UUID vs ULID vs NanoID
A comparison of three representative identifiers by length, sorting, and use.
Length and readability
A UUID is 36 characters including hyphens, ULID is 26 characters, and NanoID is 21 characters by default. If it appears in a URL or on screen, the shorter ULID or NanoID is preferable.
Sortability
ULID and UUID v7 sort chronologically. UUID v4 and NanoID carry no ordering information. If database index locality matters, choose v7 or ULID.
How to choose
Choose UUID when standards and compatibility matter, ULID when you need a sortable short ID, and NanoID when you need the shortest possible, customizable ID.