Why Choose AxoSyslog over syslog-ng

AxoSyslog is not just a syslog-ng™ fork: it is the continuation of syslog-ng’s tradition of excellence, developed and maintained by the original upstream developers of syslog-ng itself. If your organization relies on robust, reliable log collection and processing, AxoSyslog delivers critical advantages that make it the most sensible choice for modern environments.

Built and Maintained by the Original syslog-ng Authors

Unlike forks that diverge without continuity, AxoSyslog is built by the same engineers who created syslog-ng in the first place. This means:

Deep knowledge of the design, code, and corner cases.
Ability to fix bugs at their root.
Confidence that the project evolves with a clear vision for production-grade logging.

In practice, AxoSyslog is the upstream. It’s the evolution of syslog-ng, with ongoing, expert-led development you can trust. (That’s me on the screenshot with 6000+ commits, which is about 1/3rd of all AxoSyslog commits, including the 20+ years of me working on syslog-ng.)

Binary-compatible, Easy to Deploy

AxoSyslog is a drop-in, binary-compatible replacement for syslog-ng. We provide:

Deb and RPM repositories for Linux distributions.
Ready-to-use container images for modern DevOps workflows.

Migration is straightforward: just replace your syslog-ng package with AxoSyslog, and your existing configurations keep working. The paths and filenames are the same. No rewriting from scratch. You get better features and better support without friction.

Support You Can Count On—from the Original Authors

AxoSyslog isn’t a community fork abandoned in a corner of GitHub. It’s backed by real, accountable support options:

Community support for those who want open collaboration and peer problem-solving.
Commercial support provided directly by the original syslog-ng authors.

If something breaks, we can fix it. There’s no upstream lag or opaque vendor redirection. You get expertise and assurances from the people who know the software best. (Four from the five most prolific syslog-ng contributors (at the time of this writing) are working on AxoSyslog).

We also offer professional services for integration, customization, and large-scale deployments—ensuring your logging infrastructure matches your needs precisely.

Security at the Core: Daily Scans and Certified Development

We understand that log and security data infrastructure are critical—and sensitive. That’s why security is baked into our process:

Daily vulnerability scans on all AxoSyslog binaries, so you can deploy with confidence.
Development is conducted in a secure, audited environment.
AxoSyslog development is ISO27001 and SOC-2 certified via Axoflow’s rigorous practices.

Your organization’s compliance needs are supported by documented, verified security processes.

Frequent, Predictable Releases

Unlike stale or sporadically maintained software, AxoSyslog has frequent releases with clear changelogs. You get:

Prompt delivery of new features.
Quick bug fixes.
Timely security updates.

You’re never left guessing when you’ll get a fix or an enhancement.

Advanced Features for Modern Observability

AxoSyslog isn’t about maintaining parity with syslog-ng. It pushes logging forward with:

FilterX: robust data manipulation and transformation.
Metrics: for monitoring log pipeline health and performance. For a deep-dive, see How to collect AxoSyslog metrics into Prometheus.
Modern observability and cloud stack integrations.
OpenTelemetry (OTel) support for vendor-neutral observability.
Kubernetes (K8s) support for containerized workloads.
Windows support, broadening cross-platform integration.

From cloud-native deployments to hybrid data centers, AxoSyslog is designed to be the logging backbone your modern infrastructure demands.

Free as in GPL-3.0-or-later

As part of the recent 4.12 release, we have updated the license for AxoSyslog to a single, clear open source license: GNU General Public License version 3 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later). We believe this change simplifies AxoSyslog's legal foundations, supports a more vibrant contribution model, and aligns better with modern open source usage patterns.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a secure, production-grade, feature-rich, and expertly supported syslog-ng replacement, AxoSyslog is the clear choice. It’s the result of decades of experience, relentless focus on quality, and a commitment to modern, secure software development.

Get started today with AxoSyslog’s packages and containers, and see how easy it is to modernize your logging stack without compromise.