LM358 vs LM2904: What's the Difference and Which to Choose

Walk into any electronics factory in Shenzhen, Dongguan or Suzhou and you will find reels of both LM358 and LM2904 sitting side by side in the SMT feeder racks. They share the same DIP-8 and SOP-8 packages, the same pinout, the same internal block diagram, and — to three significant digits — the same electrical specifications. A purchasing agent who has never read a datasheet carefully will see two interchangeable parts and pick whichever is cheaper this week.

That approach works about 90% of the time. The other 10% produces field failures in outdoor equipment, automotive accessories, industrial sensors, and any product that sees temperatures outside a climate-controlled office. The difference between LM358 and LM2904 is not electrical — it is thermal qualification, and that single line in the datasheet determines whether your product survives a Minnesota winter or a Saudi Arabian summer.

This article lays out exactly what differs, when it matters, and how to specify the right part on your BOM so your contract manufacturer does not silently substitute one for the other.

Start with what is identical, because this is why the confusion persists:

Architecture. Both are dual, high-gain, internally frequency-compensated operational amplifiers. Two independent amplifiers in an 8-pin package, no external compensation needed.

Supply range. Both operate from a single 3 V to 32 V supply, or from dual ±1.5 V to ±16 V supplies. The absolute maximum supply is 32 V for both.

Gain-bandwidth product. 1.2 MHz typical for both, measured at unity gain with 50 pF load.

Slew rate. 0.5 V/µs typical for both, measured in unity-gain follower configuration.

Input offset voltage. ±2 mV typical at 25 °C for the standard grade of both. (TI also offers LM358A, LM358B, LM2904A, LM2904B with tighter offset grades — more on that below.)

Input bias current. 45 nA typical at 25 °C for both, doubling roughly every 10 °C of junction temperature rise.

Common-mode input range. Both include the negative rail (V-) and extend to within 1.5 V of the positive rail (V+). Neither is rail-to-rail on the input.

Output swing. Both swing to within a few millivolts of the negative rail and to within 1.5 V of the positive rail under light load. Neither is rail-to-rail on the output.

Supply current. 0.7 mA typical per amplifier (1.4 mA for the dual package), independent of supply voltage, for both.

Package. DIP-8 through-hole and SOP-8 (also called SOIC-8) surface-mount, with identical pinouts.

If your design lives inside a climate-controlled office or a consumer product that never sees extreme temperatures, LM358 and LM2904 are functionally interchangeable and you should buy whichever is cheaper or shorter lead time this quarter.

Here is the entire distinction, quoted from the TI datasheets:

LM358: Operating temperature range 0 °C to +70 °C (commercial grade). LM2904: Operating temperature range -25 °C to +85 °C (industrial grade).

That is a 60 °C wider operating envelope on the LM2904, and it is not just a marketing claim — it reflects actual silicon qualification. TI tests LM2904 lots across the full -25/+85 range and guarantees all electrical parameters stay within datasheet limits at every temperature in that window. LM358 lots are tested only at 25 °C, with characterization data at 0 °C and 70 °C but no production test at the extremes.

What does this mean in practice? At -10 °C, an LM358 may still function — many will — but TI does not guarantee that input offset voltage stays within ±7 mV, that gain-bandwidth stays above 1 MHz, or that the output can still swing to within 100 mV of ground. Some units will drift out of spec; some will fail to start; some will work fine for months and then fail during a cold snap. You are outside the qualified envelope, and your field-failure rate becomes a lottery.

At +80 °C inside a sealed enclosure on a summer day in Phoenix or Dubai, the same logic applies in reverse. An LM358 may work; an LM2904 is guaranteed to work.

The 60 °C wider range costs about $0.03-0.08 per part in volume — trivial compared to the cost of a single field return, warranty claim or product recall.

Both LM358 and LM2904 come in multiple grades that tighten input offset voltage. The full TI family looks like this:

The "AV" suffix indicates AEC-Q100 Grade 1 automotive qualification — tested at -40/+125 °C with PPAP documentation, 100% burn-in, and traceability to wafer lot. For any automotive-cabin, under-hood-adjacent, or safety-critical application, LM2904AV is the only acceptable choice in this family.

