The 9 Best Digital Oscilloscopes

Hobbyists have long picked the Siglent SDS1104X-E as a first serious scope, and it's still sold new. Four channels and 100 MHz of bandwidth cover Arduino, Raspberry Pi, audio and most power supply work. Decoding for the common serial buses comes free instead of as a paid add-on, and a sensitive low range helps with small signals. The design is several years old, the screen isn't a touch screen, and it shows coarser detail than newer high-resolution scopes.

With the Rigol DHO804, 12-bit resolution comes at a low price, so power-supply ripple and small signals show in much finer detail. The compact body has a touch screen, runs from a USB-C adapter and sends video out over HDMI, and the common serial buses decode as standard. It's rated at 70 MHz. The hardware can reach well past that, but plan around the rated figure. The fan can be noisy, and firmware bugs crop up.

The Siglent SDS814X HD pairs 12-bit resolution with the speed and memory to back it up, so long captures keep a high sample rate across its 100 MHz of bandwidth. The touch screen redraws waveforms quickly, and serial bus decoding is standard. Many experienced hobbyists favor this series for its analysis tools and steady firmware updates. It's pricey for a first scope, and the logic channels need a paid option plus a separate probe.

If you need 200 MHz for fast digital edges or radio hobby work, the Rigol DS1202Z-E gets you there at low cost. Deep memory and a record-and-replay mode help hunt down a rare fault, and a high-resolution mode trims noise. Several serial buses decode at no charge. Performance drops when both channels run, the frequency-analysis tool is weak and the fan is audible. With two channels, buses that need a separate clock and data line are hard to watch.

The Owon HDS272S fits a 70 MHz two-channel scope, a multimeter and a signal generator into a phone-shaped handheld. It runs from a rechargeable battery and has a fold-out stand, so it suits car work, field repairs and crowded benches. Electronics blogger Kerry Wong took one apart and praised its fast screen updates. The screen is small, the most sensitive range limits small-signal work, and probes can be missing from the box, so check what's included.

For car and factory wiring, the Siglent SDS1202X-E covers a lot: it's a 200 MHz scope that triggers on and decodes the serial buses cars and machines use, with no extra fees. It also has a huge owner base, so forum help, tutorials and accessories are easy to find. The design is several years old, and the screen isn't touch-sensitive. With two channels, you can't watch a clock, a data line and a chip select at once.

Buyers who have outgrown an entry scope can step up to the Rigol DHO924S. It pairs 250 MHz of bandwidth with 12-bit resolution and captures waveforms fast enough to catch rare glitches. A built-in signal generator and a frequency-response tool help check filters and power-supply feedback loops, and there's a port for a logic probe, plus network, USB and HDMI connections. That probe is sold separately, and the price is steep for a hobby bench.

Students and hobbyists who want a signal source and a scope on one small bench should look at the Hantek DSO2D15. It adds a built-in waveform generator, rare at this price, to two channels and 150 MHz of rated bandwidth, and it decodes several serial bus types. A carrying handle helps it move between benches. Independent testing is thin, though. It can struggle to trigger on small signals, firmware updates haven't cured that, and Hantek's support can be slow.

The FNIRSI 2C53T packs a basic 50 MHz scope, a multimeter and a signal generator into a pocket-size tool that charges over USB-C and saves screenshots for a computer. Its meter readings track closely with reference instruments, which makes it a handy car or appliance tool. As a scope, it's limited: the tiny memory can't capture long events, and the automatic frequency readout can be wrong. The probes feel flimsy, and some firmware versions cause restarts.