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Logstash

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Ingest, transform, and send data with 200+ plugins

ETL & Data PipelinesDeveloper ToolsLog Management
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Reviews onCapterraSourceForge
37 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free, no paid tier

Biggest pro

Flexible pipelines

Biggest con

Resource intensive

TL;DR - Logstash

  • Logstash is an open-source data processing pipeline for log ingestion
  • It collects, transforms, and sends logs to Elasticsearch and other destinations
  • Free and open-source, part of the Elastic Stack
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups
4.6/5 across review platforms

What is Logstash?

Editorial review
Logstash is an open-source data processing pipeline that ingests, transforms, and sends data. Part of the Elastic Stack alongside Elasticsearch and Kibana. 200+ plugins connect to data sources and destinations. Filter and enrich logs in real-time. Scale horizontally for high-volume data. The ETL pipeline for log and event data.

Available on: Web, Linux, macOS, Windows

how we evaluateSourceelastic.co ↗

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Flexible pipelines
  • Many inputs/outputs
  • Part of ELK stack

Cons

  • Resource intensive
  • JVM overhead

Ratings Across the Web

4.6(37 reviews)

Logstash holds an aggregate rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 37 reviews across Capterra and SourceForge, last checked March 18, 2026.

Capterra25 reviews
4.3/5
SourceForge12 reviews
5/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

Data pipelineParsingEnrichmentOutput pluginsElastic StackOpen source

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Aug 22, 2026

Free

Open source

  • Data collection
  • 200+ plugins
  • Real-time processing
  • Transformation pipelines
  • Apache 2.0 license
Calculate your costView full pricing

Is Logstash worth the price?

95/100

Logstash's pricing is exceptionally generous as it is entirely free and open-source.

The 'Free' tier offers extensive data processing capabilities without any cost, making it highly accessible. This model is best for organizations prioritizing cost-effectiveness and control over their data pipelines.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Requires self-hosting infrastructure

Operational overhead for maintenance

No direct vendor support included

Integration costs with other systems

How Logstash Compares to Competitors

Compared to commercial data processing pipelines like Splunk (which can cost thousands per GB ingested) or even managed services like AWS Kinesis (which charges per shard hour and data ingress/egress), Logstash stands out by being completely free. While competitors offer managed solutions, Logstash provides the core functionality at zero software cost, shifting expenses to infrastructure and operational management.

Reviews

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4.6/5

Across 37 verified user reviews on Capterra, SourceForge

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Best Logstash Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

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4.5
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TalendPaid

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Timber logo
TimberFree

Build ultra-fast, reliable observability pipelines to collect, transform, and route all your data.

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Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

Logstash vs Apache KafkaHead-to-head: features, pricing, who winsLogstash vs TalendHead-to-head: features, pricing, who winsLogstash vs TimberHead-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

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Logstash FAQ

How does Logstash facilitate log management?

Logstash serves as an open-source data processing pipeline that ingests, transforms, and sends log data. It allows users to filter and enrich logs in real-time, making it a key component for comprehensive log management within the Elastic Stack.

Which teams benefit most from using Logstash?

Logstash is best suited for development teams and operations teams that require robust ETL capabilities for log and event data. Its ability to ingest, transform, and send data with over 200 plugins makes it valuable for managing diverse data sources.

How is Logstash priced?

Logstash is free to use, as it is an open-source data processing pipeline. There are no paid plans required to utilize its features for ingesting, transforming, and sending data.

Can Logstash integrate with various data sources and destinations?

Yes, Logstash is designed for extensive integration, offering over 200 plugins to connect to a wide array of data sources and destinations. This flexibility allows it to ingest data from many origins and send it to diverse targets.

What kind of trade-offs should users consider when implementing Logstash?

Users should be aware that Logstash can be resource-intensive due to its JVM overhead. While it offers powerful data processing capabilities, its operational footprint requires consideration.

How does Logstash compare to Apache Kafka for data processing?

Logstash is primarily an ETL pipeline focused on ingesting, transforming, and sending data with over 200 plugins, often used for log and event data. Apache Kafka, while also handling data streams, is more focused on high-throughput, fault-tolerant messaging queues for building real-time data pipelines and streaming applications.

Source: elastic.co

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