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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear vs Mechboards Gherkin Kit

Get the Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear for hot-swappable and qmk.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear

Hot-swappable

Build quality in the top 50% of Numpad boards under $200.

$150 at Apos

Get the

Mechboards Gherkin Kit

Build quality in the bottom 35% of Numpad boards under $50.

Rules this board out

  • Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
$27 at Mechboards

What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear

Mechboards Gherkin Kit

  • Hot-swappable

    Yes

    No

    Switch changes without soldering

  • QMK

    Yes

    No

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

  • Backlight

    RGB

    None

    RGB for looks and low light rather than speed

  • Released

    2026

    2021

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear
  • Mechboards Gherkin Kit
Performance
61
42
Build quality
66
51
Productivity
56
44
Customizability
68
46
Portability
65
60

What they share

  • Layout size: Numpad
  • Ergonomics: Ortholinear
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear vs Mechboards Gherkin Kit specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

4 of 11 specs differ

Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear

Mechboards Gherkin Kit

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Silent, Tactile
—

Hot-swappable

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

Numpad
Numpad

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Ortholinear
Ortholinear

Display

None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
—

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
—

Backlight

RGB
None

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

Extras

Released

2026
2021

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

Apos Preonic Rev 4 Ortholinear2 stores
Mechboards Gherkin Kit2 stores

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