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Encoders, converters & dev utilities
GUID Generator — UUIDs in .NET / Windows Format
GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is Microsoft's name for a UUID — the two terms describe the same 128-bit value and the same 8-4-4-4-12 hex layout. The difference is purely conventional formatting: .NET and Windows tools often display a GUID in uppercase and wrapped in braces, e.g. {F47AC10B-58CC-4372-A567-0E02B2C3D479}, matching the .NET "B" format specifier and the registry style. Under the hood it is still an RFC 9562 UUID, almost always version 4 (random). This generator gives you the value with format toggles — braces on/off, uppercase/lowercase, hyphens on/off — so you can copy exactly the shape your C#, SQL Server, or PowerShell code expects. Generated in-browser with the crypto CSPRNG. Free, no login.
GUID = Microsoft's name for a UUID — same 128-bit value, same 8-4-4-4-12 hex layout
- Difference is formatting only: .NET/Windows favour UPPERCASE and {braces}
- Braced uppercase example: {F47AC10B-58CC-4372-A567-0E02B2C3D479} (.NET "B" format)
- Almost always a version-4 (random) UUID under the hood — RFC 9562
- Format toggles: braces on/off, uppercase/lowercase, hyphens on/off
- Matches what C#, SQL Server (uniqueidentifier) and PowerShell expect
- Generated in-browser with the crypto CSPRNG — no server
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a GUID and a UUID?
There is no real difference in the value — GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is Microsoft's terminology for what the rest of the industry calls a UUID. Both are 128-bit identifiers written as 32 hex digits in the 8-4-4-4-12 grouping, and both follow the same standard (RFC 9562). The only practical distinction is presentation: Microsoft ecosystems (.NET, SQL Server, the Windows registry) tend to show GUIDs in uppercase and wrapped in braces, whereas the UUID convention is lowercase without braces.
Why do some GUIDs have curly braces and uppercase letters?
That is the .NET/Windows display convention. The .NET Guid type's "B" format produces braces like {F47AC10B-58CC-4372-A567-0E02B2C3D479}, and many Microsoft tools and the registry render GUIDs in uppercase. The braces and case are cosmetic — the underlying value is identical to the lowercase, brace-free form. This generator lets you toggle braces, case, and hyphens so you can copy the exact format your code or database column expects.
What version of UUID is a GUID?
In modern usage a generated GUID is almost always a version-4 (random) UUID — for example, .NET's Guid.NewGuid() produces a v4. It carries the version 4 in the 13th hex digit and a variant of 8/9/a/b in the 17th, exactly like any other v4 UUID; only the display formatting differs. If you need time-ordered identifiers for database keys, generate a UUID v7 instead, though it is less commonly referred to as a "GUID".