Let’s be honest: Promtail was great when we were all just starting with Loki, but the “one agent per task” era is dying. In 2026, nobody wants to manage five different collectors for logs, metrics, and traces. We need tools that don’t choke on multi-cloud complexity and, frankly, tools that don’t eat up half our CPU just to move strings around.
1. AppFirst
AppFirst was built because its founders grew tired of watching developers waste countless hours managing infrastructure instead of focusing on building actual products. Users simply specify what their app needs-CPU, memory, a database, networking rules, or a Docker image – and AppFirst automatically provisions everything across AWS, Azure, or GCP. There are no Terraform files, no YAML configurations, and no manual VPC setup required. The platform handles security boundaries, tagging, best practices, and all related details.
Observability is built-in from the very beginning: every environment deployed comes with logging, monitoring, and alerting pre-configured and ready to use. Users gain centralized views of costs broken down by application and environment, along with complete audit trails of every infrastructure change. AppFirst offers both SaaS deployment and self-hosted options, depending on what best suits the customer’s needs.
Faits marquants :
- Automatic multi-cloud infrastructure provisioning
- No custom infra code required
- Built-in security and compliance standards
- Flexible SaaS or self-hosted models
Services :
- Instant app environment creation
- Cross-cloud resource management
- Integrated logging, monitoring, alerting
- Cost tracking and change auditing per app
Informations de contact :
- Site web : www.appfirst.dev
2. Mezmo
Mezmo (formerly LogDNA) has evolved into a sophisticated telemetry pipeline. It excels at data enrichment-allowing teams to add context to logs in-stream before they hit expensive storage. While they maintain a legacy agent, the platform has pivoted strongly toward OpenTelemetry, making it a viable choice for organizations looking to avoid vendor lock-in while still benefiting from a high-end UI and powerful ingestion rules.
High-volume environments where log reduction and pre-storage filtering are critical for cost control.
Faits marquants :
- Supports OpenTelemetry exporter for ingestion
- Mezmo agent available for legacy collection
- Integrates with common forwarders
- In-stream data optimization
Pour :
- Flexible ingestion options including OTel
- Good for enriching data early
Cons :
- Older agent less emphasized now
- Requires configuration for specific exporters
Informations de contact :
- Site web : www.mezmo.com
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/mezmo
- Twitter : x.com/mezmodata
3. Papertrail
Owned by SolarWinds, Papertrail remains the “no-frills” veteran of the group. It doesn’t bother with a proprietary agent, relying instead on standard syslog and remote forwarders. It’s the go-to for engineers who want a centralized “tail -f” across their entire stack within minutes. It lacks the deep processing power of Vector or Fluent Bit, but it wins on simplicity and immediate visibility.
Faits marquants :
- Accepts syslog and text log inputs
- Integrations for apps and cloud platforms
- Fast setup with existing loggers
- Supports Windows events via third-party tools
Pour :
- No need for custom agent installation
- Works with common syslog setups
Cons :
- Relies on configuring senders separately
- Limited built-in collection beyond reception
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.papertrail.com
- Téléphone : +1-866-530-8040
- Courriel : sales@solarwinds.com
- Address: 7171 Southwest Parkway, Bldg 400б Austin, Texas 78735
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/solarwinds
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/SolarWinds
- Twitter : x.com/solarwinds
- Instagram : www.instagram.com/solarwindsinc
4. Grafana Alloy
Alloy is the official evolution of the Grafana Agent (and by extension, the successor to Promtail). It is a “big tent” collector that merges logs, metrics, and traces into a single pipeline. For those already deep in the LGTM stack (Loki, Grafana, Tempo, Mimir), Alloy is the logical step forward. It is significantly more powerful than Promtail, supporting programmable configurations and native OTLP ingestion.
Faits marquants :
- Supports multiple telemetry types in one pipeline
- Compatible with OpenTelemetry and Prometheus formats
- Includes migration tools for existing configurations
- Runs on various operating systems
Pour :
- Reduces need for multiple separate collectors
- Handles advanced features like workload balancing
Cons :
- Configuration can feel more involved than simpler single-purpose tools
- Higher resource usage in some cases compared to lightweight agents
Informations de contact :
- Site web : grafana.com
- Courriel : info@grafana.com
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/grafana-labs
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/grafana
- Twitter : x.com/grafana
- App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/grafana-irm/id1669759048
- Google Play: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grafana.oncall.prod
5. Fluent Bit
Fluent Bit acts as a fast processor and forwarder for logs, metrics, and traces. It fits well in cloud and container setups. Data comes in from various sources, gets enriched with filters, and routes to chosen destinations.
The design prioritizes low resource use with asynchronous operations. Plugins cover inputs, filters, and outputs. It works as a graduated CNCF project with no external dependencies.
Faits marquants :
- Lightweight binary with minimal footprint
- Event-driven for reliable performance
- Supports stream processing and buffering
- Extensive plugin ecosystem
Pour :
- Efficient on CPU and memory even under load
- Flexible routing to multiple backends
Cons :
- Configuration grows tricky with complex pipelines
- Less specialized for certain single-backend optimizations
Informations de contact :
- Site web : fluentbit.io
- Twitter : x.com/fluentbit
6. Vector
Vector functions as a tool for building observability pipelines. It collects, transforms, and routes logs and metrics. Built in Rust, it emphasizes speed and memory safety.
