diff --git a/src/SharedMemoryAccess.cpp b/src/SharedMemoryAccess.cpp
index da6dc26..6674f98 100644
--- a/src/SharedMemoryAccess.cpp
+++ b/src/SharedMemoryAccess.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ namespace vkvm {
             impl.sharedMemory = ptr;
             return ptr;
         }
+        //using a local buffer for shared memory testing
         return getLocalMemory();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/log.cpp b/src/log.cpp
index c015f84..f957dac 100644
--- a/src/log.cpp
+++ b/src/log.cpp
@@ -5,9 +5,15 @@
  */
 
 #include "log.hpp"
+#include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
 
 namespace vkvm {
+
+    LogLevel logLevel = LogLevel::INFO;
+    LogLevel fileLogLevel = LogLevel::INFO;
+    std::ofstream logToFileStream;
+
     //converts the level to a string of the level
     auto getLevelName(LogLevel level) -> std::string {
         switch(level){
@@ -44,66 +50,97 @@ namespace vkvm {
         }
     }
 
-    LogLevel logLevel = LogLevel::INFO;
-
 //log the current time
-    auto logTime() -> void {
+    auto logTime() -> std::string {
         time_t rawtime;
         time(&rawtime);
         struct tm *timeinfo;
         timeinfo = localtime(&rawtime);
-
         constexpr int decimalBase = 10;
+        std::stringstream stream;
 
         if (timeinfo->tm_hour < decimalBase) {
-            std::cout << "0";
+            stream << "0";
         }
-        std::cout << timeinfo->tm_hour;
-        std::cout << ":";
+        stream << timeinfo->tm_hour;
+        stream << ":";
         if (timeinfo->tm_min < decimalBase) {
-            std::cout << "0";
+            stream << "0";
         }
-        std::cout << timeinfo->tm_min;
-        std::cout << ":";
+        stream << timeinfo->tm_min;
+        stream << ":";
         if (timeinfo->tm_sec < decimalBase) {
-            std::cout << "0";
+            stream << "0";
         }
-        std::cout << timeinfo->tm_sec;
+        stream << timeinfo->tm_sec;
+        return stream.str();
     }
 
 //log the message
     auto log(LogLevel level, const std::string &msg) -> void {
-        if(level >= logLevel) {
+        if(level >= logLevel || level >= fileLogLevel) {
             std::string levelName = getLevelName(level);
             const int maxLevelNameLength = 8;
 
-            //time
-            std::cout << "[";
-            logTime();
-            std::cout << "] ";
+            std::stringstream stream;
+            std::stringstream noColorStream;
 
-            //color and level name;lo
-            std::cout << "[";
-            std::cout << "\033[" << getLevelColor(level) << "m" << levelName << "\033[0m";
-            std::cout << "] ";
+            //time
+            std::string time = logTime();
+            stream << "[";
+            stream << time;
+            stream << "] ";
+
+            noColorStream << "[";
+            noColorStream << time;
+            noColorStream << "] ";
+
+            //color and level name
+            stream << "[";
+            stream << "\033[" << getLevelColor(level) << "m" << levelName << "\033[0m";
+            stream << "] ";
             for (int i = levelName.size(); i < maxLevelNameLength; i++) {
-                std::cout << " ";
+                stream << " ";
             }
 
+            //no color and level name
+            noColorStream << "[";
+            noColorStream << levelName;
+            noColorStream << "] ";
+            for (int i = levelName.size(); i < maxLevelNameLength; i++) {
+                noColorStream << " ";
+            }
+
+
+
             //message
             for(char c : msg){
                 if(c == '\n'){
                     //intend newlines so that they align with the start of the message
-                    std::cout << "\n";
+                    stream << "\n";
+                    noColorStream << "\n";
                     const int paddingSize = 22;
                     for(int i = 0; i < paddingSize;i++){
-                        std::cout << " ";
+                        stream << " ";
+                        noColorStream << " ";
                     }
                 }else{
-                    std::cout << c;
+                    stream << c;
+                    noColorStream << c;
+                }
+            }
+            stream << "\n";
+            noColorStream << "\n";
+
+            if(level >= logLevel){
+                std::cout << stream.str();
+            }
+            if(logToFileStream.is_open()){
+                if(level >= fileLogLevel){
+                    logToFileStream << noColorStream.str();
+                    logToFileStream.flush();
                 }
             }
-            std::cout << "\n";
         }
     }
 
@@ -111,4 +148,17 @@ namespace vkvm {
         logLevel = level;
     }
 
+    auto setLogFileLevel(LogLevel level) -> void {
+        fileLogLevel = level;
+    }
+
+    auto setLogToFile(const std::string &file) -> void {
+        if(logToFileStream.is_open()){
+            logToFileStream.close();
+        }
+        if(!file.empty()){
+            logToFileStream.open(file, std::ofstream::app);
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/log.hpp b/src/log.hpp
index 8d80990..1b40ad0 100644
--- a/src/log.hpp
+++ b/src/log.hpp
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ namespace vkvm {
  * @since 0.1.0
  */
     auto setLogLevel(LogLevel level) -> void;
+    auto setLogFileLevel(LogLevel level) -> void;
+    auto setLogToFile(const std::string &file) -> void;
 }
 
 #endif