Leveling is the most common method for determining elevation in conventional geodesy and engineering construction surveys.A level is an instrument that provides a level sight and gives level readings for leveling.In this study，we compare electronic and automatic compensated levels，levels that are commonly used currently.Using DINI11 and NI002 as examples，we analyzed the development status，instrument structure，operating principle，influence factors，and anti-jamming capabilities with the observation results，which indicate that the electronic level （DINI11）shows relatively advanced performance and strong anti-jamming capability compared to the automatic compensated level （NI002）；however，its measurement precision is lower than that of the NI002 level，and is possibly associated with the magnification of the instrument.In addition，we also discuss the rationality behind replacing an optical instrument with an electronic instrument for precise leveling.Evidence indicates that the DINI11 electronic level can replace the Ni002 automatic compensated level in most seismic stations，especially within stadia of 50 m.The DINI11 electronic level can reach one or second order leveling accuracy，and we believe it can replace the NI002 automatic compensated level for regional leveling.