Second sources from other manufacturers follow the same naming convention: STMicroelectronics offers LM358ST and LM2904ST, onsemi offers LM358DR2G and LM2904DR2G, and NXP, Diodes Inc, and several Asian vendors produce compatible parts. All are pin-and-spec compatible with TI's versions, though the exact grade suffixes may differ — always check the manufacturer's datasheet for the specific part number you are buying.

Use this decision tree to pick the right part:

Is the product ever exposed to temperatures below 0 °C or above 70 °C? - No → LM358 (standard grade) is fine, cheapest option - Yes → Continue

Does the product need to operate at -40 °C (automotive, outdoor in cold climates, aerospace)? - Yes → LM2904AV (AEC-Q100 Grade 1) - No → LM2904 (industrial grade)

Does the circuit require input offset voltage below 2 mV (precision sensor front-ends, low-side current shunts under 10 mV signal)? - Yes → LM358B or LM2904B (1 mV max) - Moderate (2-5 mV acceptable) → LM358A or LM2904A - No → Standard grade is fine

Is the circuit a pure comparator application (no feedback, output saturated)? - Yes → Use LM393 or LM2903 instead. Op-amps are not optimized for open-loop switching; comparators are. See our LM393 datasheet page for details.

Is the circuit battery-powered with supply below 3 V? - Yes → Neither LM358 nor LM2904 will work. Use TLV9002 (1.8 V min) or MCP6002 (1.8 V min) instead.

Do you need rail-to-rail input or output swing? - Yes → Use LMV358 (RRIO, 2.7-5.5 V) or TLV2372 (RRIO, 2.7-5.5 V, better precision) instead.

When your contract manufacturer reports "LM2904 shortage" and asks to substitute, apply these rules in order:

Safe substitutions (no BOM change needed): - LM2904 ↔ LM2904A ↔ LM2904B — same temperature range, tighter offset is always acceptable - LM2904 (TI) ↔ LM2904ST (ST) ↔ LM2904DR2G (onsemi) — second sources from major vendors, all meet the same datasheet - LM358 ↔ LM358A ↔ LM358B — same logic

Risky substitutions (require engineering approval): - LM358 → LM2904 — always safe (wider temperature range is a superset) - LM2904 → LM358 — NEVER safe without verifying the product never sees sub-zero or high temperatures. This substitution is the #1 cause of "why does our outdoor sensor fail in winter" tickets. - LM2904 → LM2904AV — safe (automotive grade exceeds industrial) - LM2904AV → LM2904 — NEVER safe for automotive applications

Forbidden substitutions: - LM358/LM2904 → LMV358 — different supply range (2.7-5.5 V vs 3-32 V), different output stage, not a drop-in - LM358/LM2904 → LM324 — quad vs dual, different package, different pin count

Always require your CM to submit a formal substitution request with the proposed replacement part's datasheet attached. Do not accept verbal "they're the same" assurances — put it in writing so you have traceability if the substitution causes field failures.

As of Q3 2026, market conditions for both parts are stable:

Pricing. LM358DR (SOP-8) runs $0.04-0.08 in 2,500-pc reel quantities from authorized distribution. LM2904DR runs $0.06-0.12 — a $0.02-0.04 premium that disappears entirely when you consider the field-failure risk of using the wrong grade.

Lead time. TI authorized channel is currently 8-16 weeks for both, with periodic allocation during demand spikes. Shenzhen stock (authorized distributors + vetted brokers) typically has both parts available for 1-2 day shipment.

Second sources. ST, onsemi, NXP, Diodes Inc, and several Asian vendors (SG Micro, 3Peak, Chipscreen) all produce compatible parts. Pricing from Asian vendors is 30-50% lower than TI, but electrical specs are often slightly looser (wider offset, higher bias current). For non-critical applications, Asian second sources are a legitimate cost-reduction path; for precision or automotive applications, stick with TI/ST/onsemi.

Counterfeit risk. Moderate for both. LM358 and LM2904 are among the most-remarked op-amps because of their high volume and simple package. Common frauds include standard-grade LM358 remarked as LM358B, and commercial-grade LM358 remarked as industrial-grade LM2904. Visual inspection under 20× magnification catches most remarked parts; input offset voltage measurement on a sample catches the rest. See our counterfeit detection guide for the full protocol.

MOQ from our Shenzhen warehouse. 2,500 pcs on reel for either part, or 100 pcs loose for prototyping. We stock both LM358DR and LM2904AIDR from TI authorized channel with full C-of-C and lot traceability.