Logchef is a lightweight, single-binary log analytics platform designed for efficient log management and analysis, targeting development teams. It leverages ClickHouse for high-performance querying and offers an intuitive interface for exploring log data, with features like AI-powered SQL generation and team-based access control.

How It Works

Logchef utilizes ClickHouse as its backend for high-performance log storage and querying. Its core advantage lies in its single-binary deployment, simplifying installation and management. It supports schema-agnostic exploration, allowing queries on any ClickHouse table without predefined schemas, and offers both simple search syntax and full ClickHouse SQL for flexible analysis. An AI-powered SQL generation feature transforms natural language questions into SQL queries using OpenAI-compatible models.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary install / run command: docker compose up -d using the provided docker-compose.yml file.
• Prerequisites: Docker.
• Access: http://localhost:8125.
• Documentation: logchef.app

Highlighted Details

• Schema-agnostic log exploration without predefined schema constraints.
• AI-powered SQL generation from natural language questions.
• Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for AI assistant integration.
• Team-based access control for multi-tenant log access.
• Built-in Prometheus metrics for monitoring.

Maintenance & Community

No specific details on contributors, sponsorships, or community channels (like Discord/Slack) are provided in the README.

Licensing & Compatibility

Logchef is distributed under the AGPLv3 License. This license is copyleft, meaning derivative works must also be open-sourced under AGPLv3. Compatibility with closed-source commercial applications may be restricted due to the strong copyleft nature of AGPLv3.

Limitations & Caveats

The AGPLv3 license may impose significant restrictions on commercial use or integration into proprietary software. The README does not detail specific system requirements beyond Docker or provide information on community support or project roadmap.