Elastic Observability vs SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server comparison

Elastic and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Log Management category. Elastic is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.7, while SolarWinds is ranked #25 with an average rating of 8.5. Elastic holds a 1.2% mindshare in Log Management, compared to SolarWinds’s 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Elastic users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Elastic Observability

Read 29 Elastic Observability reviews

8,436 Views
2,025 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server

Read 7 SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server reviews

2,477 Views
2,427 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Elastic Observability

SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server and Elastic Observability compete in IT monitoring. Elastic Observability may have the upper hand due to its comprehensive features, delivering more significant insights despite its higher cost.

Features: SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server offers straightforward log management, ease of use, and competitive customer support. Elastic Observability is recognized for its advanced analytics, the ability to handle diverse data sources, and comprehensive monitoring capabilities.

Room for Improvement: SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server could improve scalability, offer better integration capabilities, and support expanding infrastructure. Elastic Observability requires better simplicity in setup, a reduced learning curve, and more streamlined usability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server provides a quick installation process benefiting organizations needing rapid deployment, backed by competitive customer support. Elastic Observability offers extensive deployment options with high complexity and a responsive support team that helps mitigate setup challenges.

Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server features lower setup costs appealing to budget-conscious buyers, achieving favorable ROI for smaller setups. Elastic Observability, despite higher initial investment, provides long-term value in scalability and insights, justifying its premium pricing for those needing extensive monitoring.

To learn more, read our detailed Elastic Observability vs. SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Elastic Observability vs. SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server

December 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

Elastic Observability

Ranking in Log Management

14th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (6th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (9th), Container Monitoring (4th), Cloud Monitoring Software (7th)

SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server

Ranking in Log Management

25th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of Elastic Observability is 1.2%, down from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server is 1.5%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Log Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Elastic Observability	1.2%
SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server	1.5%
Other	97.3%

Log Management

Featured Reviews

Mohammed-Abdelalim

Assistant Vice President at QualityKiosk Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Has provided powerful customization for unique monitoring needs but needs more out-of-the-box capabilities

In my opinion, the best features of Elastic Observability are their flexibility to integrate with other existing systems and the ability to build a unified monitoring tool that can integrate with existing ones and end-to-end user journeys which require a lot of customizations. The greatest feature in Elastic is the ability to customize. This is similar to my comments about customizable dashboards in Elastic because it's visible to the analyst. However, it's very great. Customizing these dashboards can meet the customer's specific use cases and specific stories that they have in their environment, their special environment that doesn't look like other environments. The dashboarding in Elastic is highly customizable to the level of logos. If the customer wants his company logo in the dashboard, it can be done.

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SJ6

Network Security Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

Valuable log segregation aids in auditing, but Windows integration needs enhancement

Our primary use case for Kiwi Syslog is for gathering logs necessary for auditing purposes I appreciate that with Kiwi Syslog, we can segregate the logs based on the display, such as using different colors and fonts, which helps greatly in identifying logs by their severity. This feature is…

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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

"Elastic APM has plenty of features, such as the Elastic server for Kibana and many additional plugins. It's a comprehensive tool when used as a logging platform."

"I have built a mini business intelligence system based on Elastic Observability."

"It is scalable and supports multitenancy, which is beneficial for MSPs."

"It has always been a stable solution."

"Machine learning is the most valuable feature of this solution."

"The solution is open-source and helps with back-end logging. It is also easy to handle."

"I think Elastic Observability is already in very good shape."

"The Elastic User Interface framework lets us do custom development when needed. You need to have some Javascript knowledge. We need that knowledge to develop new custom tests."

More Elastic Observability pros

"The best thing about Kiwi Syslog is that it filters logs into different levels."

"We are very happy with the stability of the solution."

"Simplicity is the most valuable feature."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the alerting based on the security logs."

"The most valuable feature of SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server is its performance and management. Additionally, the solution integrates well."

"The most valuable features of SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server include its ability to provide network mapping and deliver information to my customers about their networks through various methods."

"I appreciate that with Kiwi Syslog, we can segregate the logs based on the display, such as using different colors and fonts, which helps greatly in identifying logs by their severity."

More SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server pros

Cons

"Elastic Observability needs to have better standardization, logging, and schema."

"Elastic Observability could improve asset discovery as the current requirement to push the agent is not ideal."

"Improving code insight related to infrastructure and network, particularly focusing on aspects such as firewalls, switches, routers, and testing would be beneficial."

"The price is the only issue in the solution. It can be made better and cheaper."

"One example is the inability to monitor very old databases with the newest version."

