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Graylog vs Security Onion comparison

Graylog and Security Onion Solutions, LLC are both solutions in the Log Management category. Graylog is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.0, while Security Onion Solutions, LLC is ranked #20 with an average rating of 7.7. Graylog holds a 6.7% mindshare in Log Management, compared to Security Onion Solutions, LLC’s 5.3% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Graylog users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of Security Onion Solutions, LLC users who would recommend it.
Graylog
Read 21 Graylog reviews
  • 9,399 Views
  • 5,553 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
Security Onion
Read 3 Security Onion reviews
  • 7,270 Views
  • 1,476 Comparison Views
66% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

Graylog and Security Onion compete in the logging and security monitoring domain. While Graylog seems to have the upper hand in pricing and support, Security Onion is favored for its comprehensive features.

Features: Graylog provides customizable dashboards, quick log query capabilities, and seamless integration with multiple data sources. Security Onion offers extensive network monitoring tools, intrusion detection systems, and is praised for in-depth security insights.

Room for Improvement: Graylog users suggest enhancements in error reporting, visualization tools, and better out-of-the-box configuration. Security Onion has areas for improvement in setup complexity, documentation clarity, and desires for a more straightforward deployment experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Graylog is recognized for easier deployment and responsive customer service. Users appreciate straightforward setup and prompt support. Security Onion requires more advanced technical expertise for deployment, with mixed feedback on user support.

Pricing and ROI: Graylog's setup cost is reasonable, offering a solid return on investment and aligning with user expectations as cost-effective. Security Onion has a potentially higher initial setup cost, justified by its robust feature set and delivering significant ROI through enhanced security capabilities.

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Buyer's Guide
Graylog vs. Security Onion
June 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

Graylog
Ranking in Log Management
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Security Onion
Ranking in Log Management
20th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of Graylog is 6.7%, up from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Security Onion is 5.3%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

Ivan Kokalovic - PeerSpot reviewer
Facilitates backend service monitoring with efficient log retrieval and API flexibility
Graylog is valuable because it bridges technical knowledge to non-technical teams, presenting complex backend processes in a simple timeline. It boosts the knowledge of sales and customer support teams by allowing them to see the backend operations without needing to read the code. Its API is flexible for visualization, and its powerful search engine efficiently handles large volumes of log data. Moreover, its stability, fast search capabilities, and compatibility with languages like ANSI SQL enhance its utility in IT infrastructure.
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Jörg Kippe - PeerSpot reviewer
A mature and affordable solution that is easy to install and easy to update
The product takes time to learn, it's not that easy. In the beginning we had a lot of questions. If you want to use such a tool in an real (industrial) environment, you have to ask how to get the network data. Can we do a full packet capture? Can we provide agents to our end systems? There are no simple solutions to these questions. It's a general problem when running such systems in an industrial environment.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The best feature of Graylog is the Elasticsearch integration. We can integrate and we can run filters, such as an event of interest, and those logs we can send to any SIEM tool or as an analytic. Additionally, there are clear and well-documented implementation instructions on their website to follow if needed."
"I like the correlation and the alerting."
"Graylog is valuable because it bridges technical knowledge to non-technical teams, presenting complex backend processes in a simple timeline."
"The product is scalable. The solution is stable."
"Message forwarding through the in-built module."
"Allowing us to set up alerts and integrate with platforms we already use, such as Slack and OpsGenie to alert users of these errors proactively, is also a very useful feature."
"I am very proud of how very stable the solution is."
"UDP is a fast and lightweight protocol, perfect for sending large volumes of logs with minimal overhead."
More Graylog pros
"The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports."
"Security Onion is the most mature solution in the market."
"We use Security Onion for internal vulnerability assessment."
 

