The 9 Best Digital Oscilloscopes

The Siglent SDS1104X-E (about $499) has been a common first serious scope for hobbyists for years, and Siglent still sells it. It has four channels and 100 MHz of bandwidth, enough for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, audio and most switching power supply work. It samples at 1 billion points a second, or half that with all four channels on, and stores up to 14 million points. Decoding for I2C, SPI, UART, CAN and LIN serial buses comes standard rather than as a paid add-on, and its most sensitive setting, 500 microvolts per division, helps with small signals. A 16-channel logic probe and a USB signal generator are optional extras. The design dates from 2017, the 7-inch screen isn't a touch screen, and its 8-bit resolution shows less fine detail than 12-bit scopes.

The Rigol DHO804 (about $459) brings 12-bit resolution to a low price. That splits the screen's height into 4,096 steps instead of an 8-bit scope's 256, so power-supply ripple and small signals show in finer detail. It has four channels, a 7-inch, 1024-by-600 touch screen, HDMI output and a compact body about 10.5 inches wide that weighs under 4 pounds and runs from a USB-C power adapter. It samples at 1.25 billion points a second, stores up to 25 million points and decodes CAN, UART, I2C and SPI as standard. Rigol rates it at 70 MHz. Owners on the EEVblog forum report the hardware reaching well past that, but plan around the rated figure. Some owners also mention a noisy fan and firmware bugs.

The Siglent SDS814X HD (about $598) pairs 12-bit resolution with the speed to back it up. It has four channels and 100 MHz of bandwidth, samples at 2 billion points a second and stores up to 50 million points, so long captures keep a high sample rate. The 7-inch touch screen redraws up to 80,000 waveforms a second in normal mode, and decoding for I2C, SPI, UART, CAN and LIN is standard. In an EEVblog forum thread comparing entry-level 12-bit scopes, many experienced posters favored this Siglent series for its analysis tools and steady firmware updates, while forum testers found its channels closely matched. It costs more than most entry scopes, it has been sold only since 2024, and the 16 logic channels need a paid option plus a separate probe.

The Rigol DS1202Z-E (about $350) is a low-cost way to get 200 MHz of bandwidth, which helps with fast digital edges and radio hobby work. It has two channels plus an external trigger input, samples at up to 1 billion points a second and stores up to 24 million points with one channel on, or 12 million with both. Rigol includes RS232, I2C and SPI decoding, and it can record and replay up to 60,000 frames to hunt for a rare fault. Members of the EEVblog forum say it performs above its price, and its High Resolution acquire mode trims noise. The catches: performance drops when both channels run, the FFT tool is weak, the cooling fan is audible, and two channels limit work on buses with a clock and data.

The Owon HDS272S (about $184) fits a 70 MHz two-channel scope, a 20,000-count multimeter and a one-channel signal generator into a phone-shaped handheld about 3.8 inches wide. The main unit weighs about 1.3 pounds without its battery, runs from a rechargeable lithium pack and has a fold-out stand, so it suits car work, field repairs and benches with no room for a full scope. Electronics blogger Kerry Wong, who took one apart, praised its fast screen updates. The 3.5-inch screen is small, though. A retailer's review notes that the most sensitive scale is 100 millivolts per division, which limits small-signal work, and the same review says probes may not come in every box, so check the listing before buying.

The Siglent SDS1202X-E (about $379) is a two-channel, 200 MHz model from Siglent's long-running X-E series. It samples at 1 billion points a second, stores up to 14 million points and includes triggering and decoding for I2C, SPI, UART, RS232, CAN and LIN, so car and industrial bus work is covered without extra fees. It has one of the biggest owner bases of any scope at this price, which means plenty of forum help, tutorials and accessories. The design is several years old, the 7-inch screen isn't touch-sensitive, and with only two channels you can't watch a clock, a data line and a chip select at the same time.

The Rigol DHO924S (about $899) is for buyers who have outgrown an entry scope. It has four channels, 250 MHz of bandwidth, 12-bit resolution and up to 50 million points of memory, and it can capture up to 1 million waveforms a second, which helps catch rare glitches. The S in the name adds a built-in one-channel signal generator and a Bode plot tool, from 10 Hz to 25 MHz, for checking filters and power-supply feedback loops. It also has a port for 16 logic channels, plus LAN, USB and HDMI connections and a 7-inch touch screen. The logic probe is sold separately, owners of Rigol's related DHO800 scopes mention fan noise, and the price is roughly double that of a good entry scope.

The Hantek DSO2D15 (about $232) is a budget bench scope with two channels, 150 MHz of rated bandwidth and 1 billion samples a second, plus something rare at this price: a built-in arbitrary waveform generator. That gives a student or hobbyist a signal source and a scope on one small bench. It decodes five serial bus types, offers 14 trigger modes and has a carrying handle. Independent bench testing is thin, though, and owner reports are mixed. Some describe trouble triggering on small signals that firmware updates didn't cure, and others mention slow replies from the maker's support. It's a sensible budget choice if you can live with those risks and want the generator.

The FNIRSI 2C53T (about $99) is a pocket-size three-in-one tool: a 50 MHz two-channel scope, a 19,999-count multimeter and a signal generator with 13 waveforms up to 50 kHz. It has a 2.8-inch screen and a 3,000 mAh battery that charges over USB-C, and it saves screenshots you can copy to a computer. Reviewers at Elektor and element14 found its meter readings close to their reference instruments, which makes it a handy car or appliance tool. As a scope, it's basic. It samples at 250 million points a second but holds only 1,000 points, so it can't capture long events. Its automatic frequency readout can be wrong, the probes feel flimsy, and some owners report restarts on certain firmware versions.