- Free Edition
- What's New?
- Key Highlights
- Suggested Reading
- All Capabilities
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Log Management
- Event Log Management
- Syslog Management
- Log Collection
- Agent-less Log Collection
- Agent Based Log collection
- Windows Log Analysis
- Event Log Auditing
- Remote Log Management
- Cloud Log Management
- Security Log Management
- Server Log Management
- Linux Auditing and Reporting
- Auditing Syslog Devices
- Windows Registry Auditing
- Privileged User Activity Auditing
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Application Log Management
- Application Log Monitoring
- Web Server Auditing
- Database Activity Monitoring
- Database Auditing
- IIS Log Analyzer
- Apache Log Analyzer
- SQL Database Auditing
- VMware Log Analyzer
- Hyper V Event Log Auditing
- MySQL Log Analyzer
- DHCP Server Auditing
- Oracle Database Auditing
- SQL Database Auditing
- IIS FTP Log Analyzer
- IIS Web Log Analyzer
- IIS Viewer
- IIS Log Parser
- Apache Log Viewer
- Apache Log Parser
- Oracle Database Auditing
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IT Compliance Auditing
- ISO 27001 Compliance
- HIPAA Compliance
- PCI DSS Compliance
- SOX Compliance
- GDPR Compliance
- FISMA Compliance Audit
- GLBA Compliance Audit
- CCPA Compliance Audit
- Cyber Essentials Compliance Audit
- GPG Compliance Audit
- ISLP Compliance Audit
- FERPA Compliance Audit
- NERC Compliance Audit Reports
- PDPA Compliance Audit reports
- CMMC Compliance Audit
- Reports for New Regulatory Compliance
- Customizing Compliance Reports
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Security Monitoring
- Threat Intelligence
- STIX/TAXII Feed Processor
- Threat Whitelisting
- Real-Time Event Correlation
- Log Forensics
- Incident Management System
- Automated Incident Response
- Linux File Integrity Monitoring
- Detecting Threats in Windows
- External Threat Mitigation
- Malwarebytes Threat Reports
- FireEye Threat Intelligence
- Application Log Management
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Real-Time Event Alerts
- Privileged User Activity Auditing
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Network Device Monitoring
- Network Device Monitoring
- Router Log Auditing
- Switch Log Monitoring
- Firewall Log Analyzer
- Cisco Logs Analyzer
- VPN Log Analyzer
- IDS/IPS Log Monitoring
- Solaris Device Auditing
- Monitoring User Activity in Routers
- Monitoring Router Traffic
- Arista Switch Log Monitoring
- Firewall Traffic Monitoring
- Windows Firewall Auditing
- SonicWall Log Analyzer
- H3C Firewall Auditing
- Barracuda Device Auditing
- Palo Alto Networks Firewall Auditing
- Juniper Device Auditing
- Fortinet Device Auditing
- pfSense Firewall Log Analyzer
- NetScreen Log Analysis
- WatchGuard Traffic Monitoring
- Check Point Device Auditing
- Sophos Log Monitoring
- Huawei Device Monitoring
- HP Log Analysis
- F5 Logs Monitoring
- Fortinet Log Analyzer
- Endpoint Log Management
- System and User Monitoring Reports
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Log Management
- Product Resources
- Related Products
- Log360 (On-Premise | Cloud) Comprehensive SIEM and UEBA
- ADManager Plus Active Directory Management & Reporting
- ADAudit Plus Real-time Active Directory Auditing and UBA
- ADSelfService Plus Identity security with MFA, SSO, and SSPR
- DataSecurity Plus File server auditing & data discovery
- Exchange Reporter Plus Exchange Server Auditing & Reporting
- M365 Manager Plus Microsoft 365 Management & Reporting Tool
- RecoveryManager Plus Enterprise backup and recovery tool
- SharePoint Manager Plus SharePoint Reporting and Auditing
- AD360 Integrated Identity & Access Management
- AD Free Tools Active Directory FREE Tools
Free syslog servers are a great starting point for collecting device logs from firewalls, routers, switches, Linux servers, and applications. But as your environment scales, manual configurations, performance limits, and lack of visibility in free tools can slow your security operations. EventLog Analyzer gives you the intelligence, automation, and depth required to monitor modern, hybrid infrastructures without complexity.Instead of juggling multiple free tools for syslog forwarding, Windows event log collection, and analysis, you can simplify operations with a single platform that supports free syslog collection and enterprise-grade scalability.
Suggested reading
Explore our in-depth syslog guide to learn core concepts, advanced logging methods, and essential security best practices to enhance your log management strategy.
Whether you're just starting or planning to scale, exploring the best free syslog servers can help you build an efficient and effective log management strategy.
Best free syslog servers
EventLog Analyzer Free edition
EventLog Analyzer's Free edition delivers advanced log management capabilities that go far beyond what typical free syslog servers provide. It centralizes logs from Windows, Linux, and network devices into a single, easy-to-use console, giving you complete visibility into system activity and security events. Unlike many free syslog servers that require additional forwarders or agents, EventLog Analyzer natively collects, parses, and monitors both Windows and Linux logs, reducing operational complexity and administrative overhead.
