# openpencil vs rsyslog

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | openpencil | rsyslog |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 ✓ | 67/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 7 in Design | #2 of 8 in Logging |
| GitHub stars | 9 428 ✓ | 2 344 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +827 ✓ | +8 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 4 |
| Latest release | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 | v8.2610.0 · 20 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | LGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | C |

## Which one should you pick?

openpencil scores 73/100 against 67/100 for rsyslog, so it is the safer default.

openpencil ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for rsyslog.

If you want the quickest setup, openpencil is easier to run; rsyslog needs more configuration.

openpencil is growing faster right now (+827 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [openpencil](https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil.md)
- [rsyslog](https://selfhost.directory/project/rsyslog) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rsyslog.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/openpencil-vs-rsyslog