Cribl vs syslog-ng comparison

Cribl and One Identity are both solutions in the Log Management category. Cribl is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.3, while One Identity is ranked #17 with an average rating of 10.0. Cribl holds a 2.2% mindshare in Log Management, compared to One Identity’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Cribl users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of One Identity users who would recommend it.

Cribl

Read 15 Cribl reviews

3,951 Views
2,371 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

syslog-ng

Read 6 syslog-ng reviews

4,202 Views
4,202 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cribl

syslog-ng

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Syslog-ng and Cribl compete in the log management and data processing arena. Cribl seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced features and performance that cater to clients prioritizing cutting-edge technology.

Features: Syslog-ng provides robust log management capabilities with scalability, efficient log aggregation, and the ability to create alerts for SIEM solutions. Cribl offers advanced data processing features such as real-time data transformation in the pipeline, data routing to multiple destinations, and powerful functionalities for data reduction and intelligence addition.

Room for Improvement: Syslog-ng can improve by enhancing its data processing capabilities, offering more advanced analytics tools, and increasing integration options with other security solutions. Cribl could benefit from making its deployment process less complex, reducing the steep learning curve for new users, and providing more cost-effective solutions for smaller businesses.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Syslog-ng is known for straightforward deployment and solid customer support. While Cribl's deployment may be more complex, it is well-documented, and the company offers proactive and engaging customer service, making it easier for users to navigate the complexities.

Pricing and ROI: Syslog-ng offers a cost-effective solution with moderate upfront costs, making it attractive for firms with smaller setups. Cribl, though more expensive upfront, provides significant ROI due to its extensive features and scalability, appealing to businesses prepared for larger investments.

To learn more, read our detailed Cribl vs. syslog-ng Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cribl vs. syslog-ng

July 2025

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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

Cribl

Ranking in Log Management

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (14th), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (12th), Observability Pipeline Software (1st)

syslog-ng

Ranking in Log Management

17th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

2.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of Cribl is 2.2%, up from 0.5% 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

Joe Cicero

Director of Strategic Alliances at security risk advisors

Facilitates seamless log integration and reduces data costs with efficient compression

My favorite feature is Cribl Stream. That's probably the only Cribl product I have a lot of experience with, and Cribl Stream makes it very easy to identify where all the customer's log sources are and to quickly connect them to a destination source such as Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Azure Data Storage. Cribl Stream does two things: not only does it make it easy to connect one log source or one dataset to multiple storage locations, but it also has compression features, which greatly reduce the storage cost for that data. It strips out and compresses data so that only the absolute information remains and not any duplicates. Dual destination and compression are the two top features.

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RyanVargas

Senior Director and Senior Systems Engineer (Dual Role), IT Infrastructure and Security at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees

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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"My favorite option in Cribl is the Stream product."

"The product's most valuable features include the internal management of events, coding perspective, data processing, and serialization."

"Features such as Cribl Stream, Cribl LogStream, and Cribl Edge have been the most beneficial. The Cribl LogStream, in particular, is valuable for routing data, creating firewalls on pipelines, and putting security measures in place to ensure data reaches its destination without issues."

"The capability to reduce logs in a user-friendly manner is a standout feature. Cribl allows us to view logs live as they are being processed, giving us quick feedback on the changes made."

"The support team was very helpful and managed to get everything production-ready."

"Cribl offers other valuable features. For instance, you can replay data from an edge device, store your daily data in a stream, and replay specific event data into Splunk if a security incident occurs"

"When it comes to the product's installation phase, it is not tough for people who have good knowledge...The tool is worth the investment."

"Cribl offers easy plugin configurations and source collection settings, allowing us to collect logs from any source."

More Cribl 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."

"Syslog-ng has a separate config file in addition to the core configuration."

"The ability to extract and store the logs is the most valuable feature of syslog-ng."

"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."

Cons

"Cribl doesn't have as many packs available"

"There have been several administrative issues. Another point is that the browsing functions aren't very intuitive."

"Cribl could have developed some version that can give backward compatibility."