"In the future, Elastic APM needs a portfolio iTool. They can provide an easy way to develop the custom UI for Kibana."

"The solution needs to use more AI. Once the product onboards AI, users would more effectively be able to track endpoints for specific messages."

"The interface could be improved."

More Elastic Observability cons

"SolarWinds pricing is perceived as very high in the market, which can be a barrier for many customers."

"The Windows log forwarder is not functioning properly. This is a significant concern, as it led to losing a deal due to the inability to provide Windows logs effectively."

"I would like to see better search functions and better filters in the next release."

"I would like to have email notifications for emergency logs."

"SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server could improve by reducing the price."

"The Windows log forwarder is not functioning properly."

"Technical support could definitely be better."

"There is a need for an on-premises solution, which could lead to easier sales in larger markets."

More SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is not that cheap."

"Since we are a huge company, Elastic Observability is an affordable solution for us."

"One needs to pay for the licenses, and it is an annual subscription model right now."

"The price of Elastic Observability is expensive."

"Pricing is one of those situations where the more you use it, the more you pay."

"We will buy a premium license after POC."

"We have been using the open-source version."

"Elastic Observability is cheaper than other similar solutions, such as Dynatrace. Its license calculation is based on various factors like data volume and physical infrastructure, particularly related to RAM capacity."

More Elastic Observability pricing and cost advice

"The price of SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server could improve."

"We subscribe and pay directly on the website."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Government

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	16

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Elastic Observability?

Elastic Observability significantly improves incident response time by providing quick access to logs and data across various sources. For instance, searching for specific keywords in logs spanning...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Elastic Observability?

The problem is their licensing model, which is a bit confusing. Many customers struggle to understand their total cost of ownership because Elastic licensing is not dependent on easy, quantifiable ...

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What needs improvement with Elastic Observability?

After careful consideration about areas for improvement in Elastic Observability, aspects such as pricing, customization, implementation, and scalability could be improved. As a user of the system,...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server?

SolarWinds pricing is perceived as very high in the market, which can be a barrier for many customers.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server?

The Windows log forwarder is not functioning properly. This is a significant concern, as it led to losing a deal due to the inability to provide Windows logs effectively. It should be more user-fri...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server?

Our primary use case for Kiwi Syslog is for gathering logs necessary for auditing purposes.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 25% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

Graylog Enterprise vs SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Purview Audit vs SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server

Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Elastic Observability

January 2026

Download Elastic Observability product report

Buyer's Guide

Log Management

January 2026

Download SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server product report

Also Known As

No data available

Kiwi Syslog Server

Overview

Elastic Observability offers a comprehensive suite for log analytics, application performance monitoring, and machine learning. It integrates seamlessly with platforms like Teams and Slack, enhancing data visualization and scalability for real-time insights.

Elastic Observability is designed to support production environments with features like logging, data collection, and infrastructure tracking. Centralized logging and powerful search functionalities make incident response and performance tracking efficient. Elastic APM and Kibana facilitate detailed data visualization, promoting rapid troubleshooting and effective system performance analysis. Integrated services and extensive connectivity options enhance its role in business and technical decision-making by providing actionable data insights.

What are the most important features of Elastic Observability?

Centralized Logging: Streamlines the collection, analysis, and storage of log data.
Powerful Search: Provides robust search capabilities for quick access to relevant information.
Scalability: Supports growing data needs across diverse environments.
Real-time Telemetry: Ensures up-to-date insights and monitoring.
Platform Integration: Seamlessly connects with services like Teams and Slack.
Data Visualization: Enhances visibility with Elastic APM and Kibana.

What benefits and ROI should users explore in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers significant savings through efficient data management.
Rapid Incident Response: Minimizes downtime with quick troubleshooting tools.
Comprehensive Insights: Supports better business decisions with detailed data analysis.
Performance Tracking: Enables assessment of system effectiveness and improvements.

Elastic Observability is employed across industries for critical operations, such as in finance for transaction monitoring, in healthcare for secure data management, and in technology for optimizing application performance. Its data-driven approach aids efficient event tracing, supporting diverse industry requirements.

Elastic

A syslog server is a logging server that allows for the centralized collection of syslog messages, known as events, from a variety of networking devices such as routers, switches, and firewalls, in addition to servers running a variety of operating systems.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

PSCU, Entel, VITAS, Mimecast, Barrett Steel, Butterfield Bank

Holy Cross Energy, West Texas A&M University, Medium Enterprise Industrial Manufacturing Company

Buyer's Guide

Elastic Observability vs. SolarWinds Kiwi Syslog Server

December 2025

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