Cons

"When it comes to configuring the processing pipeline, writing the rules can be very tedious, especially since the documentation isn't extensive on how the functions provided for these rules work."
"The infrastructure cost is the main issue. I like the rest. If the infrastructure costs could be lower, it would be fantastic."
"Elasticsearch recommendations for tuning could be better. Graylog doesn't have direct support for running the system inside of Kubernetes, so it can be challenging to fill in the gaps and set up containers in a way that is both performant and stable."
"Since container orchestration systems are popular and Graylog fits the niche well, perhaps they could officially support running in docker containers on Kubernetes as a StatefulSet as a use case. That way, the declarative nature of Kubernetes config files would document their best case deployment scenario-"
"I would like to see a default dashboard widget that shows the topology of the clusters defined for the graylog install."
"I would like to see some kind of visualization included in Graylog."
"There should be some user groups and an auto sign-in feature.​"
"I hope to see improvements in Graylog for more interactivity, user-friendliness, and creating alerts. The initial setup is complex."
More Graylog cons
"The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult."
"The product is not easy to learn."
"Security Onion's user interface could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I am using a community edition. I have not looked at the enterprise offering from Graylog."
"I use the free version of Graylog."
"​You get a lot out-of-the-box with the non-enterprise version, so give it a try first."
"If you want something that works and do not have the money for Splunk or QRadar, take Graylog.​​"
"It's open source and free. They have a paid version, but we never looked into that because we never needed the features of the paid version."
"There is an open source version and an enterprise version. I wouldn't recommend the enterprise version, but as an open source solution, it is solid and works really well."
"Consider Enterprise support if you have atypical needs or setup requirements.​"
"Having paid official support is wise for projects."
More Graylog pricing and cost advice
"Security Onion is an open-source solution."
"Security Onion is a free solution."
"It is an open-source solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Educational Organization
7%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
University
11%
Government
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Graylog?
The product is scalable. The solution is stable.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Graylog?
I am not familiar with the pricing details of Graylog, as I was not responsible for that aspect. It was determined that we didn't need an enterprise plan, which is more suited for clients with less...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Graylog?
An improvement I would suggest is in Graylog's user interface, such as allowing for font size adjustments. A potential enhancement could be the integration with Ollama to run large language models ...
See all answers
What do you like most about Security Onion?
The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Security Onion?
Security Onion is an open-source solution. On a scale from one to ten, where ten is expensive and one is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Security Onion?
The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult.
See all answers
 

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Compared 11% of the time
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Compared 9% of the time
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Graylog
June 2025
Graylog reportDownload Graylog product report
Buyer's Guide
Log Management
May 2025
Security Onion reportDownload Security Onion product report
 

Also Known As

Graylog2
No data available
 

Overview

Graylog is purpose-built to deliver the best log collection, storage, enrichment, and analysis. Graylog is:

  • Considerably faster analysis speeds.
  • More robust and easier-to-use analysis platform.
  • Simpler administration and infrastructure management.
  • Lower cost than alternatives.
  • Full-scale customer service.
  • No expensive training or tool experts required.
Graylog

Security Onion is an open-source Linux distribution for intrusion detection, network security monitoring, and log management. It offers comprehensive solutions for enterprises seeking to enhance their cybersecurity infrastructure.

Security Onion provides a full suite of tools to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats efficiently. As a robust and versatile distribution, it includes capabilities for real-time analysis, network visibility, and threat detection, making it indispensable for security operations centers. Users value this tool for its integration of open-source software with advanced analytics, affording professionals a detailed overview of network traffic and potential intrusions.

What are Security Onion’s most important features?
  • Intrusion Detection: Utilizes Suricata or Zeek for effective threat monitoring.
  • Network Security Monitoring: Offers powerful visualization tools for network analysis.
  • Log Management: Centralizes log collection and analysis.
  • Comprehensive Dashboards: Provides integrated dashboards for threat visibility.
What benefits or ROI should you look for in reviews?
  • Cost Efficiency: Reduced cybersecurity costs due to its open-source nature.
  • Improved Threat Detection: Enhanced ability to identify and respond to threats quickly.
  • Integration Capability: Seamless integration with existing security infrastructures.
  • Scalability: Support for scaling network security operations as needed.

Security Onion finds extensive application in industries such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors, where robust network monitoring is critical. Its ability to integrate with existing security tools makes it a preferred choice for organizations looking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture.

Security Onion Solutions, LLC
 

Sample Customers

Blue Cross Blue Shield, eBay, Cisco, LinkedIn, SAP, King.com, Twilio, Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
Graylog vs. Security Onion
June 2025
Free Report: Graylog vs. Security Onion
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