The Free edition supports up to five log sources, making it ideal for small environments, labs, or product evaluation. As your infrastructure grows, you can seamlessly upgrade to a higher-tier edition to support unlimited log sources, advanced log management, compliance reporting, and terabytes of log data without requiring reinstallation or redeployment of the Log360 server or existing log collection agents. This ensures teams can start small and expand to enterprise-grade log monitoring as their needs evolve.
Try a free syslog server today
Start collecting, analyzing, and managing syslogs effortlessly with EventLog Analyzer's Free edition.
Rsyslog
Rsyslog is a high-performance, open-source syslog server that powers log collection on many Linux distributions by default. It offers extensive filtering, flexible routing rules, and multi-threaded performance, making it suitable for large-volume log pipelines. Its modular architecture also supports forwarding to SIEM platforms and storage engines.
Considerations:
Rsyslog requires manual configuration, often involving complex syntax that may challenge beginners. While powerful, it lacks a native UI, dashboards, or built-in analytics and reporting.Organizations must integrate additional tools for visualization, correlation, or long-term retention. For organizations seeking an all-in-one free syslog monitoring console, this becomes a major operational overhead.
Syslog-ng
Syslog-ng delivers advanced routing, structured logging, and efficient scalability, making it well-suited for environments with complex log management needs. It supports diverse formats such as JSON, key-value pairs, and RFC-compliant messages, while offering powerful filtering to optimize pipelines. Available in both community and commercial editions, it provides a lightweight open-source core that adapts easily to different infrastructures.
Considerations:
Similar to Rsyslog, syslog-ng relies heavily on configuration files and lacks built-in analytics. Organizations may need to integrate it with ELK, Grafana, or SIEM tools for dashboards, correlation, and threat detection. Scaling distributed logging setups may require additional manual tuning.
Graylog
Graylog is an open-source log management and syslog server platform that centralizes log data from servers, applications, and network devices into a single web-based console. It supports syslog, GELF, and other ingestion methods, enabling efficient log collection, indexing, and search across large environments. With features such as streams, alerts, and role-based access, Graylog is well suited for teams that require centralized visibility and faster troubleshooting beyond basic syslog forwarding.
Considerations:
Graylog depends on multiple components, including MongoDB and Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, which increases deployment and operational complexity. Scaling, performance tuning, and long-term log retention can be resource-intensive, and advanced features such as reporting and archiving are limited or available only in the commercial edition.
PRTG free syslog sensor
The PRTG free syslog sensor supports basic syslog collection and alerting within the broader PRTG network monitoring platform. Its graphical interface and automatic sensor-based monitoring make it easy to get started, especially for small setups.
Considerations:
PRTG's free license restricts the number of sensors, which limits scalability. Its syslog sensor is minimalistic and lacks analytics, dashboards, threat detection, and long-term retention capabilities that EventLog Analyzer's Free edition includes out of the box.
Logstash
Logstash often used as part of the ELK/Elastic Stack. Its a flexible log ingestion and processing engine with strong transformation and enrichment capabilities where complex parsing and pipeline customization are required.
Considerations:
Logstash can function as a syslog server through its syslog input plugin, but it relies on the broader ELK stack Elasticsearch for storage and Kibana for visualization to deliver meaningful visibility. This dependency increases deployment, resource, and operational complexity. Organizations seeking immediate insights or a plug-and-play syslog monitoring console may find the EventLog Analyzer Free edition faster to deploy and easier to operationalize.
Kiwi Syslog Server Free edition
The Free edition of Kiwi Syslog Server offers basic syslog collection, file-based storage, and simple alerts within a Windows-based UI. It's easy to set up and suitable for small networks that need straightforward syslog monitoring and retention.
Considerations:
The Free edition supports up to five log sources and is suited for small-scale deployments. Advanced features such as dashboards, reporting, and extended log retention are available in the commercial edition. As log volumes grow, organizations often evaluate other syslog server options.
Free syslog tools at a glance: Features, scalability, and security
Explore the most widely used free syslog servers, compare their capabilities, and evaluate how they perform at scale so you can choose the right syslog tool for your environment.
