AULA F99 Pro vs Keychron V5 MaxBudget vs Customizability
Choose the AULA F99 Pro for its long battery life and lower cost, or the Keychron V5 Max for deep firmware customization and ISO layout support.
Which one should you get?
Get the
AULA F99 Pro
Budget
- Larger 8000mAh battery for extended wireless use.
- Includes five layers of sound-dampening materials like sandwich foam and a PET film.
- Uses a flex-cut PCB and PC plate for a softer typing feel.
- Only available with linear switch options.
- Uses a proprietary AULA Driver software instead of open-source firmware.
- Case and plate materials are listed as ABS and plastic, respectively.
Get the
Keychron V5 Max
Customizability
- Supports QMK and VIA open-source firmware for deep customization.
- Available in a wide array of ISO and ANSI layouts.
- Comes with screw-in PCB stabilizers and a polycarbonate plate.
- Smaller 4000mAh battery compared to the AULA.
- Higher price point than the AULA F99 Pro.
- The assembled version's keycaps are not shine-through for the RGB backlight.
Your priority should guide this choice. If maximizing wireless battery life and getting a feature-rich keyboard at a lower cost is most important, the AULA F99 Pro is compelling. If you value extensive firmware customization, plan to mod extensively, need a specific ISO layout, or want the reassurance of a specified high polling rate for gaming, the Keychron V5 Max is worth the extra investment.
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.
AULA F99 Pro
Keychron V5 Max
Battery
8,000 mAh
4,000 mAh
Case material
ABS
ABS, Plastic
Switch options
Linear
Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Mount style
Gasket Mount
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount
Weight
1,023 g
925 g
- AULA F99 Pro
- Keychron V5 Max
- Performance
- 6783
- Build quality
- 6386
- Productivity
- 8497
- Customizability
- 6798
- Portability
- 6353
- Layout size: 96%
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Knob
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The Keychron V5 Max is the stronger choice for gaming due to its specified polling rate and for programming due to its QMK/VIA support and ISO layouts. It also dominates for modders with its barebones option and screw-in stabilizers. The AULA F99 Pro wins for travel based on its much larger battery capacity. For office use and content creation, the keyboards are closely matched, sharing core productivity features like the knob and tri-mode connectivity.
Pick the Keychron V5 Max
- The Keychron V5 Max lists a 1000 Hz polling rate for its 2.4 GHz wireless mode, which the AULA's specifications do not mention.
- Its vendor description highlights a powerful ARM MCU for low latency.
- It includes N-key rollover for simultaneous key presses.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
AULA F99 Pro
41 owner reviews
“I got the Aula F99 pro 2 of them and 2 of the Aula black mice. Most amazing keyboard and mouse. I use them with my Galaxy phone with Samsung Dex, as well my gaming pc.”
“JUNK GARBAGE TRASH. What can I say. I cant type on it and I cant use it. TOSSING IT”
Keychron V5 Max
5 owner reviews
“The keys feel smooth and easy as you type. It's probably the best keyboard I've used. I've had a number of mechanical keyboards, but, none of them can compare to the v5 max. The feel of the thing while typing, is hard to not constantly repeat.”
AULA F99 Pro vs Keychron V5 Max specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
14 of 27 specs differ
AULA F99 Pro
Keychron V5 Max
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
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.
AULA F99 Pro vs Keychron V5 Max: your questions
The AULA F99 Pro has a larger 8000mAh battery, which is double the 4000mAh capacity of the Keychron V5 Max. Based on specifications alone, the AULA should offer significantly longer wireless usage between charges.
Yes, but the methods differ. The Keychron V5 Max uses open-source QMK and VIA firmware for extensive, community-driven key remapping and macro creation. The AULA F99 Pro relies on its proprietary AULA Driver software for customization.
No. According to Keychron's specifications, the double-shot PBT keycaps on the fully assembled V5 Max are not shine-through. The south-facing RGB LEDs provide underglow lighting.
The Keychron V5 Max is the clear choice, as it is explicitly listed with support for ISO-UK, ISO-DE, ISO-FR, ISO-Nordic, and other ISO layouts. The AULA F99 Pro is listed with an ANSI layout only.
Yes. Both the AULA F99 Pro and the Keychron V5 Max include a rotary knob, which is typically used for volume control and media playback.
Yes. Both keyboards feature hot-swappable PCBs, allowing you to change mechanical switches without soldering. Both support standard 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches.
The Keychron V5 Max product page specifies a 1000 Hz polling rate for its 2.4 GHz wireless and wired modes. The polling rate for the AULA F99 Pro is not stated in its available specifications.
The Keychron V5 Max is more mod-friendly. It offers a barebones kit, uses screw-in PCB stabilizers, has a polycarbonate plate, and supports QMK/VIA firmware, giving modders more points of customization from the hardware to the software level.
The AULA F99 Pro is listed with linear switch options (Nimbus V3 and Star Arrow). The Keychron V5 Max offers a choice of linear, tactile, and clicky switches (like Gateron Jupiter Red, Brown, and Banana) and is also available as a barebones kit for any compatible switch.
Yes. Both the AULA F99 Pro and Keychron V5 Max list Mac support. The Keychron specifically includes a system toggle and an extra set of keycaps for switching between macOS and Windows layouts.
The AULA F99 Pro uses a PC (polycarbonate) plate, as per its vendor description. The Keychron V5 Max also uses a polycarbonate (PC) plate. Both aim to provide a softer, more flexible typing feel compared to metal plates.
Not sold on either?
Still torn?
Answer a few quick questions and the keyboard finder ranks 2,000+ boards by how you will actually use yours.