What is Graylog used for?

Graylog is a free, open log management platform written in Java that collects, searches and analyzes logs, with a focus on security use cases. It is a good fit for centralizing server and application logs, and security monitoring with log data.

Is Graylog open source?

Yes. Graylog is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Graylog2/graylog2-server and is written mainly in Java.

Yes. Graylog is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.

Can I self-host Graylog?

Yes. Graylog can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Graylog an alternative to?

Graylog is an open-source alternative to Splunk, Sumo Logic, Datadog and Loggly. Other open-source alternatives to Splunk include Grafana Loki, OpenObserve and Security Onion.

Is Graylog actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Graylog was on 2 October 2026. The project has 8.2k stars on GitHub.

Graylog: open-source alternative to Splunk, Sumo Logic

About Graylog

Graylog is a log management server written in Java and described by its maintainers as free and open. It centralizes log data from many systems so teams can search, view and analyze events in one place instead of connecting to each machine individually.

The repository topics point to support for common log formats and transports, including GELF and syslog, along with Kafka and AMQP inputs. Topics also place the project in log analysis, log collection, secure logging and SIEM territory, which reflects its use for monitoring and security work. Specific features were not available when this entry was written, because the vendor website could not be read.

Key features

Centralized log collection and search
GELF and syslog input formats
Kafka and AMQP integration
Log analysis and viewing
Security-oriented logging

Good fit for

→Centralizing server and application logs
→Security monitoring with log data

Built with: Java
Tags: log-management; logging; siem; syslog; gelf; security; monitoring; java

Graylog: questions and answers

What is Graylog used for?: Graylog is a free, open log management platform written in Java that collects, searches and analyzes logs, with a focus on security use cases. It is a good fit for centralizing server and application logs, and security monitoring with log data.
Is Graylog open source?: Yes. Graylog is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Graylog2/graylog2-server and is written mainly in Java.
Is Graylog free?: Yes. Graylog is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.
Can I self-host Graylog?: Yes. Graylog can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Graylog an alternative to?: Graylog is an open-source alternative to Splunk, Sumo Logic, Datadog and Loggly. Other open-source alternatives to Splunk include Grafana Loki, OpenObserve and Security Onion.
Is Graylog actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Graylog was on 2 October 2026. The project has 8.2k stars on GitHub.