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Retrospective
What Retrospective is
Retrospective is a paid application for searching and monitoring large log collections from local and remote sources. It reads local files, SSH-accessed files, Docker containers, and Kubernetes data without requiring log collector agents or additional software. Search filters collected records, while Monitor follows matching entries as they are produced. Users can query with Retrospective Query Language and create custom columns using regular expressions or separators. It supports live log tailing, structured log parsing, archive export, and exports to HTML, text, CSV, Excel, or JSON, plus export to Koia for visualization. SSH connections support passwords, keys, client certificates, sudo or su, jump hosts, and imported PuTTY sessions. Data stays in memory or is paged to a database, while saved configuration profiles are encrypted. Memory and disk use can be controlled. It runs on 64-bit Linux, macOS, and Windows releases. Personal licensing costs $92 a month; Company licensing costs $265 a month.
Who it suits
It suits people handling ad-hoc log searches, production support, software development, or environments where centralized collection is impractical. Private users and organizations have separate paid licenses.
What it does well
- Works with local, SSH, Docker, and Kubernetes logs
- No collector agents required
- Live monitoring and structured parsing
- Exports to HTML, CSV, Excel, JSON, and text
- Encrypted saved configuration profiles
What to know first
- No free plan for continued use
- 64-bit releases only since version 5.6
- Personal license costs 92.00 USD monthly
- Company license costs 265.00 USD monthly
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Company License | For companies & organizations · One Year Free Updates · One Year Support | $265, paid once |
| Personal License | For private persons only · One Year Free Updates · One Year Support | $92, paid once |
As retrospective.centeractive.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Retrospective offers direct log searching, monitoring, querying, parsing, and export across desktop platforms. A free evaluation is available, but ongoing use requires choosing a personal or company license.
Facts from Retrospective's own pages
- Archive export
- Yes · retrospective.centeractive.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Evaluation
- The product may be downloaded and evaluated for free, but a license is required for continued use. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Export and visualization
- Results can be exported as HTML, text, CSV, Excel, or JSON, and the maker also describes exporting to Koia for visualization. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- No · retrospective.centeractive.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- Gümligen, Switzerland · retrospective.centeractive.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Integrations and limits
- Retrospective reads files written by syslog servers such as WinSyslog but does not receive syslog messages itself. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The FAQ describes use cases including ad-hoc log search, production support, software development, and setups where centralized collection or indexing is impractical. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Live log tailing
- Yes · retrospective.centeractive.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Local data handling
- Collected data is kept in memory or paged to a database, and saved configuration profiles are encrypted. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Log sources
- It collects log data from local files, remote files over SSH, Docker containers, and Kubernetes. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- No agents required
- The maker says Retrospective requires no log collector agents or additional software for its log search and monitoring workflows. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform limit
- Since version 5.6, the maker says Windows, Mac, and Linux releases are 64-bit only. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Retrospective searches and monitors large collections of log files from local and remote sources. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Querying and structuring
- Users can filter collected logs with Retrospective Query Language and define custom columns using regex or separators. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Remote access
- SSH access supports passwords or keys, client certificates, sudo/su, jump hosts, and imported PuTTY sessions. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Resource controls
- The FAQ says users can control Retrospective's memory and disk storage use for large log volumes. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Search and monitor
- Search filters existing log data, while Monitor fetches matching data as it is produced. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Structured log parsing
- Yes · retrospective.centeractive.com, 21 Sept 2026
- Support
- A Company License includes development-team support on Swiss working days from 9am to 5pm, with a guaranteed response within at most five working days. · retrospective.centeractive.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where Retrospective stands on Freedom251
- Log Management Software#85 of 111