are there any plans for a modernized log4net library similar to NLog or serilog?

[hugosius]

we are currently evaluating the switch to a new logging library. up to now we used log4net exclusively. since log4net has been a reliable library for years now i wanted to make sure that there are no plans for a modernized log4net library (feature-wise similar to NLog or serilog) in the mid-term future.

[FreeAndNil]

Hi @hugosius,

Thank you for your message and for your long-term use of log4net - we truly appreciate the trust you’ve placed in the library over the years.

At this time, there are no active plans to modernize log4net in the direction of feature sets similar to those found in libraries like NLog or Serilog. log4net remains in maintenance mode, meaning we are committed to preserving stability and addressing critical bugs or compatibility issues, but not actively developing new features or architectural changes.

That said, we did recently publish log4net 3.x, which focused on cleaning up legacy code and removing support for outdated frameworks. Key changes include:

• Targeting only .NET Framework 4.6.2 and .NET Standard 2.0
• Removing APIs that were obsolete since 2015 - 2016
• Dropping deprecated appenders like RemotingAppender and NetSendAppender
• Fixing several long-standing bugs and making internal improvements for cleaner maintenance going forward

This was a much-needed step to keep log4net viable in modern .NET environments. However, it wasn’t intended to shift the library’s design philosophy.

That said, we absolutely welcome community contributions. If you or your team are interested in seeing specific enhancements in log4net, feel free to open a pull request or start a discussion. You can also consider sponsoring contributors or the Apache Software Foundation to help support ongoing maintenance and development.

Thanks again for reaching out and for being part of the log4net community.

Best regards