Rigol vs Siglent Oscilloscopes 2026: Full Comparison

Rigol and Siglent are the AMD and Intel of hobbyist oscilloscopes. Both are Chinese manufacturers that deliver professional-grade features at hobbyist prices, both have dedicated communities, and forum debates about which is better can get surprisingly heated. The short answer: both make excellent scopes, and the best choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and which features matter most to you. This guide breaks down the real differences so you can make an informed decision without wading through brand tribalism. I've used both brands extensively and I'll give you the honest picture, including where each brand falls short.

Rigol's new DHO series (DHO804, DHO924S) runs a modern phone-like touchscreen interface. It's intuitive, responsive, and has almost no learning curve. Pinch to zoom on a waveform, tap to place a cursor, swipe to scroll — if you can use a smartphone, you can navigate the DHO interface. Siglent's interface is more traditional and button-focused. It's functional and logical once you learn it, but it feels more like laboratory equipment than consumer electronics. Power users often prefer Siglent's physical buttons because they're faster once you know the layout. Beginners tend to prefer Rigol's touchscreen. The older Rigol DS1000Z series (DS1054Z, DS1104Z-S Plus) uses the same traditional button interface as Siglent — so if you're comparing DS1054Z vs SDS1202X-E, the interface difference is much smaller. For remote control and automation, both support SCPI commands via USB or LAN. Siglent's EasyScope software provides decent remote viewing. Rigol's Ultra Sigma is adequate. Neither is exceptional for programmatic control at the hobbyist price tier.

This is where Siglent has a meaningful edge. Siglent includes SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, and LIN decoding standard on most models — no license fees, no activation codes, no upselling. Rigol's story is more complicated. The DHO series includes SPI, I2C, and UART, but CAN and LIN decoding are paid license options on most Rigol models. On the older DS1000Z series, basic decoding is included, but CAN requires a paid license that can cost $30-100. If you need CAN bus decoding for automotive work or industrial protocol analysis, Siglent wins this category cleanly. The SDS1104X-U at $419 includes CAN and LIN free — the equivalent Rigol capability costs noticeably more once you add the license. For general hobbyist use (SPI, I2C, UART), both brands are equivalent.

**Under $450 (mid-range):** | Rigol | Price | Siglent Equivalent | Price | |-------|-------|-------------------|-------| | DHO804 | $439 | (no direct equivalent) | — | | DS1054Z | $349 | SDS1202X-E | $379 | Rigol dominates here. The DHO804 has a 7-inch IPS touchscreen and 50Mpt memory at $439 — nothing from Siglent comes close for the interface. The DS1054Z vs SDS1202X-E comparison is close: DS1054Z wins on channels (4 vs 2) and community; SDS1202X-E wins on bandwidth (200 vs 50MHz) and CAN/LIN decoding. **$400-$800 (premium hobbyist):** | Rigol | Price | Siglent Equivalent | Price | |-------|-------|-------------------|-------| | DHO924S | $449 | SDS1104X-U | $419 | | — | — | SDS1204X-E | $775 | The DHO924S vs SDS1104X-U is the defining comparison in 2026. DHO924S wins on bandwidth (250 vs 100MHz), display (7-inch IPS touchscreen vs 7-inch non-touch), and overall usability. SDS1104X-U wins on CAN/LIN decoding at no extra cost and a lower price. If you need automotive protocol support, the SDS1104X-U at $419 is the better choice. For everything else, the DHO924S is the better scope. **$1,000+ (prosumer):** | Rigol | Price | Siglent | Price | |-------|-------|---------|-------| | (no direct competitor) | — | SDS2104X Plus | $1,099 | Siglent wins clearly with the SDS2104X Plus — 200Mpt memory, IPS touchscreen, comprehensive protocol decoding, built-in AWG. Rigol doesn't compete at this tier in the hobbyist market.

Rigol has the larger hobbyist community, primarily because the DS1054Z has been the default recommendation for years. EEVblog threads, countless YouTube tutorials, and active r/AskElectronics posts mean that virtually every Rigol question has already been answered. Siglent's community is smaller but growing and tends to attract a slightly more technical audience — engineers who prioritize specs and features over community buzz. Siglent users are often more self-sufficient with documentation. Both Rigol NA and Siglent NA provide English-language support, documentation, and firmware updates. Customer service quality is roughly equivalent in my experience. Siglent's firmware update history is generally considered more consistent — they've had fewer controversial firmware changes than Rigol.

**For most hobbyists in 2026:** Buy the Rigol DHO924S ($449). The 7-inch IPS touchscreen, 250MHz bandwidth, and included protocol decoding make it the most versatile scope in its price range. Nothing from Siglent matches it at this price. **If you need CAN/LIN decoding included:** Buy the Siglent SDS1104X-U ($419). It's the most cost-effective path to automotive protocol support without paying Rigol's license fees. **If you want maximum specs at the prosumer level:** The Siglent SDS2104X Plus ($1,099) is the clear choice with its 200Mpt memory and comprehensive protocol decoding. **If you want the safest, most proven choice:** The Rigol DS1054Z at $349 has a decade of community validation, a well-documented bandwidth hack, and is still an excellent scope. The DHO924S is better, but the DS1054Z is never a wrong answer. **If budget is tight:** The Rigol DHO804 at $439 is better than anything Siglent offers for an IPS touchscreen experience at that price tier.

**Is Rigol or Siglent more reliable long-term?** Both brands have good long-term reliability track records in the hobbyist community. The DS1054Z has been in the field for over a decade with very few reported hardware failures. Siglent's newer platforms have similarly solid reputations. I wouldn't choose based on reliability concerns — both are fine. **Which has better software and firmware updates?** Siglent has generally been praised for more consistent firmware updates with fewer controversial changes. Rigol's DHO series firmware has improved significantly since launch. The DS1000Z series is essentially stable at this point. **Does Siglent have better protocol decoding?** For CAN and LIN specifically, yes — it's included free while Rigol charges for it. For SPI, I2C, and UART, they're comparable. **Rigol DHO924S vs Siglent SDS1104X-U — which should I buy?** If you don't need CAN/LIN decoding: DHO924S, clearly — better display, more bandwidth, same price. If you do need CAN/LIN: SDS1104X-U saves you the license cost and delivers solid 4-channel performance. **Are Rigol and Siglent the same company?** No. They're separate Chinese companies and direct competitors, though both emerged from the same generation of Chinese test equipment manufacturers that disrupted the market in the 2000s-2010s.