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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

"Go with their products."
"The integrated lateral view makes it easier to develop your test systems and test software flow."
"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 very good, their boards are reliable, we buy boards from them, they are reliable, and we don't have problems with them."
"It helps us to save on our investment with a lot of the stuff that we buy, as we can find defects quickly."
"It took us less than a week to get integrated into the solution, which is very fast."
"It took us less than a week to get integrated into the solution, which is very fast."
"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."
"I trust Tektronix for its accuracy; the probes of the solution fit my application, for example the speed of probes, the way that it is using probes with designs, and the probes' size."
"The Tektronix user interface is like an Apple iPhone, but for oscilloscopes."
"When we connect Tektronix through our test boxes, that is the internet of things, because I have reached the Internet through the box."
"I trust Tektronix for its accuracy. The probes of solution fit my application. E.g., the speed of probes, the way that it is using probes with designs, and the probes' size."
"It provides you the best way to view information without opening multiple applications, like a single solution."
"The user interface is excellent, the GUI is so self-explanatory and there are the same knobs everywhere; the design is a standard design line."
"It has very fast response with deep memory."
"It's a good product."
 

Cons

"The software has room for improvement."
"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 have more RF."
"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."
"National Instruments needs to be focusing on its 5G RF applications."
"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."
"It took a good year until I felt proficient using the product, as it is a complex program."
"There is room for improvement when it comes to the screen size."
"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."
"Tektronix Oscilloscopes are really expensive for small businesses."
"If you are dealing with time domain measurement, I strongly recommend using a vendor other than this company."
"I use microservices, but you cannot really probe it, since the technology is not really there."
"I would like if they could have more customer support engagement."
"In terms of room for improvement, it's a powerful scope. But, the power of the computer inside is weak."
"There was a learning curve, which was a little tricky at times."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I have saved almost 50 percent of my total budget for a project by using their products."
"I would like more competitive pricing."
"It's a bit expensive. However, you get the entire package, not just the box. It's a box which supports older releases."
"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."
"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."
"The pricing was good. Compared to the others, it was very good."
"The cost of the equipment has room for improvement. The pricing could improve."
"It is a great price for a great product."
"The cost has room for improvement. Though compared to other companies, it's okay."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"It costs a quarter of a million. This technology is not cheap."
"Isolated probes are good to have, as most of the scopes don't have it. It drives up the cost when you have to buy isolated probes."
"The pricing is not too high and not too low."
"Tecktronix pricing tends to be pretty fair and reasonable with current market trends. They don't usually bump up the price too much."
"They have academic pricing which is helpful."
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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: March 2026.
886,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.