"There is room for improvement in the documentation and knowledge base, particularly regarding configurations like sources where logs are being ingested"

"Cribl should consider adding more features that are applicable to smaller firms, allowing broader access to their data migration through Cribl."

"There is no alerting mechanism for the leader/worker nodes status."

"Cribl could improve by offering easier integrations with enterprise products, similar to what Splunk provides."

"The sys logging could be enhanced to make it easier to identify errors, especially when dealing with multiple functions."

More Cribl cons

"There is always the potential for additional integration and protocol extensions."

"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."

"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."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product pricing is reasonable compared to other solutions."

"I would not say it is a cheaply priced tool as it has been doing wonders in the market. The tool has been budget-friendly for organizations."

"Syslog-ng is open-source."

"Syslog-ng is a free open-source solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cribl?

The current pricing is a little bit above average.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cribl?

Something that Cribl could do better is processing time. There is not enough customization to improve performance. An example would be with AWS Lambda functions, the way we were doing it before. Th...

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What is your primary use case for Cribl?

Our use cases that we are exploring Cribl for right now are for data parsing and data manipulation.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with syslog-ng?

Something could potentially be improved, though it works effectively for me. In the early stages, over 10 years ago, syslog-ng was lacking some features, so I created a patch for it. I used a patch...

See all answers

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cribl

August 2025

Download Cribl product report

Buyer's Guide

Log Management

July 2025

Download syslog-ng product report

Overview

Cribl optimizes log collection, data processing, and migration to Splunk Cloud, ensuring efficient data ingestion and management for improved operational efficiency.

Cribl offers seamless log collection directly from cloud sources, allowing users to visually extract necessary data and replay specific events for in-depth analysis. It provides robust management of events, parsing, and enrichment of data, along with effective log size reduction. Cribl is particularly beneficial for migrating enterprise logs, optimizing usage, and reducing costs while streamlining the transition between different log management tools.

What are Cribl's most important features?

Real-Time Data Transformation: Enables immediate data processing for accurate insights.
Simplified Log Collection: Gathers data from diverse sources effortlessly.
Powerful Data Reduction: Reduces log size without losing critical information.
Inbuilt Packs: Ready-to-use functions simplify complex tasks.
Live Testing: Allows testing before production deployment for reliability.
Master Node Updates: Manages worker groups efficiently for consistent performance.
Advanced Data Processing: Offers robust data serialization and coding perspectives.
Easy Plugin Configurations: Facilitates direct integration with reduced setup time.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Optimized Usage: Ensures effective resource management and cost reduction.
Streamlined Migration: Simplifies the transition between log management tools.
Enhanced Data Management: Improves data quality and processing efficiency.
Reduced Time and Effort: Direct-to-production capabilities save operational time.

Cribl is widely implemented in industries requiring extensive data management, such as technology and finance. Users leverage Cribl to handle log collection, processing, and migration efficiently, ensuring smooth operation and effective data analysis. It aids in managing temporary data storage during downtimes and better handling historical data, preventing data loss and allowing extended periods for viewing statistics and monitoring trends.

Cribl

Optimizing SIEM
syslog-ng is the log management solution that improves the performance of your SIEM solution by reducing the amount and improving the quality of data feeding your SIEM.

Rapid search and troubleshooting
With syslog-ng Store Box, you can find the answer. Search billions of logs in seconds using full text queries with Boolean operators to pinpoint critical logs.

Meeting compliance requirements
syslog-ng Store Box provides secure, tamper-proof storage and custom reporting to demonstrate compliance.

Big data ingestion
syslog-ng can deliver data from a wide variety of sources to Hadoop, Elasticsearch, MongoDB, and Kafka as well as many others.

Universal log collection and routing
syslog-ng flexibly routes log data from X sources to Y destinations. Instead of deploying multiple agents on hosts, organizations can unify their log data collection and management.

Secure data archive
syslog-ng Store Box provides automated archiving, tamper-proof encrypted storage, granular access controls to protect log data. The largest appliance can store up to 10TB of raw logs.

One Identity

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Tecnocom, University of Victoria, University of Exeter, Datapath

Buyer's Guide

Cribl vs. syslog-ng

July 2025

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