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Rapid7 InsightOps 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

Rapid7 InsightOps
Ranking in Log Management
26th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
syslog-ng
Ranking in Log Management
19th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of Rapid7 InsightOps is 0.4%, down 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

Karthick Selvam - PeerSpot reviewer
A cloud solution to collect and analyse logs with timely support
We should understand the basic concepts of Rapid7 InsightOps. We are using Rapid7 InsightOps to collect and analyze data. We need to ensure that our environment is suitable before proceeding. The solution is user-friendly and support all environment like Linux, Windows, CentOS, etc. It is suitable for all. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
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

"We can save logs as plain text."
"The most valuable feature of Rapid7 InsightOps is the search functionality."
"It has the ability to alert and track logs from different sources."
"Integration of InsightOps with other tools, especially SIEM solutions, has generally improved operational efficiency."
"The ability to browse logs from multiple sources at the same time really speeds up root cause analysis."
"Syslog-ng has a separate config file in addition to the core configuration."
"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 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."
 

Cons

"The solution takes a little bit of time when we load the website for the first time."
"Since I used the beta, improvements are to be expected. The dashboard options could have been clearer, but I believe it is more a problem with the limited documentation available at the time."
"There are a few things I would like to do with a few more complex queries which I am not able to do right now, because it is a SaaS solution."
"Rapid7 InsightOps could improve by making the search query better. There are times when the search query is broken and it does not find anything."
"Improvement is needed in the dashboard of InsightOps, especially for less technical users."
"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."
"There is always the potential for additional integration and protocol extensions."
"The filtering has room for improvement."
"There is room for improvement in terms of observability."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is cheap."
"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
15%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Energy/Utilities Company
8%
Government
6%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Rapid7 InsightOps?
Integration of InsightOps with other tools, especially SIEM solutions, has generally improved operational efficiency.
What needs improvement with Rapid7 InsightOps?
Improvement is needed in the dashboard of InsightOps, especially for less technical users. Currently, it lacks clear guidance on icons and features, making it confusing for those with limited exper...
What is your primary use case for Rapid7 InsightOps?
Our clients use InsightOps for real-time monitoring of their IT environments.
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.
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.
What needs improvement with syslog-ng?
There is room for improvement in terms of observability. Additionally, a possible new feature could be Kafka integration.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

InsightOps, Logentries
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Trimble Navigation Limited
Tecnocom, University of Victoria, University of Exeter, Datapath
Find out what your peers are saying about Rapid7 InsightOps vs. syslog-ng and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,236 professionals have used our research since 2012.