Keychron B33 vs K3 MaxBattery vs Hot-Swap
Choose the Keychron B33 for its 4000mAh battery and gasket mount, or the Keychron K3 Max for hot-swappable switches, QMK/VIA support, and RGB lighting.
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4.7 (3)4.7 · 3 reviews
from$34at MK
4.3 (15)4.3 · 15 reviews
from$89at MK
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron B33
Battery
Build quality in the top 40% of 80% boards under $100.
- 4000mAh battery capacity.
- Gasket mount construction.
- 80% layout with a larger footprint than a 75% board.
- Switches are soldered. Swapping them means soldering.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
- No numpad.
Get the
Keychron K3 Max
Hot-Swap
Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $100.
- Hot-swappable version allows compatible low-profile switches to be changed without soldering.
- QMK and VIA support for key remapping and macros.
- RGB and white backlight options.
- Low-profile switches and keycaps only. Standard MX keycaps will not fit.
- North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
- No numpad.
Get the Keychron B33 if you want its larger 4000mAh battery, gasket mount, and 80% layout. Choose the Keychron K3 Max for features the B33 does not list, including hot-swappable switches, QMK/VIA support, RGB or white backlighting, and ISO variants. The K3 Max is also the lighter, smaller option.
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.
Keychron B33
Keychron K3 Max
Layout size
80%
75%
Hot-swappable
No
Yes
Switch changes without soldering
Battery
4,000 mAh
1,550 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Case material
ABS, Metal
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood
Mount style
Gasket Mount
Plate Mount
- Keychron B33
- Keychron K3 Max
- Performance
- 5881
- Build quality
- 6686
- Productivity
- 8694
- Customizability
- 5291
- Portability
- 7477
- Connection: Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
- Low profile
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- Sound dampening
- Keycaps: ABS, PBT
What will you mostly use it for?
The K3 Max is the more capable fit for gaming, programming, travel, modding, and work that benefits from backlighting, chiefly because it combines a lighter body with hot-swap and QMK/VIA features. The B33 has the edge for office use where its vendor-described quiet typing and larger battery are priorities. Both provide wireless and wired connection options and list multimedia keys. Neither is a numpad-equipped layout.
Pick the Keychron K3 Max
- Both list a 1000 Hz polling rate, while the K3 Max also offers RGB or white backlighting.
- The K3 Max supports hot-swappable switches in its hot-swappable version, allowing switch changes without soldering.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Keychron B33
3 owner reviews
“I switch between my laptop and tablet throughout the day and Bluetooth pairing has been seamless. Typing is nearly silent, which is great for shared spaces.”
Keychron K3 Max
15 owner reviews
“Noce keyboard, i appreciate the level of customization QMK provides. One thing was little disappointing - the tactile feeling comparing to K3. Other than that its very good kb!”
“I sold my k3 pro and got this. The one I got drops connection intermittently or doesn't type or respond right away. It sounds nice, but stiff reds are not as pleasant to type on as previous keyboards reds. I really thought I ordered hotswap RGB max but seems…”
Keychron B33 vs K3 Max specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
14 of 27 specs differ
Keychron B33
Keychron K3 Max
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Low profile
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
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
Compare prices
Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.
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Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.
ISO layouts by store
Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.
Keychron B33
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
Keychron K3 Max
- Go to Input Gear
Input Gear
ISO-DE
Out of stockShips to you
- Go to Keychron
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
- Go to Keychron (DE)
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-SW
In stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron B33 vs K3 Max: your questions
The B33 has a gasket mount, an 80% layout, and a 4000mAh battery. The K3 Max adds hot-swappable switches in one version, QMK/VIA support, backlighting, and a lighter 75% design.
The K3 Max is available in a hot-swappable version. Keychron says that version works with Gateron or Keychron low-profile mechanical switches.
The B33's switches are soldered, so replacing them requires soldering. Its compatibility is also limited to low-profile switches.
The K3 Max is listed with RGB and white backlight options. The B33 has no backlighting listed.
The K3 Max weighs 580g, while the B33 weighs 1977g according to their specifications. The K3 Max is also smaller by its listed dimensions.
The B33 lists a 4000mAh battery, compared with 1550mAh for the K3 Max. The vendor description separately states an 800mAh battery for the B33, so its listed capacity figures conflict.
Yes, QMK and VIA support are listed for the K3 Max. Its product description also says QMK and Keychron Launcher can be used for remapping keys and setting macros.
No. The B33's compatibility notes specify that it has no numpad, and its 80% layout is a tenkeyless-style layout.
Yes, its listed layouts include ISO, ISO-UK, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, and ISO-SW, as well as ANSI. The B33 is listed as ANSI and does not offer ISO variants.
No. Both keyboards are restricted to low-profile keycaps, and standard MX keycaps will not fit.
The K3 Max has north-facing LEDs, and its compatibility notes warn that Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing. Low-profile keycaps are the stated fit.
Keychron describes the B33 as having silent typing and a scissor mechanism. Both listings mention sound dampening, but the vendor's quiet-typing description is specific to the B33.
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