Head to head · Prices checked Nov 10, 2026

Gateron iG 98 vs Keychron J4

Get the Gateron iG 98 for knob. Get the Keychron J4 for qmk and via.

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Knob

from$109at MK

QMK

from$59at Keychron

Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Gateron iG 98

Knob

Build quality in the bottom 25% of 98% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

$109 at MK

Get the

Keychron J4

QMK

Build quality in the top 30% of 80% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
No numpad.

$59 at Keychron

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.

Gateron iG 98

Keychron J4

Layout size
98%
80%
Switch options
Clicky
Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Knob
Yes
No
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

Gateron iG 98
Keychron J4

Performance: 78
82
Build quality: 53
71
Productivity: 73
89
Customizability: 74
89
Portability: 56
73

What they share

Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Hot-swappable
Battery: 4,000 mAh
Case material: ABS

See every spec side by side

Full specs

Gateron iG 98 vs Keychron J4 specs

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

10 of 26 specs differ

Spec

Gateron iG 98

Keychron J4

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky

Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes

Mount style

Plate Mount

—

Sound dampening

Yes

Layout

Layout size

98%

80%

Layout standard

ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard

Knob

Yes

Display

None

Media keys

Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

—

1,000 Hz

Battery

4,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS

Plate material

Plastic, Polycarbonate

Steel

Keycaps

ABS

PBT

Weight

—

870 g

Dimensions

—

38 x 366 x 138 mm

Typing angle

6°

10°

Backlight

RGB, north-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes

VIA

Yes

N-key rollover

Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes

Extras

Released

2024

2025

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.

Gateron iG 982 stores