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Comparison · Infra & APIs

rsyslog vs ZoneMinder

A side-by-side editorial comparison of rsyslog and ZoneMinder — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

rsyslog vs ZoneMinder: at a glance

FeaturersyslogZoneMinder
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score2.55.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesobservability, kubernetes, log-collection, opentelemetryvideo-surveillance, security-hardening, rbac, api-authorization
Last editorial update1h ago5h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is rsyslog?

rsyslog keeps adding cloud outputs, with Kinesis in October after CloudWatch in August.

rsyslog publishes a scheduled-stable snapshot every two months. April added YAML configuration and native OpenTelemetry protobuf output, June an Elastic Beats input and TCP compression, and August an imkubernetes input that tails pod and container logs, segmented disk-assisted queues and a CloudWatch Logs output. The October 8.2610.0 snapshot adds an Amazon Kinesis Data Streams output and an experimental producer-local queue.

Read the full rsyslog trajectory →

What is ZoneMinder?

ZoneMinder 1.38.5 fixes 19 vulnerabilities, including authenticated remote code execution

ZoneMinder's 1.38 line is in security maintenance. 1.38.5 fixes 19 reported vulnerabilities, including authenticated OS command execution through the filter debug modal, a JPEG heap overflow and cross-monitor authorization bypasses. It replaces a default or empty auth hash secret on upgrade and refuses token logins while the public default is set. 1.38.6 followed within the hour only to fix RPM builds, since no 1.38.5 RPMs were published.

Read the full ZoneMinder trajectory →

rsyslog vs ZoneMinder: editorial side-by-side

R
rsyslog
INFRA · APIS
2.5

rsyslog keeps adding cloud outputs, with Kinesis in October after CloudWatch in August.

◆ Current state

rsyslog publishes a scheduled-stable snapshot every two months. April added YAML configuration and native OpenTelemetry protobuf output, June an Elastic Beats input and TCP compression, and August an imkubernetes input that tails pod and container logs, segmented disk-assisted queues and a CloudWatch Logs output. The October 8.2610.0 snapshot adds an Amazon Kinesis Data Streams output and an experimental producer-local queue.

◆ Where it's heading

Across 2026 rsyslog has moved from a host syslog daemon toward a container and cloud log shipper, adding inputs for Kubernetes and outputs for AWS services each cycle. Queueing is the other active area.

◆ Prediction

The next scheduled-stable snapshot is due in December on the two-month rhythm; which outputs it adds is unclear from the feed.

Z
ZoneMinder
INFRA · APIS
5.0

ZoneMinder 1.38.5 fixes 19 vulnerabilities, including authenticated remote code execution

◆ Current state

ZoneMinder's 1.38 line is in security maintenance. 1.38.5 fixes 19 reported vulnerabilities, including authenticated OS command execution through the filter debug modal, a JPEG heap overflow and cross-monitor authorization bypasses. It replaces a default or empty auth hash secret on upgrade and refuses token logins while the public default is set. 1.38.6 followed within the hour only to fix RPM builds, since no 1.38.5 RPMs were published.

◆ Where it's heading

Every 1.38 release since June has been mostly authorization and memory-safety work. The 1.38.0 feature set (RBAC, WebRTC, the monitor function split) is being made safe rather than extended.

◆ Prediction

Further security releases on 1.38 are likely; the entries give no sign of a 1.39 feature release.

Alternatives to rsyslog and ZoneMinder

Other Infra & APIs products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either rsyslog or ZoneMinder.

See all rsyslog alternatives → · See all ZoneMinder alternatives →

Recent activity from rsyslog and ZoneMinder

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 11d agorsyslogrsyslog 8.2610.0
  2. 27d agoZoneMinderZoneMinder 1.38.6 republishes 1.38.5 with fixed RPM builds
  3. 27d agoZoneMinderZoneMinder 1.38.5 fixes 19 vulnerabilities, including RCE
  4. 2mo agorsyslogrsyslog 8.2608.0 adds a Kubernetes log input and segmented disk queues ⚡
  5. 2mo agoZoneMinder1.38.4 closes API ACL gaps and two auth bypasses
  6. 4mo agorsyslogrsyslog 8.2606.0 adds Elastic Beats input and TCP compression
  7. 4mo agoZoneMinder1.38.3 supersedes 1.38.2 with RBAC and injection fixes
  8. 5mo agoZoneMinderchore: bump redhat spec version to 1.39.11
  9. 6mo agorsyslogrsyslog 8.2604.0 adds YAML config and native OTel protobuf ⚡
  10. 8mo agoZoneMinder1.36.38 backports a SQL injection fix to the legacy branch
  11. 8mo agorsyslogrsyslog 8.2602.0 tag with no release notes
  12. 10mo agorsyslogMarker tag for the AGENTS.md doc state at end of 2025

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between rsyslog and ZoneMinder?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. ZoneMinder is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is rsyslog better than ZoneMinder?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. ZoneMinder is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to rsyslog?

Top rsyslog alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "rsyslog alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/rsyslog for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to ZoneMinder?

Top ZoneMinder alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ZoneMinder alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/zoneminder for the full list with editorial commentary on each.