LogFusion

LogFusion is a real-time log viewer for Windows, built for administrators and developers who need to watch text logs and Windows Event Logs as they change. If you searched for a LogFusion download, think of it as a graphical tail -f for Windows that also reads local and remote Event Logs and captures OutputDebugString output.

It comes from Binary Fortress Software, the Canadian developer behind DisplayFusion. The product now lives on its own site, logfusion.ca; the old address on binaryfortress.com no longer works. LogFusion is shareware (conditionally free): one installer covers both editions, a limited free mode stays available, and the features most admins want day to day are in the paid Pro edition.

LogFusion at a glance

What it does

• Follows any plain-text log file in real time and auto-scrolls to the newest line, like tail -f on Linux.
• Opens local and remote Windows Event Logs and Event Channels (for example Applications and Services logs), not only the classic System and Application logs.
• Reads the W3C Extended Log File Format used by IIS, with proper columns.
• Captures OutputDebugString calls, so you can see debug output from an application without attaching a debugger.
• Lets you pick the text encoding per log, sort by several columns, show lines before and after a filter match, and export all or selected rows to CSV or HTML.
• Includes an “Elevate to Administrator” button for logs that need admin rights, such as the Security event log.
• Pro adds search-as-you-type filtering, tabs for many logs, custom columns, row highlighting by text or regex, scrollbar markers, watched folders that pick up new log files automatically, log categories and highlight rules synced between computers.

How sysadmins use it

Watch an application or IIS log during a change window

1. Start LogFusion on the server or on your admin workstation.
2. Open the log file (for IIS the default location is C:inetpublogsLogFilesW3SVC<site-id>). LogFusion detects the W3C format and splits it into columns.
3. Leave auto-scroll on while you restart the service or deploy the build, and watch new requests and errors arrive.
4. If something breaks, select the relevant rows and export them to CSV or HTML for the ticket.

Read a remote server’s Event Log without RDP

1. On the target server, allow remote Event Log access through Windows Firewall and give your account read rights:

   Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Event Log Management"
   Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Event Log Readers" -Member "CONTOSOhelpdesk-ops"

2. In LogFusion, add a remote Event Log and enter the server name.
3. Pick the log or Event Channel you need (for example System or a Microsoft-Windows-* operational channel).
4. The Security log needs administrative rights; use an admin account on the remote side and the elevate button locally.

Highlight errors across rotating logs (Pro)

1. Create a watched folder for the directory where your application writes daily log files, so new files open automatically.
2. Add highlight rules, for example a regex such as b(ERROR|FATAL|Exception)b in red and bWARN(ING)?b in amber.
3. Set these rules as the default for the watched folder so every new day’s file gets the same colours.
4. Use scrollbar highlighting to jump between hits in a long file.

Capture debug output from a desktop application

1. Turn on OutputDebugString capture in LogFusion.
2. Reproduce the problem in the application you are troubleshooting.
3. Debug messages appear as log rows that you can filter and export. For output from processes running under other accounts or as services, run LogFusion elevated.

Install and first run

LogFusion runs on Windows 10 version 1607 or newer, Windows 11 and Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022, on x86, x64 and ARM64 hardware. Version 7.2 moved to .NET 10. The installer adds the .NET 10 desktop runtime and the Microsoft WebView2 runtime automatically if they are missing, so an offline server may need those runtimes installed first. Windows 7 and 8.x are no longer supported; LogFusion 6.9 was the last release that ran on them.

Three packages are offered: the standard installer (recommended), a no-installer ZIP intended for testing, and an MSI for deployment through Intune, Group Policy or similar tools. Every download starts with a Pro trial licence key. When the trial ends, or if you remove the key from the License Key tab in Settings, LogFusion keeps working in free mode. Admin rights are needed to install. Reading remote Event Logs needs the firewall rule group shown above and an account with read access on the target.

Limitations

• Windows only. There is no macOS or Linux build; on Linux servers you still use tail, journalctl or a central log system.
• The free mode is basic. Filtering as you type, tabs, highlighting, custom columns and watched folders are Pro features, and that is most of what makes the tool pleasant for daily work.
• It is a viewer, not a log management platform: no central collection, retention, alerting or dashboards.
• Remote Event Log reading depends on RPC, firewall and permissions; across domains or through strict firewalls it can be awkward.
• Very large files are workable, but for multi-gigabyte archives a dedicated search tool or a central log store is faster.

LogFusion vs alternatives

For one or two Windows machines, LogFusion is quicker than opening Event Viewer and Notepad side by side. When you need logs from many servers in one place, with retention and queries, move to a central stack such as Grafana Loki, usually paired with Prometheus for metrics. Free alternatives on Windows include BareTail for simple tailing and PowerShell’s Get-Content -Wait -Tail 50, which covers the basic case with no install at all.

FAQ

Where do I get a LogFusion download?

Use the Download button on this page. Documentation, the changelog and updates are on the official website, logfusion.ca.

Is LogFusion free?

Partly. LogFusion is shareware (conditionally free): the installer includes a Pro trial, after which it runs in a limited free mode. Filtering, tabs, highlighting, custom columns and watched folders need a Pro licence.

Is there a portable version of LogFusion?

Yes, there is a no-installer ZIP build. The developer offers it mainly for testing and recommends the standard installer for normal use.

Does LogFusion run on Windows 7 or Server 2012?

No. Current versions need Windows 10 1607 or later, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016 and later. Version 6.9 was the last one for Windows 7 and 8.

Can LogFusion read remote Event Logs?

Yes. Both local and remote Event Logs and Event Channels are supported in the free and Pro modes, as long as the remote firewall and your permissions allow it.

How do I tail a log file in Windows without LogFusion?

PowerShell can do it: Get-Content C:logsapp.log -Wait -Tail 50. LogFusion adds columns, filtering and highlighting on top of that.

Is LogFusion available for Mac or Linux?

No, it is a Windows-only application.

Last checked against official sources: 30 September 2026 (developer website: logfusion.ca). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.