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Graylog Review

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Should I use Graylog?

Optimize operations with cutting-edge SIEM and detailed log management solutions. - graylog.org

· 19 hours ago

Buy Graylog if you're a lean security or ops team that wants SIEM-grade log management well below legacy SIEM prices. Don't buy if you need plug-and-play simplicity or can't staff administration and patching.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~40 public sources: G2 data via RFP.wiki, Reddit threads, Gartner/TrustRadius comparisons, pricing analyses, and NVD/CVE advisories.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo reliable evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Graylog Open

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Graylog Enterprise~$15K+/yr (third-party est.)
Graylog SecurityQuote-based

Best for

  • Lean security teams wanting affordable SIEM
  • Mid-size IT ops centralizing logs
  • Compliance-driven orgs
  • Self-hosters comfortable running open source

Not for

  • Small teams needing only a simple log viewer — overkill
  • Teams with nobody to administer the self-hosted stack
  • Buyers demanding transparent published pricing upfront
  • Orgs unwilling to patch quickly given 2026 CVE flow

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Patch fast: 2026 CVEs include Manager-to-Owner privilege escalation and improper access control.

medium

Enterprise pricing is quote-only; the ~$15K/yr figure comes from a third-party calculator, not Graylog.

medium

Free tier hides real costs: your servers, storage growth, and admin time.

medium

Community threads show long troubleshooting sessions; assign dedicated ops ownership.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free, self-managed Graylog Open tier for core log collection
  • G2 rating of 4.4/5 across 116 reviews
  • Enterprise around $15K/yr, well below legacy SIEM rivals
  • Combines SIEM and log management, built for lean security teams
  • Claims 60,000+ organizations; large active community forums

Cons

  • Self-hosting Open means running and scaling your own storage stack
  • Enterprise and Security pricing unpublished; sales quote required
  • Several 2026 CVEs including privilege escalation and access control flaws
  • Users report upgrades breaking setups after time away

Sources & method

- 12 sources - Multiple 2026 CVEs disclosed, including reflected XSS and privilege escalation — patching discipline is required.

official x3review x3security x3news x3
  • CVE-2026-69190: Manager-to-Owner privilege escalation, Privilege escalation issue disclosed September 2026.
  • CVE-2026-1436: Improper Access Control, Access control weakness disclosed February 2026.
  • CVE-2026-1441 / CVE-2026-1439: Reflected XSS, Reflected cross-site scripting issues disclosed February 2026.
  • GHSA-j769-9gv9-65gr: token revocation endpoint issue, Token revocation endpoint allows authenticated abuse; disclosed June 2026.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free tier; Enterprise cheap vs legacy SIEMs
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Reddit reports setup and upkeep friction
  • Feature depth: 4/5. SIEM plus log management, detections, asset history
  • Support quality. No reliable evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 2/5. Multiple 2026 CVEs including privilege escalation
  • 4.4/5 G2 rating 116 reviews
  • Yes Free tier Graylog Open, self-managed
  • From ~$15K/yr Enterprise price Third-party estimate; quote-based
  • $39M raised Funding Through Oct 2023

Pricing

Graylog Open

Free

  • Self-managed log management
  • Community support

Graylog Enterprise

~$15K+/yr (third-party est.)

  • Quote-based
  • Scaled log management with support

Graylog Security

Quote-based

  • SIEM for lean teams
  • Threat detection and response

Security

Multiple 2026 CVEs disclosed, including reflected XSS and privilege escalation — patching discipline is required.

  • CVE-2026-69190: Manager-to-Owner privilege escalationPrivilege escalation issue disclosed September 2026.10
  • CVE-2026-1436: Improper Access ControlAccess control weakness disclosed February 2026.
  • CVE-2026-1441 / CVE-2026-1439: Reflected XSSReflected cross-site scripting issues disclosed February 2026.⁹
  • GHSA-j769-9gv9-65gr: token revocation endpoint issueToken revocation endpoint allows authenticated abuse; disclosed June 2026.11

What users say

Users praise Graylog's capability and value but repeatedly flag setup complexity, troubleshooting time, and upgrade breakage.

Alternatives

Compare Graylog with each alternative.

  • Datadog

    Managed logs and monitoring; pricier but zero infrastructure

  • Prometheus

    Open-source metrics monitoring; lighter, metrics-first

  • SolarWinds SEM

    More turnkey SIEM for Windows-centric shops

Companies that use it

  • PROS
Full analysis

Based on ~40 public sources: G2 data via RFP.wiki, Reddit threads, Gartner/TrustRadius comparisons, pricing analyses, and NVD/CVE advisories.

Capable open-source SIEM/log manager. Great value if you can run it; heavy overkill for small teams wanting plug-and-play.

Methodology

Based on ~40 public sources: G2 data via RFP.wiki, Reddit threads, Gartner/TrustRadius comparisons, pricing analyses, and NVD/CVE advisories.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Graylog Pricing Plans & Features Comparisongraylog.org
    official
  2. Graylog Security product pagegraylog.org
    official
  3. Graylog Enterprise Datasheetgraylog.org
    official
  4. Graylog reviews — RFP.wiki (G2 data)rfp.wiki
    review
  5. Graylog Pricing 2026: Open, Enterprise ($15K) and Securitysiemcostcalculator.com
    news
  6. Free Log Management Costs More Than You Thinkmedium.com
    news
  7. Reddit: Opened graylog after a few months, suddenly it's not...reddit.com
    review
  8. Reddit: Question regarding Enterprise pricingreddit.com
    review
  9. CVE-2026-1441 Detail — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  10. CVE-2026-69190 — Graylog privilege escalationsecalerts.co
    security
  11. GHSA-j769-9gv9-65gr — token revocation endpointgithub.com
    security
  12. Graylog Secures $39 Million Investmentgraylog.org
    news

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