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VMware Aria Operations for Logs 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

syslog-ng
Ranking in Log Management
18th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
3.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware Aria Operations for ...
Ranking in Log Management
20th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of syslog-ng is 1.4%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Aria Operations for Logs is 1.3%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
syslog-ng1.4%
VMware Aria Operations for Logs1.3%
Other97.3%
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

OC
IT Infrastructure & Cloud Security Manager at Thux
Has ensured compliance by centralizing log data and supporting secure connections
We currently do not use that feature. We currently have just an open-source release, not a premium release. My boss has indicated that he wants to buy a premium syslog-ng version next month. I think we can use other features of this tool in the future. In syslog-ng, I think a GUI would be beneficial. I am unsure if the premium module has a GUI to administer it.
DineshKumar21 - PeerSpot reviewer
Service Delivery Manager at DXC Technology
Comprehensive monitoring has improved performance, capacity planning, and multi-source log analysis
VMware Aria Operations for Logs would be used to completely monitor the health of your environment. Second is to understand your existing capacity and forecast your capacity for the next year or so. Third would be on performance management, understanding how the environment is performing, and what has to be done to optimize it. We use VMware Aria Operations for Logs for these purposes. We also use VMware Aria Operations for Logs to monitor non-VMware components as well. VMware Aria Operations for Logs is now part of a bigger suite with several modules added. You have an option to collect logs from various sources and then you can do some sorts of analytics from it as well. All of this can be done with VMware Aria Operations for Logs.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."
"The ability to extract and store the logs is the most valuable feature of syslog-ng."
"We chose syslog-ng because it is easy to install, easy to maintain, easy to update, and due to the fact that all data arrive in raw format, we can manipulate it as we want."
"What I appreciate most about syslog-ng is its configuration; its C-style config is much easier to understand, read, and write than other popular solutions such as syslog or rsyslog."
"Syslog-ng has a separate config file in addition to the core configuration."
"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."
"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."
"It is a very useful tool if you have a VMware environment."
"It was very easy to setup."
"Log Insight correlates with the VMware product log, and it can assemble the logs you want, making it easier to find the output, incident, or keyword you want to search."
"One of the most valuable features of vRealize Log Insight is that it gives you a clear forecast about your existing machines, for example, how long your machines could be supported and how long the remaining capacity is to host your machines. This is one of the best options available within vRealize Log Insight. Another valuable feature of the solution is automation. My company deploys a lot of automation when required in a very, very short period, and in a very uniform manner, and even if the automation is being deployed for different processes and departments, it's pretty much the same across the environment, so vRealize Log Insight helps reduce a lot of ambiguities and helps my company manage operational efficiencies well."
"It is a highly stable solution...It is a highly scalable solution."
"VMware Aria Operations for Logs is a very stable product."
"Another advantage of the solution is that it can also integrate with your network and other hardware and software devices, so you would be able to manage your entire IT estate using just one single tool which is vRealize Log Insight, so I would strongly recommend it to anyone thinking of purchasing the solution."
"The system's management and its alerts are the most valuable aspects of the solution."
 

Cons

"In syslog-ng, I think a GUI would be beneficial. I am unsure if the premium module has a GUI to administer it."
"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."
"The filtering has room for improvement."
"There is always the potential for additional integration and protocol extensions."
"There is room for improvement in terms of observability."
"The solution should be more user-friendly. The user interface and dashboard could be simplified."
"Log Insight should be better at dealing with audits and security logs. We use another product called QRadar for that."
"The licensing cost for vRealize Log Insight is a little higher, so in terms of cost, it all depends upon what kind of environment you have."
"From an improvement perspective, the tool needs to be made more user-friendly."
"Documentation is lacking, including some guide as to how to use the expressions. It is not clear how to look for a log, for example. Some examples in the documentation might be helpful. I think that VMware had good documentation, but it's no longer hosted. The documentation is not as easy to understand as it was before."
"The solution is a very good tool, but it has a lot of limitations."
"The pricing of the solution could be improved."
"I give it a seven because it isn't easy to scale, and the cost is too high, but it's a good product overall."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Syslog-ng is open-source."
"Syslog-ng is a free open-source solution."
"I rate the product's price a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."
"I am not sure what the exact cost is. However, I believe the vRealize suite costs $2,500.00 per year."
"It is not cheap. But it is worth it."
"I think it is a reasonably priced product."
"Pricing is good because it is part of the suite package. It comes in a bundle for us."
"The licensing cost for vRealize Log Insight is a little higher, so in terms of cost, it all depends upon what kind of environment you have. If you have a complete virtualized environment, or at least you're using a ninety-five percent virtualized environment, then vRealize Log Insight will play a very good role because it is a VMware component, so it has very tight integration with other VMware components and systems. This means you don't have to procure any other monitoring and management tool, and you don't need a separate automation tool. vRealize Log Insight will have an upper hand if your environment is purely virtualized on VMware. If you're using a mix of physical and virtual components, for example, a 50:50 ratio, then you need to have a third-party component to manage overall monitoring."
"The product's price is reasonable, but when it comes to SQL licensing, it's a bit expensive."
"The license cost for any other monitoring tool is too high compared to this product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise13
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with syslog-ng?
We currently do not use that feature. We currently have just an open-source release, not a premium release. My boss has indicated that he wants to buy a premium syslog-ng version next month. I thin...
What is your primary use case for syslog-ng?
In Italy, we have to be compliant with the Garante for privacy. We have to log every login, logout, or login failure made by a system administrator. We store all syslog data of the infrastructure. ...
What advice do you have for others considering syslog-ng?
When it comes to parsing, I can parse both structured and unstructured data, though our data are only structured. Currently, we collect all data we receive as raw data. Each file is stored for each...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for vRealize Log Insight?
VMware Aria Operations for Logs does have device licenses. The license is perpetual and you do not have to pay monthly as it is a one time purchase. The only thing is if you are looking for support...
What needs improvement with vRealize Log Insight?
VMware periodically provides upgrades and updates to the product. They are also extending support to various third party hardware as well. I am not sure whether they have any ready made APIs for cl...
What is your primary use case for vRealize Log Insight?
We have been using this for the last five years.
 

Also Known As

No data available
vRealize Log Insight
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Tecnocom, University of Victoria, University of Exeter, Datapath
Wildlands Adventure Zoo, Medic Mobile, IBM, Seventy Seven Energy, Baystate Health, Osis, Oxford University, Columbia University, Siemens, Cardinal Health, Ashdod Port, Vasakronan, Sydney Adventist Hospital, University of Derby
Find out what your peers are saying about VMware Aria Operations for Logs vs. syslog-ng and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.