zap vs zerolog: What are the differences?

1. 1. Logging Configuration: Zap requires manual configuration using code to set up logging, while Zerolog provides a simple and flexible API for configuration, allowing easy customization of log outputs without directly modifying the code.

2. 2. Performance: Zap is known for its fast performance, designed to be highly optimized and low-latency, making it suitable for high-performance applications. On the other hand, Zerolog also offers good performance but may have a slightly higher overhead due to its additional features and flexibility.

3. 3. JSON Output: Zap outputs logs in plaintext by default, but supports JSON encoding as well. Zerolog, however, only outputs logs in JSON format, making it easier to parse and analyze log data with tools that support JSON.

4. 4. Contextual Logging: Zap provides a rich set of logging options for adding contextual information to logs, including structured logging capabilities. Zerolog also supports contextual logging but has a simpler interface, making it easier to add contextual information to logs without additional libraries or configurations.

5. 5. Third-Party Integrations: Zap has built-in support for various third-party integrations, such as log rotation, log rotation by size, and log rotation by time. Zerolog, on the other hand, does not have built-in support for these integrations but can be easily extended using its flexible API.

6. 6. Error Handling: Zap provides detailed error handling with stack traces, allowing developers to identify and debug issues easily. Zerolog, although it does not provide built-in stack traces, allows developers to add custom error handling and enrichment to log entries.

In Summary, Zap and Zerolog differ in logging configuration, performance, output format, contextual logging capabilities, third-party integrations, and error handling.