It’s too bad Saleae prices are so high now. Their original models launched at a very affordable price point but that’s long gone.
In the past they’ve offered discounts to students and contractors if you know where to look and how to ask: https://blog.saleae.com/saleae-discounts/ If anyone is considering one, it’s worth a try to see if they still honor this.
The alternative logic analyzers mentioned in this article look interesting, but the software side leaves a lot to be desired. Some people get along okay with PulseView (or forks, like in this article) but I never enjoy using it.
Even with the alleged education discount a Logic8 will still set you back around 250$ and it only has 8 channels @ 100MS/s, the LA used by the article author is 69$ and does 200MS/s on 16 channels, going up to 800MS/s if you're using just 4ch.
The new Saleae Logic MSO looks like a fantastic piece of kit, but their pricing isn't justifiable for an hobbist IMHO.
There’s more to a LA than the sample rate. The main benefit of the Saleae is the software, which is what you’re really paying for.
For a budget hobbyist I do agree that going with a very cheap hardware and dealing with Pulse View is the way to go. For anyone doing more serious or paid work the Saleae devices really can be worth the premium if you can swing it.