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Head to head · Prices checked Oct 30, 2026

Createkeebs Thera V2 vs Keychron Q1 Max

Get the Keychron Q1 Max for knob and qmk.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Createkeebs Thera V2

Build quality in the bottom 50% of 75% boards under $200.

Rules this board out

  • No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.

Get the

Keychron Q1 Max

Knob

Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $200.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.

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.

Createkeebs Thera V2

Keychron Q1 Max

  • Connection

    Wired

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Mount style

    PCB Mount

    Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

  • QMK

    No

    Yes

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

  • VIA

    No

    Yes

    GUI remapping without compiling firmware

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Createkeebs Thera V2
  • Keychron Q1 Max
Performance
49
81
Build quality
66
89
Productivity
50
97
Customizability
55
98
Portability
61
81

What they share

  • Layout size: 75%
  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: Aluminum
  • Plate material: Polycarbonate
See every spec side by side

From real owners

What owners say

Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.

Createkeebs Thera V2

2.0

6 owner reviews

Critique
“Had the keyboard since August. Dealt with the same issue as another reviewer of keys double registering but dealt with it. PCB died today. 3 stars because everything else was fantastic.”
BillyVerified buyer· via Divinikey

Keychron Q1 Max

4.3

25 owner reviews

Praise
“As a software analyst who do a lot of coding, emailing and editing this is the one. Why would I build one when there is one ready that is better than what I could build?”
JayVerified buyer· via Keychron
Critique
“This product is a downgrade relative to the previous version. I deeply regret not unpacking it and testing it out in the return period: (1) The keyboard is much louder -- on the Pro, keypresses were basically silent with the right switches; now, they are very…”
TyperVerified buyer· via Keychron

Full specs

Createkeebs Thera V2 vs Keychron Q1 Max specs

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

15 of 27 specs differ

Createkeebs Thera V2

Keychron Q1 Max

Typing & switches

Switch options

—
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

PCB Mount
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

75%
75%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI, ISO, ISO-CH, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK, JIS

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

—
1,000 Hz

Battery

Wired only
4,000 mAh

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate

Keycaps

—
PBT

Weight

—
1,724 g

Dimensions

—
23 x 145 x 328 mm

Typing angle

7°
5°

Backlight

None
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

No
Yes

VIA

No
Yes

N-key rollover

No
Yes

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2022
2023

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.

Createkeebs Thera V2

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Keychron Q1 Max

  • Input Gear

    ISO-DE

    Out of stockShips to you

  • Keychron

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-CH

    Out of stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-CH

    In stockDoes not ship to you

Where to buy

Compare prices

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

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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

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