Deployment options include daemon, sidecar, or aggregator roles. Configuration uses a composable format supporting various sources, transforms, and sinks. It stays vendor-neutral.
Faits marquants :
- Single binary installation across architectures
- Programmable transforms for complex processing
- Wide range of components available
- Clear data delivery guarantees
Pour :
- High performance in demanding workloads
- Easy to extend with custom logic
Cons :
- Initial setup sometimes requires more tuning for efficiency
- Broader features can add overhead in simple use cases
Informations de contact :
- Website: vector.dev
- Twitter: x.com/vectordotdev
7. Filebeat
Filebeat by Elastic provides a straightforward way to ship logs and files from hosts, containers, or cloud environments. It tails files and forwards lines reliably, resuming after interruptions.
Prebuilt modules simplify handling common formats like system logs or NGINX. It adapts to container and cloud setups with automatic metadata. Backpressure handling prevents overloads.
Faits marquants :
- Lightweight forwarding agent
- Modules for quick setup with popular sources
- Resilient to interruptions
- Integrates with processing pipelines
Pour :
- Keeps simple log shipping uncomplicated
- Good at adding context in dynamic environments
Cons :
- Limited built-in advanced processing
- Relies on other tools for heavy transformations
Informations de contact :
- Site web : www.elastic.co
- Téléphone : +1 202 759 9647
- Address: 4100 Fairfax Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22203
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/elastic-co
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/elastic.co
- Twitter : x.com/elastic
8. Logstash
Logstash operates as a server-side pipeline for ingesting data from various sources. It pulls in events continuously, applies transformations to structure them, and routes the results to chosen destinations. The setup relies on plugins for inputs, filters, and outputs, which handle different formats and complexities.
Extensibility comes through a pluggable framework with many plugins available. Persistent queues provide at-least-once delivery during failures, and dead letter queues catch unprocessed events. Monitoring features help track pipeline performance in active deployments. It’s a bit heavier on resources compared to lighter agents, which might surprise in smaller setups.
Faits marquants :
- Dynamic ingestion and transformation on the fly
- Plugin-based for inputs, filters, and outputs
- Persistent queues for event durability
- Supports dead letter queues
Pour :
- Handles complex parsing and enrichment well
- Flexible routing to various stashes
Cons :
- Can feel resource-intensive for basic shipping
- Configuration sometimes gets verbose with many plugins
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.elastic.co/logstash
- Courriel : info@elastic.co
- Address: Floor 2, 128 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/elastic-co
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/elastic.co
- Twitter : x.com/elastic
9. rsyslog
rsyslog handles collection, transformation, and routing of event data in Linux and container environments. It pulls from sources like files, journals, syslog, or Kafka, then applies parsing and filtering through scripts and modules before forwarding.
Buffering uses disk-assisted queues for safety. Outputs cover files, syslog protocols, Kafka, HTTP, and databases. Multi-threaded design helps with performance tuning. The scripting language has a learning curve that catches some users off guard at first.
Faits marquants :
- High-performance multi-threaded processing
- Disk-assisted queues for reliable delivery
- RainerScript for conditional routing
- Broad input and output modules
Pour :
- Runs efficiently in containerized setups
- Strong backpressure and queue controls
Cons :
- Scripting can take time to get comfortable with
- Less focus on built-in advanced metrics handling
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.rsyslog.com
- Email: rsyslog@lists.adiscon.com
10. NXLog
NXLog focuses on collecting and processing telemetry from security, IT, OT, and cloud sources. It centralizes event data, filters out noise, and routes to SIEM or storage destinations. Both community and enterprise editions exist, with the paid version adding scalability features.
Agent-based or agentless modes support various operating systems. Parsing and enrichment help with compliance and monitoring. The wide source support makes it handy for mixed environments, though configuration granularity varies by edition.
Faits marquants :
- Supports agent-based and agentless collection
- Event filtration to reduce irrelevant data
- Routing for compliance and long-term storage
- Integrates with major SIEM platforms
Pour :
- Lightweight resource usage in many cases
- Good for diverse asset log collection
Cons :
- Enterprise features locked behind paid version
- Some integrations require custom work
Informations de contact :
- Website: nxlog.co
- Address: 2035 Sunset Lake Road, Suite B-2, Newark, DE 19702, USA
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/nxlog
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/nxlog.official
11. Telegraf
Telegraf serves primarily as an agent for gathering metrics from systems, databases, and sensors. It compiles into a standalone binary with no dependencies and runs with low memory needs. Plugins cover inputs, processors, aggregators, and outputs for time series data.
While focused on metrics, it handles some log parsing and event collection too. Buffering keeps data during temporary downstream issues. The plugin ecosystem grows through community contributions, which adds variety but occasional inconsistency in maintenance.
