Epomaker TH99 vs Keychron K5 Max
Choose the TH99 for gasket-mounted acoustics and silent switch options, or the K5 Max for a low-profile full-size layout with QMK and VIA support.
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5.0 (48)5.0 · 48 reviews
from$66at Epomaker
90-day lowLowest price in 90 days
4.1 (16)4.1 · 16 reviews
from$94at Keychron
Which one should you get?
Get the
Epomaker TH99
Battery
Build quality in the bottom 45% of 96% boards under $100.
- Gasket mount with five vendor-described damping layers, including Poron, IXPE, silicone, and PET.
- Silent linear switch option, alongside a linear switch option.
- Hot-swappable PCB supports 3-pin and 5-pin mechanical switches.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Get the
Keychron K5 Max
Build quality in the top 15% of 100% boards under $100.
- Full-size 100% layout with a listed set of multimedia keys.
- QMK and VIA support, with vendor-described key remapping and macros.
- Low-profile design with an ABS and aluminum frame.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
Choose the Epomaker TH99 if a compact numpad layout, gasket-mounted acoustics, and a silent switch option matter most. Choose the Keychron K5 Max if you want a lighter, low-profile full-size board with QMK and VIA support. Before buying the K5 Max, check that your preferred switches and keycaps are low-profile compatible.
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.
Epomaker TH99
Keychron K5 Max
Layout size
96%
100%
Battery
4,000 mAh
2,000 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Low profile
No
Yes
Case material
ABS
ABS, Aluminum
Switch options
Linear, Silent
Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- Epomaker TH99
- Keychron K5 Max
- Performance
- 7481
- Build quality
- 5981
- Productivity
- 7689
- Customizability
- 5888
- Portability
- 5453
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Hot-swappable
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The TH99 has the edge for quieter office typing, especially for buyers who want its silent linear option and layered acoustic design. The K5 Max is a stronger fit for programming and content workflows that benefit from its QMK/VIA support, full-size layout, and multimedia keys. Travel favors the lighter K5 Max, although both provide wireless connectivity. Gaming is close on the listed polling rate and connectivity, so layout and switch preference are the more useful tie-breakers.
It's a tie
- Both list a 1000 Hz polling rate and wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz connectivity.
- The TH99 offers N-Key Rollover and hot-swappable switches, and the K5 Max also lists N-Key Rollover and hot-swapping.
- The TH99 has a compact 96% layout, while the K5 Max has a 100% layout.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Epomaker TH99
48 owner reviews
“This keyboard is of very good quality, robust, its keys are pleasant to press and its versatility as it can be connected to various devices makes it perfect.”
Keychron K5 Max
16 owner reviews
“This is by far the best keyboard I've ever had. I did my research with AI defined the one I should get. I'm glad I did this first! I type about a hundred words a minute and do a lot of document creation as well as coding. This keyboard keeps up with me in the…”
“The printing quality of the Hungarian keycaps is very poor. The stroke thickness of the letters varies even within a single keycap—one letter is thick while another is thin. They look ugly. Also, on the internet the "esc" key appears orange, but in reality it…”
Epomaker TH99 vs Keychron K5 Max specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
16 of 26 specs differ
Epomaker TH99
Keychron K5 Max
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Low profile
Sound dampening
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
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
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Epomaker TH99
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron K5 Max
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic
In stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK
In stockDoes not ship to you
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
Epomaker TH99 vs Keychron K5 Max: your questions
Both list a 1000 Hz polling rate, N-Key Rollover, and wired and wireless connections. Choose based on layout and switch preference: the TH99 is a compact 96% board, while the K5 Max is full-size and low-profile.
The TH99 has a silent linear switch option and a vendor-described five-layer damping stack with Poron, IXPE, silicone, and PET. The K5 Max lists sound dampening and IXPE acoustic foam, but its listed switch options are linear, tactile, and clicky.
Yes, the TH99's 96% layout includes a numpad. Epomaker describes it as a compact 102-key layout with a full numpad and eight function keys.
Yes, the K5 Max is listed as a 100% layout with 108 keys. It also has multimedia keys, according to the product details.
No, the K5 Max compatibility rules specify low-profile switches and keycaps, so standard MX keycaps will not fit. Keychron also describes the board as using low-profile Gateron mechanical switches.
Both are listed as hot-swappable. The TH99 supports 3-pin and 5-pin mechanical switches, while the K5 Max hot-swappable version is limited to low-profile Gateron or Keychron mechanical switches.
The K5 Max is listed with QMK and VIA support, and Keychron describes remapping keys and creating macros through its Launcher app. The TH99's listed extra features do not name QMK or VIA.
The K5 Max is the lighter option at 720 g, compared with the TH99 at 2000 g. The K5 Max is also listed as 424 x 119 mm, while the TH99 is listed as 20 x 402 x 303 mm.
Both list Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless, as well as wired connectivity. Both also list a 1000 Hz polling rate.
The TH99 has south-facing LEDs, and its compatibility notes warn that shine-through legends stay dark. The same notes say some sculpted keycaps can clip the LEDs.
The K5 Max lists ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, ISO-UK, and ANSI layouts. The TH99's compatibility rules say it is not offered in ISO variants.
The TH99 is listed with a 4000mAh battery, while the K5 Max is listed with a 2000mAh battery. These figures describe capacity, not a guaranteed runtime comparison.
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