# kubetail vs Syslog-ng

> Two self-hosted [Logging projects](https://selfhost.directory/logging), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | kubetail | Syslog-ng |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 66/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 8 in Logging | #3 of 8 in Logging |
| GitHub stars | 1 795 | 2 385 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +27 ✓ | +9 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 2 |
| Latest release | cli/v0.18.1 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | syslog-ng-4.12.0 · 16 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | C |

## Which one should you pick?

Syslog-ng scores 66/100 against 64/100 for kubetail, so it is the safer default.

If you want the quickest setup, kubetail is easier to run; Syslog-ng needs more configuration.

kubetail is growing faster right now (+27 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [kubetail](https://selfhost.directory/project/kubetail) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kubetail.md)
- [Syslog-ng](https://selfhost.directory/project/syslog-ng) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/syslog-ng.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/kubetail-vs-syslog-ng