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LogRhythm SIEM vs syslog-ng comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

LogRhythm SIEM
Ranking in Log Management
14th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
174
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (9th)
syslog-ng
Ranking in Log Management
17th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
2.8
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of LogRhythm SIEM is 2.0%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of syslog-ng is 2.5%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

Mokhammad Rakhman - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly dashboard and machine learning capabilities improve threat hunting efficiency
LogRhythm SIEM has strong machine-learning capabilities with behavioral rules and analysis. The seamless integration for case management, along with a user-friendly dashboard user interface, makes tasks like threat hunting more efficient. Analytics and behavioral analysis help me save time with rule creation. Its scalability allows me to add components as needed. Overall, LogRhythm SIEM offers end-to-end visibility with a reasonable price.
RyanVargas - PeerSpot reviewer
It's a user-friendly open-source solution that can replace or augment a commercial product in some cases
I rate syslog-ng 10 out of 10. It's free and easy to use. It has built-in tools that help us index the various logs sent to it. It's a solid log product. If you're looking for a SIEM solution, syslog-ng will work as a stopgap measure at beginning of the project. It can also work as an injector for a true SIEM solution. You can send all the logs to syslog-ng and forward all the data to the SIEM solution after you've cleaned up the data and got the pertinent information. It's a good front end for a commercial SIEM solution, which becomes more expensive as you load more data into it. I would highly recommend syslog-ng for that use case. However, if you lack the expertise, you might need to go with a cloud-based SIEM instead. You need some in-house expertise or an outside consultant to manage it and set it up.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"LogRhythm NextGen SIEM covers all our primary security analysis needs. It makes it easier for us to analyze threats and improves our response times. It's a versatile platform that performs queries fast compared to other SIEM solutions."
"Our clients enjoy having one dashboard to monitor their environments in real time."
"The initial setup is pretty easy."
"The Web Console is my favorite. It enables me, at a glance, to see the health of the environments."
"Its ability to work with all different sorts of log sources has been extremely valuable."
"File Integrity Monitoring is really valuable because we have it set up on our core assets. This is one of the key features that I utilize. We also use it quite a lot for event management to do reporting."
"We use this solution to examine disparate log sources and provide a cohesive method to search for anomalous behavior."
"LogRhythm NextGen SIEM is customizable, simple to manage, and there are many features. The solution does not require an expert to be able to use it, anyone can use it."
"For us, the most valuable feature is the use of compound search for searching logs at a specific time, by a specific user, or specific behavior."
"Syslog-ng has a separate config file in addition to the core configuration."
"Syslog-ng has built-in features that we can use to create alerts for a SIEM solution. It isn't a true SIEM solution, but it's sufficient for the time being."
"Syslog-ng provides easy access to all my logs. It helps me show managers and other clients precisely where an incident occurred. I also like it because you can integrate syslog-ng with multiple solutions to allow real-time monitoring."
"The ability to extract and store the logs is the most valuable feature of syslog-ng."
 

Cons

"We need to get better training for things like creating code and playlists. The way it's done now takes a long time."
"We have gone through a few versions which has caused a lot of instability. We have logged a lot of hours with professional services."
"For our market, the solution is quite expensive. It would be ideal if they could work on and improve their existing pricing plans to help make it more affordable in our country."
"The installation was a bit complex because we are running a virtual infrastructure."
"The initial setup is complex. We are using a LogRhythm partner, at least for the first three years, to help with the monitoring and the deployment of it. We are not a big enough environment where we have people that we can dedicate to it right now."
"My big thing is the easability. I don't like to go to two different systems. The fat client that you have to install to configure it, then the web console which is just for reporting and analysis. These features need to collapse, and it needs to be in a single solution. Going through the web solution in the future is the way to do it, because right now, it is a bit cumbersome."
"I don't think the cloud model in LogRhythm is developed enough."
"Sometimes the Platform Manager crashes because it's built around Windows."
"There is always the potential for additional integration and protocol extensions."
"It's hard to find people who know how to use syslog-ng. I often find problems with configurations, and solutions aren't integrated correctly with syslog-ng. For example, there might be data with extra decimals, or the collector agents are incorrectly named. It isn't a problem with the solution; it's a lack of professionals."
"Syslog-ng has built-in features that we can use to create alerts for a SIEM solution. It isn't a true SIEM solution, but it's sufficient for the time being."
"The filtering has room for improvement."
"There is room for improvement in terms of observability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The setup and licensing for small and medium size businesses is straightforward, though when it comes to the enterprise it pays to keep in mind the possibility for complications given all the extras and add-ons that may be required."
"The nice thing about LogRhythm is you can either use the agents, getting a certain number of agents with your license depending on how you want to go, and those agents do a lot of cool things, or you can use CIS Log host, then you have like an unlimited number of them."
"Look for whatever will give you the most value. That's the main point. It is not one size fits all."
"I give the price a six out of ten."
"Look closely at the cost of licensing of other products. This should include setups and the need for support services. I did a RFQ to 2 other vendors before choosing this product."
"The pricing is very reasonable and accessible compared to other products in the market but I am not very sure about the exact licensing cost per year for our company."
"In comparison to the competition, they are more affordable. This allows us to do more with less."
"If you don't have your staff, absolutely look into the co-pilot and factor that into your cost evaluation."
"Syslog-ng is open-source."
"Syslog-ng is a free open-source solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is the difference between log management and SIEM?
Rony, Daniel's answer is right on the money. There are many solutions for each in the market, a lot depends upon your ability to manage such tools and your budget. A small operation may be best s...
What needs improvement with LogRhythm NextGen SIEM?
I cannot think of any specific features that LogRhythm SIEM can improve upon since it supports a wide variety of major vendors. However, they need to improve their parsing techniques; the tool shou...
What do you like most about LogRhythm SIEM?
I find LogRhythm's log management capabilities to be beneficial.
What do you like most about syslog-ng?
For us, the most valuable feature is the use of compound search for searching logs at a specific time, by a specific user, or specific behavior.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for syslog-ng?
The pricing is in the middle. I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with one being expensive and ten being cheap.
What needs improvement with syslog-ng?
There is room for improvement in terms of observability. Additionally, a possible new feature could be Kafka integration.
 

Also Known As

LogRhythm NextGen SIEM, LogRhythm, LogRhythm Threat Lifecycle Management, LogRhythm TLM
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Macy's, NASA, Fujitsu, US Air Force, EY, Abbott, HD Supply, SAB Miller, UCLA, Raytheon, Amtrak, Cargill
Tecnocom, University of Victoria, University of Exeter, Datapath
Find out what your peers are saying about LogRhythm SIEM vs. syslog-ng and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.