strings based on time. They can be prefixed but are generally longer than nanoid and less readable.

// uniqid: Hex string based on time
import uniqid from 'uniqid';
console.log(uniqid()); // e.g., "65a1f2c8b9e10"

⚙️ Customization and Control

Sometimes you need specific character sets or asynchronous generation to avoid blocking the main thread.

nanoid offers excellent customization. You can define your own alphabet or use the async version for better performance in Node.js.

// nanoid: Custom alphabet and async support
import { customAlphabet } from 'nanoid';
const nanoidHex = customAlphabet('0123456789ABCDEF', 10);
console.log(nanoidHex()); // e.g., "4F9A2B1C3D"

import { nanoidAsync } from 'nanoid/async';
const id = await nanoidAsync(); // Non-blocking

uuid allows different versions (v1 for time-based, v3/v5 for namespace-based), but you cannot easily change the character set.

// uuid: Version selection
import { v1, v5 } from 'uuid';
const timeBased = v1(); 
const namespaceBased = v5('my-name', v5.URL);

shortid allowed some seed customization but is now irrelevant due to deprecation.

// shortid: Limited customization (legacy)
import shortid from 'shortid';
shortid.seed(123); // No longer supported/maintained

uniqid allows adding a prefix, which is useful for debugging, but lacks deep configuration.

// uniqid: Prefix support
import uniqid from 'uniqid';
console.log(uniqid.prefix('user_')); // e.g., "user_65a1f2c8b9e10"

🌐 Environment Compatibility

All four packages work in Node.js and browsers, but bundle size and native API usage differ.

nanoid is extremely small and has no dependencies. It automatically detects the environment to use the best crypto API.

// nanoid: Zero dependencies, tiny bundle
import { nanoid } from 'nanoid';
// Works in React, Vue, Node, Deno, Bun without config

uuid is larger and has dependencies. In modern environments, you might prefer the native crypto.randomUUID() instead.

// uuid: Heavier bundle
import { v4 } from 'uuid';
// OR use native API in modern Node/Browsers:
// const id = crypto.randomUUID();

shortid and uniqid work in both environments but do not offer advantages over nanoid in terms of compatibility or size.

// shortid/uniqid: Universal but outdated
import shortid from 'shortid';
import uniqid from 'uniqid';
// No specific environment benefits over nanoid

📊 Summary Comparison

Feature	`nanoid`	`uuid`	`shortid`	`uniqid`
Status	✅ Active	✅ Active	❌ Deprecated	⚠️ Legacy
Security	🔒 High	🔒 High	⚠️ Unknown	🔓 Low
Length	Short (21)	Long (36)	Short	Medium
Format	URL-friendly	RFC4122	URL-friendly	Hex
Bundle	Tiny	Medium	Small	Small
Customizable	Yes	Limited	No	Prefix only

💡 Final Recommendation

For the vast majority of frontend and full-stack applications, nanoid is the best choice. It is secure, tiny, and actively maintained. It solves the same problems as shortid without the technical debt.

Use uuid only if you have a strict requirement for RFC4122 compliance — for example, if your database schema or third-party API specifically demands standard UUID formatting. In modern Node.js or browser environments, consider using the native crypto.randomUUID() instead of the uuid package to save bundle space.

Avoid shortid completely in new code. It is deprecated and unmaintained. Avoid uniqid for anything security-related, as its time-based generation is predictable.

Stick to nanoid for simplicity and security, or uuid for standardization. There is rarely a need to reach for the older libraries today.

How to Choose: nanoid vs shortid vs uniqid vs uuid

nanoid:
Choose nanoid for almost all new projects. It is secure, tiny, and fast. It is the recommended replacement for shortid and works well for URL-friendly IDs, session tokens, and primary keys where standard UUID format is not required.
shortid:
Do NOT choose shortid for new projects. It is officially deprecated and no longer maintained. The creator explicitly recommends migrating to nanoid. Only use this if you are maintaining legacy code that cannot be refactored immediately.
uniqid:
Avoid uniqid for security-sensitive tasks. It relies on time-based generation which can be predictable. It might work for temporary client-side keys where collisions are not critical, but nanoid is a safer and equally easy drop-in replacement.
uuid:
Choose uuid when you need strict RFC4122 compliance. If your backend database, external API, or infrastructure tools require standard UUID strings (like 550e8400-e29b...), this package ensures interoperability. It is larger than nanoid but necessary for standardization.

Popular Comparisons

nanoid

shortid

uniqid

uuid

README for nanoid

Nano ID

English | 日本語 | Русский | 简体中文 | Bahasa Indonesia | 한국어 | العربية

A tiny, secure, URL-friendly, unique string ID generator for JavaScript.

“An amazing level of senseless perfectionism, which is simply impossible not to respect.”

Small. 118 bytes (minified and brotlied). No dependencies. Size Limit controls the size.
Safe. It uses hardware random generator. Can be used in clusters.
Short IDs. It uses a larger alphabet than UUID (A-Za-z0-9_-). So ID size was reduced from 36 to 21 symbols.
Portable. Nano ID was ported to over 20 programming languages.

import { nanoid } from 'nanoid'
model.id = nanoid() //=> "V1StGXR8_Z5jdHi6B-myT"

Made at Evil Martians, product consulting for developer tools.

Docs

Read full docs here.