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electron-log is a lightweight, dependency-free logging module for Electron, Node.js, and NW.js applications. It writes logs to platform-specific directories and supports multiple transports (console, file, IPC, remote) with minimal configuration.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | megahertz/electron-log |
| Owner | megahertz |
| Primary language | JavaScript |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 1.5k |
| Forks | 137 |
| Open issues | 16 |
| Latest release | Unknown |
| Last updated | 2026-05-14 |
| Source | https://github.com/megahertz/electron-log |
What electron-log is
A zero-dependency logging library providing structured log output to console and file transports, with support for log levels (error, warn, info, verbose, debug, silly), custom transports, hooks, scoping, and buffering. Requires Electron 13+ or Node.js 14+ (v5+); supports main process, renderer, and preload contexts via separate entry points.
Get the electron-log source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/megahertz/electron-log.gitcd electron-log# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Initialize logger separately in main and renderer processes; use distinct entry points (electron-log/main, electron-log/renderer, electron-log/node) to avoid bundler issues.
- File transport only available in main process; configure log paths via resolvePathFn if default OS directories are unsuitable for your app.
- IPC transport disabled by default in production; enable explicitly if dev-mode logging must persist in released builds.
- Custom transports are simple functions; validate remote endpoint availability before enabling remote transport in production.
- Log levels default to 'silly' (most verbose); adjust console.level and file.level to prevent dev-mode verbosity in production builds.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Enterprise Structured Logging Requirements — No built-in support for complex formats (JSON-LD, syslog), audit trails, or compliance-grade retention policies. Custom transports required.
- High-Volume Async Log Ingestion — File transport is synchronous by default; no batching, buffering optimization, or backpressure handling for remote endpoints documented.
- Legacy Electron or Node.js — v5 requires Electron 13+ and Node.js 14+. Older runtimes must pin to v4, which is no longer actively developed.
- Browser-Only Applications — Not applicable; Electron-specific module structure incompatible with standard web bundle targets without workarounds.
License & commercial use
Licensed under MIT License, a permissive OSI-approved license permitting use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions.
MIT License permits commercial use, modification, and distribution provided copyright notice and license text are retained. Suitable for proprietary Electron applications. No warranty or support guarantees; review license terms directly for liability constraints.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Logs written to user home directories by default (accessible to local user and privileged processes). Remote transport sends POST requests; ensure endpoint HTTPS/TLS validation. No mention of log sanitization; do not log secrets (API keys, passwords, tokens) without explicit filtering via transforms or hooks. File permissions on log directories inherit OS defaults; audit on multi-user systems.
Alternatives to consider
winston
General-purpose Node.js logger with extensive transports (Sentry, Loggly, etc.) and middleware support; heavier, more dependencies, steeper configuration; better for enterprise logging pipelines.
pino
High-performance, JSON-first Node.js logger optimized for streaming and structured logging; stronger for microservices and cloud-native apps; less tailored to Electron renderer/main split.
bunyan
Structured JSON logging for Node.js with strong operational tooling; heavier dependency footprint; mature but slower release cadence than electron-log.
Build on electron-log with DEV.co software developers
electron-log offers a simple, dependency-free foundation. Contact us to evaluate it for your desktop application needs or explore custom logging pipelines.
Talk to DEV.coRelated open-source tools
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Related on DEV.co
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electron-log FAQ
Can I use electron-log in production?
Does electron-log support structured (JSON) logging?
How do I capture logs from renderer process in main?
What if I upgrade from v4 to v5?
Senior engineers for your next build
electron-log rarely ships on its own. As a software development company, DEV.co handles the surrounding work — data modeling, service integration, deployment, and the open-source observability glue code that production actually requires.
Ready to integrate structured logging into your Electron app?
electron-log offers a simple, dependency-free foundation. Contact us to evaluate it for your desktop application needs or explore custom logging pipelines.