Last reviewed: May 2026 · MLC editorial team · UK trade workshop perspective
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An oscilloscope is the difference between guessing what a circuit is doing and seeing it. Three brands dominate the £200-£1,500 trade and maker market: Rigol, Siglent, and Keysight at the lab-grade end. The choice depends less on bandwidth than on the analysis features and user interface. In workshops across the UK, engineers rely on these tools for daily tasks like signal monitoring and troubleshooting. Whether you need a basic 100MHz model or something more advanced with deeper memory and better triggering options, knowing which oscilloscope suits your specific needs is key to getting the job done efficiently.
How we picked these
- Bandwidth: 70-100MHz is the modern minimum for digital electronics. 200MHz+ for fast switching SMPS or RF work.
- Sample rate: minimum 1GSa/s, ideally 2GSa/s per channel for 100MHz signals.
- Memory depth: 12Mpts minimum (Rigol DS1054Z). Deeper memory = longer capture time at full sample rate.
- Channels: 4 channels is the modern trade standard. 2-channel is bench-electronics-only.
- Trigger: edge, pulse, video, runt, and serial decode (I²C, SPI, UART) are the minimum modern set.
Reviewed picks
Rigol DS1054Z (4ch 50MHz)
Price: £270-£350 | Best for: the legendary maker / engineering student scope
The Rigol DS1054Z is a stalwart in UK workshops at £270 to £350, offering four channels and 50MHz bandwidth - though it's hackable to 100MHz for those willing to tinker. With 1GSa/s sample rate and 12Mpts memory, it packs a punch for its price. Its dated UI is a drawback, but the massive community support makes up for any shortcomings.
| Bandwidth | 50MHz (hackable to 100MHz) |
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| Sample | 1GSa/s |
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| Memory | 12Mpts |
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| Channels | 4 |
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| Display | 7" colour |
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Pros
- Best price-per-channel on the market
- Famously hackable to 100MHz
- Huge community knowledge base
Cons
- 50MHz badge bandwidth
- UI is dated
Check Rigol DS1054Z (4ch 50MHz) on Amazon UK →
Siglent SDS1104X-E (4ch 100MHz)
Price: £350-£450 | Best for: modern UI engineer / lab scope at Rigol price
The Siglent SDS1104X-E is a solid 100MHz oscilloscope at £350 to £450, offering native bandwidth without hacks and faster waveform updates than its Rigol counterparts. It boasts a modern UI that's a breeze for daily use but comes with a smaller community and paid decode options, making it a strong choice for UK engineers on a budget.
| Bandwidth | 100MHz |
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| Sample | 1GSa/s shared / 500MSa/s per channel |
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| Memory | 14Mpts |
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| Channels | 4 |
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| Display | 7" colour |
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Pros
- Native 100MHz, no hack
- Faster waveform update than Rigol
- Better UI for daily use
Cons
- Smaller community than Rigol
- Decode options are paid
Check Siglent SDS1104X-E (4ch 100MHz) on Amazon UK →
Hantek DSO5102P (2ch 100MHz)
Price: £170-£230 | Best for: lowest-price 100MHz scope for hobbyists
The Hantek DSO5102P is a budget-friendly 100MHz oscilloscope with a 7" LCD display and 1GSa/s sampling rate, ideal for hobbyists at £170 to £230. Its two channels are adequate for most projects, but the memory depth of only 40Kpts limits complex waveform analysis.
| Bandwidth | 100MHz |
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| Sample | 1GSa/s |
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| Memory | 40Kpts |
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| Channels | 2 |
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| Display | 7" LCD |
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Pros
- £170 entry to 100MHz
- Adequate 2-channel for most hobby work
- Cheap enough for risk-on bench use
Cons
- 40Kpts memory - very shallow
- Hantek brand isn't trade-grade
- 2 channels only
Check Hantek DSO5102P (2ch 100MHz) on Amazon UK →
Tektronix TBS1052C (2ch 50MHz)
Price: £450-£550 | Best for: Tektronix brand on a budget
The Tektronix TBS1052C is a solid choice for UK trade workshops needing a reliable 50MHz oscilloscope with 1GSa/s sampling and 7-inch colour display. At £450 to £550, it's pricey for its specs but offers the real Tektronix build quality and user interface. However, its memory depth of 20Kpts is less than half that of pricier Rigol models.
