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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 October 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 17.0%, up from 16.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Oscilloscopes Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Tektronix Oscilloscopes17.0%
National Instruments (NI) Oscilloscopes1.3%
Other81.7%
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."
"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 learning curve was really fast, which was also the reason for saving a lot on the budget."
"Most of the features are on the screen itself. The naming convention makes it very easy to understand what is needed."
"The integrated lateral view makes it easier to develop your test systems and test software flow."
"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."
"Because their view is a graphical user interface (GUI), it's very easy to program the tool."
"The user interface is very good, easy to understand, and easy to operate."
"This solution provides high confidence in the data being presented in the measurement to inform a design decision going forward."
"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 takes 35 to 45 minutes to get acclimated to the solution."
"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 has very fast response with deep memory."
"The Tektronix user interface is like an Apple iPhone, but for oscilloscopes. It is simple to use."
"B-scan is its most valuable feature."
"It has a good user interface. It's easy to use, easy to read. It's intuitive."
 

Cons

"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 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 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."
"If you are dealing with time domain measurement, I strongly recommend using a vendor other than this company."
"I am not utilizing the full bandwidth of this product."
"They need to add more memory to this machine."
"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 use microservices, but you cannot really probe it, since the technology is not really there."
"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."
"It needs one button and every time you push it, you get whatever you need."
"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 pricing was good. Compared to the others, it was very good."
"The cost of the equipment has room for improvement. The pricing could improve."
"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 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."
"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."
"It's a bit expensive. However, you get the entire package, not just the box. It's a box which supports older releases."
"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 cost has room for improvement. Though compared to other companies, it's okay."
"The pricing is not too high and not too low."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"It could always be cheaper."
"The pricing is okay. It was within our budget."
"It's available on the low-end scopes for free, but on the higher-end scopes, it is expensive. Therefore, it's a bit more difficult to make stuff work."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Manufacturing Company
15%
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: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.