# Syslog-ng vs Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

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

| | Syslog-ng | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 66/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 8 in Logging | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 2 385 | 16 058 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +9 | +243 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | syslog-ng-4.12.0 · 16 Jun 2026 | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | C | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) scores 80/100 against 66/100 for Syslog-ng, so it is the safer default.

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for Syslog-ng.

If you want the quickest setup, Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is easier to run; Syslog-ng needs more configuration.

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is growing faster right now (+243 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Syslog-ng](https://selfhost.directory/project/syslog-ng) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/syslog-ng.md)
- [Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)](https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/syslog-ng-vs-zed-attack-proxy-zap