# PanWatch vs Syslog-ng

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

| | PanWatch | Syslog-ng |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62/100 | 66/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 9 in Fintech | #3 of 8 in Logging |
| GitHub stars | 2 283 | 2 386 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +132 ✓ | +10 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | 0.20.0 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ | syslog-ng-4.12.0 · 16 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Python | C |

## Which one should you pick?

Syslog-ng scores 66/100 against 62/100 for PanWatch, so it is the safer default.

PanWatch ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for Syslog-ng.

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

PanWatch is growing faster right now (+132 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [PanWatch](https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/panwatch.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/panwatch-vs-syslog-ng