Faits marquants :
- Plugin-driven with input, processor, aggregator, output types
- Standalone binary installation
- In-memory buffering for reliability
- Supports various data formats
Pour :
- Quick setup for metric-heavy workloads
- Minimal footprint on hosts
Cons :
- Log capabilities not as deep as dedicated shippers
- Primarily tied to time series destinations
Informations de contact :
- Website: www.influxdata.com/time-series-platform/telegraf
- Address: 548 Market St, PMB 77953, San Francisco, California 94104
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/influxdb
- Twitter : x.com/influxdb
12. Bois de gris
Graylog handles centralized log management with options for security and operations. Collection relies on external tools managed through components like Sidecar or a forwarder agent. Sidecar acts as a control layer for collectors such as Filebeat or NXLog, pulling configurations centrally.
A standalone forwarder exists for direct transmission in certain setups. Support covers various protocols and beats inputs. The reliance on third-party collectors adds a layer that some find unnecessary for basic needs.
Faits marquants :
- Sidecar for managing external collectors
- Supports beats and GELF inputs
- Forwarder for direct log streaming
- Central configuration of agents
Pour :
- Flexible with existing collector tools
- Scales management across hosts
Cons :
- No built-in standalone shipper in core
- Extra setup for sidecar configurations
Informations de contact :
- Site web : graylog.org
- Courriel : info@graylog.com
- Adresse : 1301 Fannin St, Ste. 2000 Houston, TX 77002, USA
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/graylog
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/graylog
- Twitter : x.com/graylog2
13. CloudWatch Agent
CloudWatch Agent collects logs and metrics from EC2 instances, on-premises servers, and containers. It runs as a unified tool replacing older logs-only versions. Installation covers Linux and Windows with configuration for specific log paths.
The agent pushes data directly to CloudWatch Logs. It handles resumption and basic filtering. Being tied closely to AWS makes it less portable for mixed environments, which stands out in hybrid cases.
Faits marquants :
- Unified collection for logs and metrics
- Supports EC2 and on-premises
- Configuration wizard for migration
- Backpressure-sensitive pushing
Pour :
- Seamless integration in AWS setups
- Resumes after interruptions reliably
Cons :
- Older separate logs agent deprecated
- Limited outside AWS ecosystems
Informations de contact :
- Site web : aws.amazon.com
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/amazon-web-services
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/amazonwebservices
- Twitter : x.com/awscloud
- Instagram : www.instagram.com/amazonwebservices
- App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/aws-console/id580990573
- Google Play: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.aws.console.mobile
14. Datadog Agent
Datadog Agent gathers logs alongside metrics and traces from hosts and containers. Log collection activates through configuration changes and tails files or listens on network ports. It supports Windows events and multi-line handling.
Enrichment adds tags automatically in container environments. The agent requires explicit enabling for logs. Broad scope means it can feel heavy if only log shipping is needed.
Faits marquants :
- Tails files or network sources
- Container log autodiscovery
- Scrubbing and filtering options
- Integrates with broader monitoring
Pour :
- Automatic metadata in orchestrated setups
- Handles custom sources easily
Cons :
- Needs separate config for log focus
- Resource use higher with full features
Informations de contact :
- Site web : www.datadoghq.com
- Téléphone : 866 329-4466
- Courriel : info@datadoghq.com
- Adresse : 620 8th Ave 45th Floor, New York, NY 10018 États-Unis
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/datadog
- Twitter : x.com/datadoghq
- Instagram : www.instagram.com/datadoghq
- App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/datadog/id1391380318
- Google Play : play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.datadog.app
15. Sumo Logic Collectors
Sumo Logic uses installed collectors or OpenTelemetry-based agents for log ingestion. Installed versions run locally to gather from sources and forward compressed data. Hosted options exist alongside for different use cases.
Configuration defines sources like local files or remote. Upgrades come periodically. The Java-based installed collector might surprise with its runtime dependency in lightweight scenarios.
Faits marquants :
- Installed agents for local environments
- OpenTelemetry distribution available
- Sources for files and other inputs
- Encryption during transmission
Pour :
- Good for cloud-focused forwarding
- Options between installed and hosted
Cons :
- Java runtime required for installed
- Separate choices for collector types
Informations de contact :
- Site web : www.sumologic.com
- Téléphone : +1 650-810-8700
- Courriel : sales@sumologic.com
- Adresse : 855 Main St., Suite 100, Redwood City, CA 94063
- LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/company/sumo-logic
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/Sumo.Logic
- Twitter : x.com/SumoLogic
Conclusion
Picking the right log collector boils down to what your setup actually looks like and where the pain points sit. Some tools stay super lightweight and just grab logs from containers or files without much fuss, while others bundle in heavier processing, metrics, or even full pipelines right out of the gate. A few lean hard into open standards like OpenTelemetry, others stick close to specific ecosystems, and some go the agentless route entirely.
At the end of the day, ditching Promtail usually means chasing more flexibility, lower overhead, or tighter integration with the rest of the stack. Most modern options handle the basics reliably – tailing files, surviving restarts, shipping to multiple backends – but the real differences show up in configuration hassle, resource footprint, and how easily they play with whatever else runs in the environment. Test a couple in a staging setup, see what clicks, and go with the one that keeps logs flowing without turning into another maintenance burden. Simple as that.
