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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
7th
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 April 2026, in the Oscilloscopes category, the mindshare of National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes is 3.3%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tektronix Oscilloscopes is 17.7%, up from 14.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Oscilloscopes Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Tektronix Oscilloscopes17.7%
National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes3.3%
Other79.0%
Oscilloscopes
 

Featured Reviews

AA
Senior Technical Officer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
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
Sr Engineer at a tech company with 5,001-10,000 employees
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

"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."
"I chose this solution because it integrates a lot of functionality in one piece of equipment."
"It helps us to save on our investment with a lot of the stuff that we buy, as we can find defects quickly."
"Most of the features are on the screen itself. The naming convention makes it very easy to understand what is needed."
"It took us less than a week to get integrated into the solution, which is very fast."
"It helps us to save on our investment with a lot of the stuff that we buy, as we can find defects quickly."
"Because their view is a graphical user interface (GUI), it's very easy to program the tool."
"The integrated lateral view makes it easier to develop your test systems and test software flow."
"It has a good user interface. It's easy to use, easy to read. It's intuitive."
"The Tektronix user interface is like an Apple iPhone, but for oscilloscopes."
"The sensitivity of the trigger and the reliability are the most valuable features."
"This solution provides high confidence in the data being presented in the measurement to inform a design decision going forward."
"The user interface is good, not very complicated, and it is very intuitive."
"We have multiple systems for manufacturing tests, and it's critical for our support. The support increases our productivity."
"Technical support is great."
"Being able to monitor data from a CAN bus while the vehicle is running will cut down a lot of the feedback for the design mode."
 

Cons

"I would like more competitive pricing."
"The price is a little steep."
"I would like to have more RF. They're going that way, but still there is some work that they have to do."
"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."
"There is a learning curve. It might take a year if you're not well-versed with it."
"The software has room for improvement."
"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 more speed and a reduction in size."
"Tektronix Oscilloscopes are really expensive for small businesses."
"There is room for improvement when it comes to the screen size. I don't really have a lot of complaints but screen size would be the biggest thing."
"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."
"It needs one button and every time you push it, you get whatever you need."
"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 know you can get the Bit Masks but it's generally really expensive to get the eye diagrams and Bit Masks with it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing was good. Compared to the others, it was very good."
"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."
"The cost of the equipment has room for improvement. The pricing could improve."
"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."
"I have saved almost 50 percent of my total budget for a project by using their products."
"It's a bit expensive. However, you get the entire package, not just the box. It's a box which supports older releases."
"It's reasonably priced for what we spend our money on in the lab. It's one of the lower-end purchases."
"I would like more competitive pricing."
"They're all pretty expensive. If everything costs that much, I suppose the pricing is fair."
"Pricing could be lower. I would want to buy it for an extremely, low price, but Tektronix is a high-end product."
"The cost has room for improvement. Though compared to other companies, it's okay."
"It's cost-effective... It might cost a lot of money, but if we need it we buy it."
"We demoed the product before purchasing it."
"It costs a quarter of a million. This technology is not cheap."
"I would like to see a lower price."
"It is a great price for a great product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Manufacturing Company
14%
University
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise19
 

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: April 2026.
892,383 professionals have used our research since 2012.