| Bandwidth | 50MHz |
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| Sample | 1GSa/s |
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| Memory | 20Kpts |
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| Channels | 2 |
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| Display | 7" colour |
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Pros
- Real Tektronix name on the box
- Robust trade build
- Solid UI
Cons
- Pricey for 2-channel 50MHz
- Memory shallower than Rigol at 3x the price
Check Tektronix TBS1052C (2ch 50MHz) on Amazon UK →
Rigol MSO5074 (4ch 70MHz, mixed-signal)
Price: £650-£850 | Best for: embedded / FPGA developer wanting mixed-signal
The Rigol MSO5074 is a solid choice for £650 to £850, offering 70MHz bandwidth and 8GSa/s sampling rate with 100Mpts memory depth. It boasts four analogue channels and sixteen digital channels, ideal for embedded or FPGA work. The 9-inch touchscreen UI makes it user-friendly, but the 70MHz limit on analogue channels might be a drawback for some.
| Bandwidth | 70MHz |
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| Sample | 8GSa/s |
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| Memory | 100Mpts |
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| Channels | 4 analogue + 16 digital |
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| Display | 9" capacitive touch |
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Pros
- 100Mpts memory
- 16 digital channels for embedded
- Touchscreen UI
Cons
- 70MHz analogue
- MSO option costs extra if needed
Check Rigol MSO5074 (4ch 70MHz, mixed-signal) on Amazon UK →
Keysight DSOX1102G (2ch 70MHz)
Price: £900-£1,200 | Best for: lab-grade UI and Keysight ecosystem
The Keysight DSOX1102G is a solid choice for lab work with its 70MHz bandwidth and 2GSa/s sampling rate, housed in a robust build at £900 to £1,200. Its standout feature is the intuitive user interface, making it easy to operate even complex functions. However, its premium price tag might be steep for some compared to rivals like Rigol or Siglent, which offer larger communities and similar specs at lower costs.
| Bandwidth | 70MHz |
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| Sample | 2GSa/s |
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| Memory | 1Mpts |
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| Channels | 2 |
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| Display | 7" capacitive touch |
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Pros
- Lab-grade Keysight build
- Built-in function generator
- Best UI in the £1k range
Cons
- Premium price for 2-channel 70MHz
- Smaller community than Rigol / Siglent
Check Keysight DSOX1102G (2ch 70MHz) on Amazon UK →
Recommendations at a glance
| Best overall (maker / student) | Rigol DS1054Z - hackable to 100MHz, 4 channels, £300 |
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| Best modern engineer pick | Siglent SDS1104X-E - native 100MHz, fast UI, 4 channels |
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| Best budget | Hantek DSO5102P - £170 for 100MHz (with caveats) |
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| Best for embedded development | Rigol MSO5074 - 16 digital + 4 analogue, 100Mpts memory |
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| Best lab-grade entry | Keysight DSOX1102G - Keysight UI and brand at sub-£1.2k |
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| Best Tektronix-brand budget | TBS1052C - real Tektronix at sub-£500 |
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Related reference on MLC
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Rigol DS1054Z so popular?
Released around 2014, the DS1054Z combined 4 channels, 12Mpts memory, and a documented 50MHz-to-100MHz hack at a £350 price point that none of its competitors matched. It became the default learner / maker scope and the community knowledge base is still enormous a decade later.
How much bandwidth do I need?
For modern digital electronics, the rule of thumb is 5x the highest signal frequency. A 20MHz clock needs 100MHz bandwidth. SPI/I²C at 1-10MHz needs 50MHz minimum. Switch-mode supplies with fast edges need 100-200MHz. RF / fast logic above 50MHz needs 200MHz+.
Rigol or Siglent - which is better?
Siglent has the more modern UI and faster waveform update rate. Rigol has the larger community and hackable bandwidth. For a new buyer in 2026, Siglent SDS1104X-E is the better all-rounder; for a learner who wants community support, Rigol DS1054Z still wins.
Do I need a 4-channel scope?
Yes if you're working on power circuits (need to see input, gate drive, output, reference simultaneously) or any communications work. 2-channel is fine for basic timing measurements and bench-electronics debugging but you'll outgrow it within a year.
What's the difference between 1GSa/s shared and 500MSa/s per channel?
Siglent's SDS1104X-E samples at 1GSa/s when using one channel, 500MSa/s when two are active, 250MSa/s when four are active. Rigol's DS1054Z samples 1GSa/s shared the same way. This is normal for the price class - only lab-grade scopes (Keysight, Tektronix MDO) maintain full sample rate per channel.
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