Logstash VS Apache Log4j 2

Compare Logstash vs Apache Log4j 2 and see what are their differences.

Logstash

Logstash - transport and process your logs, events, or other data (by elastic)

Apache Log4j 2

Apache Log4j is a versatile, feature-rich, efficient logging API and backend for Java. (by apache)
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Logstash Apache Log4j 2
5 109
14,535 3,491
0.5% 0.7%
9.6 9.7
3 days ago 5 days ago
Java Java
GNU General Public License v3.0 or later Apache License 2.0
The number of mentions indicates the total number of mentions that we've tracked plus the number of user suggested alternatives.
Stars - the number of stars that a project has on GitHub. Growth - month over month growth in stars.
Activity is a relative number indicating how actively a project is being developed. Recent commits have higher weight than older ones.
For example, an activity of 9.0 indicates that a project is amongst the top 10% of the most actively developed projects that we are tracking.

Logstash

Posts with mentions or reviews of Logstash. We have used some of these posts to build our list of alternatives and similar projects. The last one was on 2023-01-04.

Apache Log4j 2

Posts with mentions or reviews of Apache Log4j 2. We have used some of these posts to build our list of alternatives and similar projects. The last one was on 2025-04-27.
  • Most Effective Approaches for Debugging Applications
    15 projects | dev.to | 27 Apr 2025
    Structured logging transforms debugging by providing a detailed, searchable record of an application’s state, including variable values, stack traces, and user actions. According to Gartner, organizations with robust logging systems resolve production issues 40% faster. Doug Crawford, President and Founder of Best Trade Schools, highlights their value: “Implementing a structured logging system… makes isolating the problem straightforward.” Tools like Sentry for real-time error tracking, Log4j for Java applications, or ELK Stack for log aggregation enable developers to pinpoint issues quickly, reducing the need for manual reproduction. For example, Sentry’s breadcrumb feature captures user actions leading to an error, offering a clear debugging trail.
  • Hackers exploited Windows 0-day for 6 months after Microsoft knew of it
    2 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 5 Mar 2024
    I don't think that's a good example. While Apache devs are volunteers and Microsoft devs are employees, they were criticized for their slow response time and seeming lack of urgency until it was far too late.

    https://github.com/apache/logging-log4j2/pull/608#issuecomme...

  • Create an alternative async logger implementation using JCTools
    1 project | news.ycombinator.com | 22 Jan 2024
  • Log4j requesting feedback on which modules/features to drop
    1 project | news.ycombinator.com | 28 Sep 2023
  • The Unsung Heroes of Open Source: The Dedicated Maintainers Behind Lesser-Known Projects
    5 projects | dev.to | 5 Mar 2023
  • Studying Log4Shell
    1 project | /r/java | 5 Mar 2023
    The official website. The vulnerability was introduced in 2.0-beta7 which was released in 2013.
  • The Dedicated Maintainers Behind Lesser-Known Open Source Projects
    7 projects | /r/opensource | 1 Mar 2023
    However, there are many open source projects that are widely used but not well-known, including cURL, ImageMagick, MyCLI, Homebrew, Apache Log4j, and OpenSSL. This article will take a closer look at these unsung heroes of the open source world. I do not want to give them a business model or financial advice in this article. This largely depends on the author's personal experience and values. I just want to raise more awareness about these open source projects.
  • Apache POI Setup Logging Error
    1 project | /r/learnjava | 9 Feb 2023
    What you need is log4j-core, what you downloaded is some kind of connector between log4j and JUL. Tbh I don't know what JUL is, but that's not important. You can get log4j-core on from the official website - https://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.x/ or in maven repo. In case you're not using maven, I highly, highly recommend you using it for managing your dependencies.
  • Log4Shell Still Has Sting in the Tail
    4 projects | news.ycombinator.com | 30 Dec 2022
    > When it was first revealed in early December 2021, the Log4Shell bug was described as one of the most severe security vulnerabilities ever.

    > The Apache Software Foundation, which maintains the open-source tool, quickly released a patch...

    Apache horribly mismanaged this and did not release a patch until it was already widely known and being exploited in the wild. They also messed up and had to release several subsequent patches to actually fix the vulnerability.

    Remember: this vulnerability was disclosed to them in November.

    https://github.com/apache/logging-log4j2/pull/608#issuecomme...

  • The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency open-sourced a new tool named Scuba
    2 projects | /r/sysadmin | 20 Oct 2022
    Think back to the Log4J event, were you affected? (https://github.com/apache/logging-log4j2)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Logstash and Apache Log4j 2 you can also consider the following projects:

Logback - The reliable, generic, fast and flexible logging framework for Java.

SLF4J - Simple Logging Facade for Java

tinylog - tinylog is a lightweight logging framework for Java, Kotlin, Scala, and Android

graylog - Free and open log management

Logbook - An extensible Java library for HTTP request and response logging

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InfluxDB 3 OSS is now GA. Transform, enrich, and act on time series data directly in the database. Automate critical tasks and eliminate the need to move data externally. Download now.
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SaaSHub helps you find the best software and product alternatives
www.saashub.com
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