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ArcSight Logger 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

ArcSight Logger
Ranking in Log Management
24th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
syslog-ng
Ranking in Log Management
17th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
2.8
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of ArcSight Logger is 0.7%, down from 1.1% 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

Nagendra Nekkala. - PeerSpot reviewer
A scalable and stable solution that enables users to see all the event logs in one place
The technical support team is very slow. The support persons do not take prompt action. They take too much time to implement new changes. Even if we tell them that we are not able to get critical logs, they take almost three to four days to provide a resolution. The support is not good.
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

"It's a brilliant log collection tool, and it can handle hundreds of thousands of servers in a single shot to ingest the data."
"We have a trigger. So, Logger automatically blocks these IP addresses. We could have Logger put them on a blacklist."
"In terms of ArcSight Logger's most valuable feature, it is their scalability. ArcSight's real advantage is its scalability because they have two layers, including the logger layer."
"We haven't had any crashes or bugs. It is stable."
"In our country we are a little bit private in terms of solutions, so we are just starting to use the basic data capture. Now some users can start to use additional features that come with Micro Focus ArcSight like user behavior analytics for investigating."
"Some of the most valuable features I really appreciate are the performance, how quick the solution is, and how easy it is to create a query."
"It is one of the best products available in the market."
"ArcSight's robustness is its most valuable feature."
"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 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."
"Syslog-ng has a separate config file in addition to the core configuration."
"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."
 

Cons

"It is really difficult to work in ArcSight Logger, as it is very slow."
"The console in older versions is not user-friendly."
"ArcSight Logger doesn't have features for user or customer behavior analysis."
"ArcSight has been sold two or three times, and the quality has decreased."
"Using the ArcSight Logger dashboard is not particularly intuitive or efficient, so it is important to be trained in its use."
"The speed of Logger indexing and searching for certain bugs for some queries that we provide could be improved. It can handle a huge number of logs but it can be improved."
"The product's connectors should work better and the user manuals need an update."
"The integration with other systems could be improved."
"There is always the potential for additional integration and protocol extensions."
"The filtering has room for improvement."
"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."
"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 room for improvement in terms of observability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is quite harsh."
"ArcSight is an expensive solution."
"We have a lifetime license, so we don't pay a monthly fee."
"It's not cheap at all as it's a big product and has been in the market for quite some time now."
"ArcSight Logger is very expensive compared to their competitors, but when we talk to the customer and explain what the features are and how we can scale, they understand. Still, ArcSight is more expensive than the competition."
"Pricing is reasonable compared to similar tools on the market. They offer perpetual licenses."
"I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is expensive."
"I would rate the product a seven out of ten since it's an enterprise product."
"Syslog-ng is open-source."
"Syslog-ng is a free open-source solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ArcSight Logger?
We have a trigger. So, Logger automatically blocks these IP addresses. We could have Logger put them on a blacklist.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ArcSight Logger?
The pricing isn't the problem. We have a lifetime license, so we don't pay a monthly fee.
What needs improvement with ArcSight Logger?
This decision is made by higher management as they don't want to have multiple solutions for one solution. ArcSight Logger themselves don't provide good support, but companies such as ours provide ...
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

Micro Focus Arcsight Logger, HPE Arcsight Logger
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

China Merchants Bank, Bank AlJazira, Banca Intesa
Tecnocom, University of Victoria, University of Exeter, Datapath
Find out what your peers are saying about ArcSight Logger vs. syslog-ng and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.