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rsyslog

rsyslog.com

From €166.58/mo Free plan WindowsLinuxSelf-hosted
Visit rsyslog.com
Spec score 7.9 #16 of 28 in Telemetry Pipeline Software

What it is

rsyslog is a self-hosted engine for collecting, transforming and routing event data, with a processing model built from inputs, rulesets and actions. The project says it can deliver over one million messages per second to local destinations when processing is limited. Reliability features include on-demand disk spooling, backup destinations and multiple processing threads. Documented outputs include Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Apache Kafka, HTTP endpoints and syslog forwarding. Database outputs cover MariaDB/MySQL and PostgreSQL, with libdbi support for other databases. TLS-protected syslog and forwarding with peer authentication settings are documented. The core programs use GPLv3, while some runtime files use LGPL. rsyslog is developed for Linux, POSIX and related UNIX-like systems, and is available through source, Git, distribution packages and Docker. It does not run natively on Windows; a separate Windows Agent collects Event Logs and local log files and can relay syslog to rsyslog on Linux. The core software is free; paid support is available from €1,999/yr.

Spec sheet

Purpose
rsyslog collects, transforms, and routes event data as a high-performance log processing engine.Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Deployment
The project offers source and Git installation paths, maintained packages for Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS, and Debian, and a Docker container.Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Integrations
Documented outputs include Elasticsearch and OpenSearch, Apache Kafka, HTTP endpoints, and syslog forwarding.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Support
Community support is available through the mailing list, while Adiscon offers paid enterprise support for business users.Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Founded
2004Read 28 Sep 2026 · rsyslog.com
Maker
The rsyslog site is operated by Adiscon GmbH, which identifies itself as rsyslog’s main sponsor.Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Databases
The feature list describes database outputs for MariaDB/MySQL and PostgreSQL, plus support through libdbi for several other databases.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Limit
The feature list says support for additional Unix variants such as AIX and HP-UX is an upcoming item that needs volunteers.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Open source
The project documentation says rsyslog core programs are released under GPLv3, while some runtime files are licensed under LGPL.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Pipeline
Its processing model uses inputs, rulesets, and actions to receive, filter, process, and output messages.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Platform scope
The documentation says rsyslog does not run natively on Windows and is developed for POSIX, Linux, and related UNIX-like systems.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Reliability
Features include on-demand disk spooling, backup destinations, and multiple processing threads.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Scale
The homepage says rsyslog can deliver over one million messages per second to local destinations when limited processing is applied.Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Transport security
rsyslog supports TLS-protected syslog and documents TLS forwarding with peer authentication settings.Read 9 Oct 2026 · docs.rsyslog.com
Windows collection
The separate Windows Agent collects Windows Event Logs and local log files and can relay syslog messages to rsyslog on Linux.Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com

Plans and prices

rsyslog Free Free Open-source Linux/POSIX software · source, Git, and distribution packages Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Windows Agent Basic $55, paid once $55 per machine; page also shows €55 Per-machine license · Event Log Monitor · 0 remote text file monitor licenses Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Windows Agent Professional $79, paid once $79 per machine; page also shows €79 Per-machine license · Event Log and text file monitoring · 10 remote text file monitor licenses Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Windows Agent Enterprise $109, paid once $109 per machine; page also shows €109 Per-machine license · Event Log and text file monitoring · Unlimited remote text file monitor licenses Read 9 Oct 2026 · rsyslog.com
Enterprise Support €1,999 a year 1999 EURO for one year 20 max support hours · 5 installations · 1 customer contact · 1–2 business day response Read 9 Oct 2026 · new.rsyslog.com
Extended Enterprise Support €3,899 a year 3899 EURO for one year 40 max support hours · 5 installations · 2 customer contacts · 24 hour response on business days Read 9 Oct 2026 · new.rsyslog.com
Unlimited Enterprise Support €19,999 a year 19999 EURO for one year 40 max support hours · Unlimited installations · 5 customer contacts · 24 hour response on business days Read 9 Oct 2026 · new.rsyslog.com

Every rsyslog plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free, open-source core software
  • Multiple outputs include Kafka and Elasticsearch
  • Supports TLS-protected syslog
  • Offers disk spooling and backup destinations
  • Available as a Docker container

Limits

  • Does not run natively on Windows
  • Windows collection uses a separate Agent
  • AIX and HP-UX support is upcoming
  • Enterprise Support starts at €1,999/yr

Who it suits

rsyslog suits teams that need a self-hosted log pipeline on Linux or related UNIX-like systems. Organisations seeking business support can choose among paid support plans.

Verdict

rsyslog provides a configurable, self-hosted pipeline with a broad set of destinations and deployment options. Windows log collection requires its separate Agent, and business support is paid.

Where Specifiction places it

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