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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 February 2026, in the Oscilloscopes category, the mindshare of National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes is 2.5%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tektronix Oscilloscopes is 17.8%, up from 15.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Oscilloscopes Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Tektronix Oscilloscopes17.8%
National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes2.5%
Other79.7%
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

"It took us less than a week to get integrated into the solution, which is very fast."
"Most of the features are on the screen itself. The naming convention makes it very easy to understand what is needed."
"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."
"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. Their boards are reliable. We buy boards from them, they are reliable, and we don't have problems with them."
"The integrated lateral view makes it easier to develop your test systems and test software flow."
"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 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."
"It has very fast response with deep memory."
"Time domain measurement is very accurate compared to other devices."
"The most valuable features are its ease of use, user interface, and PAM-4. The user interface is good and easy to use."
"It has a good user interface. It's easy to use, easy to read. It's intuitive."
"This solution provides high confidence in the data being presented in the measurement to inform a design decision going forward."
"It takes 35 to 45 minutes to get acclimated to the solution."
"Tektronix is robust and reliable. It's a hammer-resistant machine, a fact which is most important on our manufacturing floor."
 

Cons

"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 more speed and a reduction in size."
"I would like to see them increase the productivity and auxiliary functions."
"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."
"There is a learning curve. It might take a year if you're not well-versed with it."
"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."
"The software has room for improvement."
"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 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."
"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."
"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."
"I would like if they could have more customer support engagement."
"It needs one button and every time you push it, you get whatever you need."
"We are looking for an Intel platform with the newest chipset."
"I want the system to have a wider bandwidth because high-speed continues to move faster, so there is more bandwidth to cover."
 

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."
"It's a bit expensive. However, you get the entire package, not just the box. It's a box which supports older releases."
"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 would like more competitive pricing."
"It's reasonably priced for what we spend our money on in the lab. It's one of the lower-end purchases."
"I have saved almost 50 percent of my total budget for a project by using their products."
"They're all pretty expensive. If everything costs that much, I suppose the pricing is fair."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"The pricing is not too high and not too low."
"It's cost-effective... It might cost a lot of money, but if we need it we buy it."
"In the 100 gigabit Ethernet and 400 gigabit Ethernet category, everything is in the multi-hundred thousand dollar range, so it was fair pricing because everything is expensive."
"It is a great price for a great product."
"It costs a quarter of a million. This technology is not cheap."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Manufacturing Company
14%
University
12%
Educational Organization
8%
Comms Service Provider
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: February 2026.
882,637 professionals have used our research since 2012.