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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 September 2025, in the Oscilloscopes category, the mindshare of National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes is 1.3%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tektronix Oscilloscopes is 16.8%, down from 17.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Oscilloscopes Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Tektronix Oscilloscopes16.8%
National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes1.3%
Other81.9%
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 took us less than a week to get integrated into the solution, which is very fast."
"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."
"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."
"Because their view is a graphical user interface (GUI), it's very easy to program the tool."
"The learning curve was really fast, which was also the reason for saving a lot on the budget."
"The user interface is very good, easy to understand, and easy to operate."
"It makes programming simpler."
"Most of the features are on the screen itself. The naming convention makes it very easy to understand what is needed."
"The most valuable features are everything they do. We primarily use the O-scopes and they help us figure out what's going wrong with our scope out signals."
"The user interface is good."
"The user interface is good, not very complicated. It is very intuitive."
"It is easy to handle, so everyone likes to use it."
"It has digital scopes with a high bandwidth and digitized signal. It can do whatever you want with the signal. Since its user-friendly software allows you to work with the signal, which is pretty cool."
"We have multiple systems for manufacturing tests, and it's critical for our support. The support increases our productivity."
"The Tektronix user interface is like an Apple iPhone, but for oscilloscopes. It is simple to use."
"When I was looking for a scope for that lab, that five subdivisions per division was important."
 

Cons

"There is a learning curve. It might take a year if you're not well-versed with it."
"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 them increase the productivity and auxiliary functions."
"There is a learning curve. It takes one to two months to get acclimated to the tool."
"I would like to have more RF. They're going that way, but still there is some work that they have to do."
"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 more speed and a reduction in size."
"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 if they could have more customer support engagement."
"I would like to see an app from this company for test fixtures."
"I would like to see more integration into machine learning because that's what we try to apply it to."
"If they could make the user interface even more intuitive that would help. If they could make it easier to read, to know where the buttons are, that's all I need."
"I wish we could turn off the automatic measurement feature of the oscilloscope, for teaching purposes."
"I want the system to have a wider bandwidth because high-speed continues to move faster, so there is more bandwidth to cover."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"It's reasonably priced for what we spend our money on in the lab. It's one of the lower-end purchases."
"The pricing was good. Compared to the others, it was very good."
"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."
"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."
"The prices are compatible with what they offer. Going forward, I would like them to become more competitive and dominant with their pricing in the market."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"It is a great price for a great product."
"The pricing is not too high and not too low."
"The cost has room for improvement. Though compared to other companies, it's okay."
"I would like to see a lower price."
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Top Industries

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

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: July 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.