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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

Tars Work Tars T1 vs Keychron 81 Pro

Get the Keychron 81 Pro for qmk.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Tars Work Tars T1

Build quality in the top 40% of 75% boards under $200.

Get the

Keychron 81 Pro

QMK

Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $150.

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.

Tars Work Tars T1

Keychron 81 Pro

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Bluetooth, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Switch options

    Linear

    Clicky, Linear, Tactile

  • Display

    Yes

    None

    A case display rather than a typing feature

  • Weight

    2,045 g

    1,887 g

    Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel

  • QMK

    No

    Yes

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Tars Work Tars T1
  • Keychron 81 Pro
Performance
80
82
Build quality
72
87
Productivity
62
97
Customizability
78
94
Portability
73
82

What they share

  • Layout size: 75%
  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: Aluminum
  • Knob
  • VIA
  • Keycaps: PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Tars Work Tars T1 vs Keychron 81 Pro specs

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

13 of 27 specs differ

Tars Work Tars T1

Keychron 81 Pro

Typing & switches

Switch options

Linear
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

—
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

Sound dampening

No
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

75%
75%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
Yes

Display

Yes
None

Media keys

No
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Bluetooth, Wired

Max polling rate

—
1,000 Hz

Battery

—
4,000 mAh

USB-C

No
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

—
Polycarbonate

Keycaps

PBT
PBT

Weight

2,045 g
1,887 g

Dimensions

36 x 356 x 137 mm
47 x 338 x 151 mm

Typing angle

7°
—

Backlight

RGB
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

No
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

No
Yes

Extras

Released

2026
2023

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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