06.05.2023
3 min
1542
Logs are the main source of information about what is happening on a server, website, or application. They store errors, warnings, system events, and signs of suspicious activity. When a project is small, logs can still be checked manually. But as the load grows and more services appear, this approach quickly stops working.
This article brings together popular tools for collecting, storing, and analysing logs. They help organise events, quickly spot problems, and better understand how a system behaves. The overview includes both simple solutions for basic tasks and more powerful platforms designed for server infrastructures and team-based work.
Datadog is usually chosen when you don’t want to set everything up yourself. You connect it and see results almost immediately. This is convenient, especially at the early stage. However, it’s important to understand that it’s a subscription-based service and you become dependent on an external platform.
Fluent Bit usually stays out of sight, but it is always working. It acts like a courier for logs, collecting them and forwarding them to where the actual analysis happens. In practice, it is often installed and then forgotten, because it runs stably and does not get in the way.
This is more about control than convenience. It is often used when you need a clear picture of who did what in the system. For everyday log viewing it may be unnecessary, but for audits and investigations it is extremely useful, especially when security is a priority.
ELK is usually mentioned when the volume of logs becomes truly large. Not a few lines a day, but a constant stream coming from servers, services, and applications. In situations like this, manually checking logs is simply unrealistic. ELK makes it possible to bring everything together in one place and quickly find the moment you need.
Graylog is often chosen after ELK feels too complex. It is easier to use on a day-to-day basis and comes with a clear, straightforward interface. Logs are visible right away, without long and painful setup steps. In real work, Graylog is convenient when you need to quickly check what broke and don’t want to spend half a day on it.
Loki usually appears in environments where Grafana is already in use. The logic is simple: why introduce something completely new if you can add another tool to a familiar setup. It runs lightweight, does not overload the system, and works well for modern services. It is not universal, but for its specific tasks it is very convenient.
An old, well-tested tool. It was used back when modern log platforms did not yet exist. It does not try to look fancy or modern. It simply does its job. And that is exactly why it is still being used today.
