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National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes vs Tektronix Oscilloscopes comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

National Instruments (NI) O...
Ranking in Oscilloscopes
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Tektronix Oscilloscopes
Ranking in Oscilloscopes
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Oscilloscopes category, the mindshare of National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes is 1.0%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tektronix Oscilloscopes is 16.0%, down from 18.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Oscilloscopes
 

Featured Reviews

AA
I have saved almost 50 percent of my total budget for a project by using their products
The use of this solution does require a specific mindset. Some people are not tailored for it. Try it. The learning curve is really fast, so it's easy to use. We are measuring RF signals, one-sided analog signals, and control loops for system controls. We are not using this product to support connected devices nor are we planning to going forward.
HC
B-scan is its most valuable feature. However, we are looking for an Intel platform with the newest chipset.
Try it if it is within your budget. It is a good product. The learning curve is very quick. It takes about one or two days. While we have plans to use this product to support connect devices, we are not currently doing so. We are currently measuring signals from 3.0 and 4.0, and looking for 5.0.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It makes programming simpler."
"We haven't need technical support yet because all documentation is well done and there."
"It helps us to save on our investment with a lot of the stuff that we buy, as we can find defects quickly."
"The user interface is absolutely great. It creates an easy working environment because it has well-integrated hardware and software. So, it is easy to use."
"The user interface is very good. Their boards are reliable. We buy boards from them, they are reliable, and we don't have problems with them."
"It saves me a lot of time. You can click a button and walk away, basically doing a week's worth of work in 20 minutes, it's a pretty good time saver."
"The learning curve was really fast, which was also the reason for saving a lot on the budget."
"I can automate a lot of testing very quickly. With just a push of a button, I can test hundreds of different scenarios without having to do all that manual testing myself."
"I haven't seen anything similar where it has a spectrum analyzer and regular scope together."
"The most valuable feature is the automation component in setting up some of these measurements."
"When I was looking for a scope for that lab, that five subdivisions per division was important."
"We have multiple systems for manufacturing tests, and it's critical for our support. The support increases our productivity."
"This solution provides high confidence in the data being presented in the measurement to inform a design decision going forward."
"The most valuable features are its ease of use, user interface, and PAM-4. The user interface is good and easy to use."
"It provides you the best way to view information without opening multiple applications, like a single solution."
"It is easy to handle, so everyone likes to use it."
 

Cons

"The software has room for improvement."
"National Instruments needs to be focusing on its 5G RF applications. They are aware of this, and that's where most of their R&D is going."
"I would like to see them increase the productivity and auxiliary functions."
"I would like to have more RF. They're going that way, but still there is some work that they have to do."
"There is a learning curve. It might take a year if you're not well-versed with it."
"I would like more speed and a reduction in size."
"It took a good year until I felt proficient using the product, as It is a complex program. Their newest version has a less steep learning curve, but back closer to 15 years ago, it was a lot less user-friendly."
"I would like to see more of a tasking user base and documentation inside the instrument itself, rather than having to go online for it."
"I would like to see some WiFi capabilities. I would like to upgrade equipment, and if I was in the U.S., I could do that with WiFi capabilities."
"I would like if they could have more customer support engagement."
"There was a learning curve, which was a little tricky at times. Getting used to the GUI took time because we had to learn the different features."
"We are looking for an Intel platform with the newest chipset."
"I use microservices, but you cannot really probe it, since the technology is not really there."
"I would like to see more integration into machine learning because that's what we try to apply it to."
"The power of the computer inside is weak. Sometimes I send a lot of data and I'll feel the lag... I would like to see them improve the processing power."
"On the source side, their AWGs don't have enough bandwidth. They need to increase the bandwidth of their AWGs, meaning they have to have a faster sample rate."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of the equipment has room for improvement. The pricing could improve."
"The pricing was good. Compared to the others, it was very good."
"These products are a very low-cost, effective alternative to traditional Big Iron ATE hardware."
"The price is a little steep. A lot of people, like our customers, use a different machine because of the price. The price has to come down a bit so we can do other tests without paying the equipment's high costs."
"It's a bit expensive. However, you get the entire package, not just the box. It's a box which supports older releases."
"I have saved almost 50 percent of my total budget for a project by using their products."
"I would like more competitive pricing."
"They have an initial investment cost, which is quite high. But, along the way, there is so much behind it that the product is really invaluable."
"Tecktronix pricing tends to be pretty fair and reasonable with current market trends. They don't usually bump up the price too much."
"Pricing could be lower. I would want to buy it for an extremely, low price, but Tektronix is a high-end product."
"They have academic pricing which is helpful."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"It could always be cheaper."
"The pricing is not too high and not too low."
"Tektronix Oscilloscopes are really expensive for small businesses. The low-end scopes don't really compare performance-wise to what the other companies provide, like RIGOL . Mostly that just has to do with the software options."
"The cost has room for improvement. Though compared to other companies, it's okay."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Manufacturing Company
16%
University
12%
Educational Organization
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Also Known As

NI Oscilloscopes
TBS Series, TDS Series, MDO Series, MSO Series
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes vs. Tektronix Oscilloscopes and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.