Logstash vs Telegraf
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted monitoring & status options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Logstash
Server-side data processing pipeline for logs
VS
Telegraf
Plugin-driven server agent for collecting metrics
| Feature | Logstash | Telegraf |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,912 | ★ 17,736 |
| First released | 2009 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Fluentd | Datadog Agent |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Logstash or Telegraf better?
Telegraf is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Logstash if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Logstash and Telegraf free and open-source?
Yes. Logstash is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Telegraf under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Logstash and Telegraf with Docker?
Logstash: yes. Telegraf: yes.