Side by side
syslog-ng vs Telegraf
Both stand on telemetry pipeline software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2
Visit syslog-ng Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
Choose the free open source edition for personal, small, or simple metric pipelines across infrastructure, applications, and devices. Consider Enterprise if you need centralized management, fleet visibility, access controls, or Enterprise Support; its plans start at $18,000 / year.
Visit TelegrafThe facts
| syslog-ng | Telegraf | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Syslog-ng Basic: $2,800 per user, paid once | Telegraf Enterprise: $18,000 a year |
| Plans published | 6 | 3 |
| Maker | syslog-ng | Not published |
| Website | syslog-ng.com | influxdata.com |
| On telemetry pipeline software | #1 of 28 | #2 of 28 |
syslog-ng: what it does well
Telegraf: what it does well
- Open source edition is free.
- 400+ community-tested plugins connect data sources and destinations.
- Collects real-time IoT and edge signals via MQTT, Modbus, and OPC-UA.
- Can monitor Kubernetes, Docker, and Prometheus.
- Enterprise adds fleet visibility and role-based access control.
What to know first
- Open source Telegraf has no native access control.
- Enterprise starts at $18,000 / year.
- Free Controller is limited to 20 configurations and 100 reporting agents.
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