Logs and event data are becoming too labor-intensive to analyze manually due to the growing cyber threat landscape. As a result, organizations now rely on Security Information and Event Management, commonly known as SIEM tools, to collect and analyze these data types to gain actionable security insights.
LogRhythm and Splunk are two prominent players in the SIEM market, and many organizations deploy them to monitor and manage security events, detect threats, and ensure a robust security posture. But what distinguishes one from the other?
This article comprehensively compares LogRhythm and Splunk, examining their features, pricing, pros, and cons.
- LogRhythm: Best for an all-in-one SIEM, with User and Entity Behavior Analytics and centralized log management.
- Splunk: Best for customizability, powerful log analytics capabilities, and advanced threat detection.
LogRhythm vs Splunk: Comparison table
The following table outlines the key features found in LogRhythm and Splunk.
| Real-time monitoring | ||
| Advanced threat detection | ||
| Centralized management dashboards | ||
| Easy of deployment | ||
| Customizable dashboard | ||
| Threat remediation features | ||
| User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) | ||
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LogRhythm vs Splunk: Pricing
LogRhythm pricing
LogRhythm operates a flexible pricing and licensing structure that comes with unlimited log resources and users. Prices are also offered on a perpetual, subscription, and unlimited data basis.
- For more details on LogRhythm’s pricing, contact their sales team for a proper quotation.
Splunk pricing
Similar to LogRhythm, Splunk operates a flexible pricing model, which is captured below.
- Workload: Customers are charged based on the types of workload they run with the Splunk Platform.
- Ingest: Here, customers pay based on the amount of data they bring into the Splunk Platform.
- Entity: This plan is based on the number of hosts using Splunk.
- Activity-based: This is based on activities being monitored by Splunk.
Apart from the above pricing options, Splunk users also have the option to get an estimate of what they will be charged if they use Splunk.
LogRhythm vs Splunk: Feature comparison
Below is a head-to-head comparison between LogRhythm and Splunk.
Deployment options
LogRhythm users have flexible deployment options to match varying needs and goals. The deployment choices available to customers include self-hosting, infrastructure as a service (IaaS), or engagement with a managed security service provider. There is also a cloud deployment option with LogRhythm Cloud, which presents a software-as-a-service (SaaS) choice.
On the other hand, Splunk users can deploy the solution in a distributed search or single instance deployment. In addition, the software is available in cloud, on-premise, or multi-cloud formats.
Data analysis
When it comes to data analysis, LogRhythm’s Machine Data Intelligence (MDI) functionality helps users to make sense of their data. This functionality contextualizes and enriches data at the time of ingestion. It also helps to translate complex data into digestible chunks of information to enhance the accuracy of data analysis.
Splunk also has a data analytic engine designed to gather, index, and manage large volumes of data, regardless of its format. Splunk’s data analytics can analyze data in real-time and dynamically generate schemas. This eliminates the need for users to deeply understand the underlying data structure, as they can easily query and explore the data without any prior knowledge.
Customizable dashboard
LogRhythm allows users to customize their dashboards in ways that suit them. For instance, users can decide to customize the report template, create custom log detail reports, restore the default logo to a report, schedule and manage scheduled reports, rename a custom dashboard, and decide which dashboard to make public or private.
Splunk also offers a highly customizable dashboard. Users can choose from various charts and other virtualizations to act on their data. For instance, users can integrate reports, charts, and reusable panels to derive more insight from their data. In addition, there is also the option to tailor data for different use cases and users, such as business, security analysts, auditors, developers, and operations teams — to facilitate their operations.
Centralized log and incident management
LogRhythm offers centralized log and incident management that helps users collect, store, and analyze logs/events from various sources for auditing, compliance, and forensic purposes. There are also case management and playbooks, which offer incident management functionalities to facilitate log and incident management processes.
Similarly, Splunk also provides a central log management feature that allows users to collect and store logs from various sources in centralized storage. Users can also encrypt the logs collected to prevent unauthorized access.
Advanced threat detection
Both LogRhythm and Splunk provide users with advanced threat detection capabilities. LogRhythm does this by combining machine analytics and search analytics. These functionalities offer users a risk-based monitoring strategy that automatically identifies and prioritizes attacks and threats.
Splunk also rides on the power of machine learning to detect advanced threats and other 1790+ out-of-the-box detections for frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, NIST, CIS 20, and Kill Chain.
SEE: Securing Linux Policy (TechRepublic Premium)
LogRhythm pros and cons
Below are the key takeaways from the LogRhythm SIEM solution.
Pros
- Users can map their security and IT operations to existing frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and NIST.
- Offers real-time visibility across environments for easy identification and prioritization of potential threats.
- Centralized log management support.
- Offers User and Entity Behavior Analytics capabilities (UEBA).
- Offers free training videos.
Cons
- Complicated pricing plans.
- The customization feature is not broad.
- No free trial.
Splunk pros and cons
The pros and cons of Splunk are highlighted below.
Pros
- Powerful log analysis for log management and analysis.
- Offers a 60-day free trial.
- Advanced threat detection with machine learning and over 1300 advanced detections for popular frameworks like NIST, CIS 2, MITRE ATT&CK, and Kill Chain.
- Availability of over 50 free training courses and certifications.
- Automatic security content updates for users delivered from the Splunk Threat Research Team.
- Risk-based alerting helps users map incident alerts to cybersecurity frameworks and attribute risks to users and systems.
- Integration with popular cloud platforms, such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
Cons
- It is difficult to get started with Splunk.
- There is no pricing detail to give potential users a clue about what they’ll be charged.
Should your organization use LogRhythm or Splunk?
The choice between LogRhythm and Splunk depends on various factors, such as the organization’s size, budget, specific security needs, and expertise. LogRhythm’s comprehensive platform, UEBA capabilities, user-friendly interface, and easy deployment make it a suitable choice for organizations looking for an all-in-one SIEM solution with advanced threat detection capabilities.
On the other hand, Splunk’s powerful log management and analysis features, scalability, and customization options make it attractive for organizations seeking highly customizable and scalable log analytics capabilities. In addition, Splunk is more suitable for advanced technical users.
Methodology
This comparison is based on a comprehensive analysis of the features, capabilities, and pricing information provided by LogRhythm and Splunk and insights from user reviews. It is important to note that the suitability of each SIEM tool may vary depending on your organization’s specific needs and requirements. Therefore, you should evaluate both solutions to determine their compatibility with your organization’s security strategy.
This article was originally published in August 2023. It was updated by Luis Millares in January 2025.
