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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
13th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
175
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (8th)
syslog-ng
Ranking in Log Management
17th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
3.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of LogRhythm SIEM is 2.2%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of syslog-ng is 2.3%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
LogRhythm SIEM2.2%
syslog-ng2.3%
Other95.5%
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

SumitKumar20 - PeerSpot reviewer
Tool consistently aids in effective threat detection and monitoring but could benefit from improved log source management and resource optimization
One major area for improvement in LogRhythm SIEM is the lack of volume measurement capability in terms of storage. There is currently no way to determine how much data is being consumed in terms of gigabytes, terabytes, or petabytes from particular devices or environments. This information is crucial for planning future storage needs and scalability. The system monitor (collector) agent has issues with resource consumption. Even when not actively collecting data, the agent continues to consume significant CPU and memory resources, which can be particularly problematic for small business environments with limited resources. LogRhythm SIEM could improve by adding more default device support. While they have good default settings for devices such as Palo Alto firewalls, custom log sources often require extensive work. Increasing the number of supported devices with built-in policies and functionality would reduce the need for custom work. Competitive SIEM tools often provide more comprehensive coverage for various devices and vendors.
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 has shown to us, to this point in time, that it has the capabilities of being able to deliver actionable intelligence to the security engineers and analysts."
"The artificial intelligence engine."
"Technical support is very helpful and responsive."
"We have seen a massive increase in the amount of data that we can collect, the type of things that we can see, the way we can look at logs, the way we can get alerts, and the way can create our own customer roles, which has allowed us to customize the work in our environment."
"It allows us to automate a lot of things with a smaller team."
"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."
"The GUI is very intuitive and the solution has good integration."
"It has allowed us to dive deeper into our network and figure out what is going on by parsing logs properly and being able to reduce the time it takes to work cases down from seven days to approximately two days."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
 

Cons

"The installation was a bit complex because we are running a virtual infrastructure."
"We do about 750 million a day and some days we do 715 million. Some days we do 820 million or 1.2 billion. But there's no way to drill in and find out: "Where did I get 400,000 extra logs today?" What was going on in my environment that I was able to absorb that peak? I have no way to identify it without running reports, which will produce a long-running PDF that I have to somehow compare to another long-running PDF... I would like to see like profiling behavior awareness around systems like they've been gunned to do around users with UEBA."
"I don't think the cloud model in LogRhythm is developed enough."
"There used to be the ability to create alarms based on message text that was included in LR Version 6.x that has been removed in LogRhythm 7.x, and on that, I would like to see it added back."
"The web and on-premise console interface should be the same instead of having a separate engine for each."
"When we originally got LogRhythm, their tech support was fantastic, and I loved them. Now, we don't quite get as quick of a response. I've been disappointed in the more recent tech support. When you call in, they'll say that they will get you somebody, and you'll finally get someone who will contact you back a day or so later. Whereas before, I would get help right away."
"I would like to see support added for Exchange 2016, and CheckPoint OPSec Lea."
"NextGen SIEM has separate rules for AI, advanced intelligence, and MP rules - it would be better to have a centralized way to write the rules and create alarms."
"There is always the potential for additional integration and protocol extensions."
"In syslog-ng, I think a GUI would be beneficial. I am unsure if the premium module has a GUI to administer it."
"The filtering has room for improvement."
"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."
"There is room for improvement in terms of observability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the pricing 4 out of 5. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing fees."
"It is a very cost-effective solution."
"I give the price a six out of ten."
"I have seen a measurable decrease in the mean time to detect and respond to threats. We went from not detecting them to detecting them. We can actually pick up what is anomalous in our network now."
"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."
"I would recommend talking to the rep. That's the biggest thing because they will know what questions to ask."
"We did a five-year agreement. We pay close to a quarter of a million dollars for our solution."
"The product is inexpensive than other tools."
"Syslog-ng is a free open-source solution."
"Syslog-ng is open-source."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise38
Large Enterprise83
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
 

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?
One major area for improvement in LogRhythm SIEM is the lack of volume measurement capability in terms of storage. There is currently no way to determine how much data is being consumed in terms of...
What do you like most about LogRhythm SIEM?
I find LogRhythm's log management capabilities to be beneficial.
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...
 

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: September 2025.
872,837 professionals have used our research since 2012.