| Feature | EventLog Analyzer Free edition | Rsyslog | Syslog-ng | Graylog | PRTG | Logstash | Kiwi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Simple installation on Windows/Linux with an intuitive web console; minimal configuration required | Requires manual configuration of conf files; CLI-driven setup on Linux platforms | Requires configuring modules, filters, and destinations; moderate learning curve supports; Linux and Windows environments | Web-based UI with server-side components; requires backend services | Windows-based installation with GUI-driven setup | Requires pipeline configuration and multiple components; CLI-based setup | Windows-based installation with GUI-driven setup |
| Log collection | Collects syslog, Windows event logs (native), application logs, and device logs via agent and agentless methods | High-performance Syslog ingestion; Linux/Unix only | Flexible log ingestion Including syslog, JSON, structured logs; requires tuning | Collects syslog, GELF, and s tructured logs from servers, apps, and devices | Collects syslog and device metrics via sensors | Ingests syslog via input plugins; supports multiple log formats | Collects syslog messages and stores them in files |
| Windows log support | Built-in; no forwarder required | Not supported natively; needs third-party forwarders like NxLog | Not supported natively; requires external forwarders | Not supported natively; requires external shippers | Supported through Windows sensors | Requires external shippers(e.g., Winlogbeat) | Limited; primarily focused on syslog |
| Alerting | Real-time alerts with customizable thresholds and correlation logic | No built-in UI | Not available | Stream-based alerts and notifications | Threshold-based alerts | Supported via pipelines and integrations | Basic alerting |
| Compliance reporting | Predefined audit-ready report templates for PCI DSS, GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and more | Not supported | Not supported | Limited; advanced reporting in commercial edition | Limited reporting; not compliance-focused | Not supported natively | Not supported |
| Security monitoring | Detects anomalies, suspicious log patterns, and policy violations | No security analytics | No security analytics (extensions required) | Basic detection via streams; advanced analytics in commercial edition | Primarily performance monitoring | Requires full ELK stack or SIEM for analytics | No security analytics |
| Scalability | Designed for small environments(up to 5 log sources)with smooth upgrade path | Highly scalable for Linux-centric infrastructures | High scalability for distributed architectures | Scales well but depends on backend performance and storage | Scales via sensors; free edition limited in scope | Highly scalable but resource-intensive | Intended for small-scale environments; commercial edition supports growth |
How do you choose the right free syslog server?
Choosing the right free syslog server goes beyond simply collecting logs. While many free tools can receive and forward syslog messages, the real differentiator lies in how effectively they help you store, search, analyze, and act on log data as your environment grows.
When evaluating a free syslog server, consider the following:
- Comprehensive log source support
Collect logs from network devices, Linux servers, Windows systems, and applications without relying on additional forwarders or agents. Complete visibility from day one reduces blind spots in your infrastructure.
- Easy deployment and management
Tools that require complex configuration files or CLI setups can slow down operations. A solution with a web-based console, built-in parsers, and centralized management minimizes administrative overhead and accelerates time-to-value.
- Visibility and real-time alerting
Raw logs are not enough. Ensure the syslog server provides searchable logs, customizable dashboards, and real-time alerts to quickly detect security events, operational issues, or policy violations.
- Scalability and growth readiness
Many free tools are suitable only for small environments. Choose a solution that can scale as your log volume grows, without requiring a complete redesign of your logging architecture or migration of historical data.
- Compliance and retention capabilities
If audits or regulatory requirements are expected, the tool should support secure log retention, tamper-proof storage, and reporting either in the Free edition or through a seamless upgrade path.
- Ease of integration
Consider how well the syslog server integrates with existing infrastructure and other monitoring or SIEM tools, enabling seamless expansion as requirements evolve.
The right free syslog server balances ease of use, visibility, and scalability, ensuring your log management strategy remains efficient now and adaptable as your environment grows.
A free syslog server that scales as you grow
EventLog Analyzer Free edition provides advanced visibility, compliance-ready reporting, and a smooth upgrade path, so your log management keeps pace with your infrastructure.
Why choose EventLog Analyzer over other free syslog servers?
Free syslog servers like rsyslog and syslog-ng excel at collection and forwarding, but that's where they stop. EventLog Analyzer starts with collection and adds the analysis layer that turns raw logs into actionable intelligence.
EventLog Analyzer's Free edition includes:
Centralized log collection
EventLog Analyzer serves as a unified hub for all your logs, consolidating data from multiple devices and applications. This centralized approach eliminates the need for multiple tools, giving you complete visibility and control over their environment, no separate forwarders required. Automatic support with 750+ device parsers including Cisco, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Juniper, Check Point, and hundreds more.
Learn moreAdvanced log analysis
Quickly locate critical events in massive log volumes with advanced search and filtering capabilities. Access over 1,000 predefined reports and customizable dashboards to gain actionable insights into security events, user activity, network traffic, and application health.
Learn moreFree edition limits:
- Up to 5 log sources (devices or applications)
- Ideal for small environments or evaluation before scaling
When your environment grows beyond five sources, upgrade seamlessly to the full edition with your configurations, reports, and historical data carrying over.
Start free, scale effortlessly
Get the visibility of an enterprise log management platform with the simplicity of a free syslog server.
FAQs
Free syslog servers can work well for small or low-volume environments. However, as log volumes increase or when advanced needs such as real-time alerting, compliance reporting, or long-term retention arise, organizations often need a more scalable solution.
Free syslog servers are great for collection and forwarding, but lack advanced analytics, correlation, long-term retention, built-in dashboards, and compliance reporting.
Traditional syslog tools, like rsyslog and syslog-ng, focus on log collection and forwarding. EventLog Analyzer adds analytics, dashboards, and compliance reporting on top of collection capabilities.
