► We measured flat and spherical samples. ► We used stylus profilometer, infinite focus and confocal laser scanning microscopes. ► We obtained the mathematical models of Ra and Rz roughness parameters. The quantitative determination of surface roughness is of vital importance in the field of precision engineering. This paper presents an experimental study of the roughness analyses for the flat and spherical surfaces of machined metal in order to compare the roughness data taken from the cloud data produced by the stylus type profilometer and two optical-based measurement instruments, namely the infinite focus microscope and the confocal laser scanning microscope. In this experimental study, the roughness measurements for fifteen flat and six spherical surfaces were repeated six times using three different measurement instruments. Great care was paid to measure the same location for each measurement. For the comparison of the measurement techniques, the same measurement process was applied to the flat and spherical surfaces individually, and the configurations of the measurement instruments (filter type, cut-off, resolution etc.) were synchronized. R a , two-dimensional (2D) roughness parameter and S a , three-dimensional (3D) roughness parameter were also compared. The measurement results for the samples having spherical surfaces indicated a considerably high difference in values taken from the stylus profilometer and two optical-based measurement instruments in contrast to those for flat surfaces.