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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 10, 2026

Keychron J5 vs V4

Get the Keychron V4 for knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron J5

Build quality in the top 20% of 100% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
  • No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.

Get the

Keychron V4

Knob

Build quality in the top 5% of 60% boards under $50.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • Compact layout only. No function row, dedicated arrow keys, or numpad.

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.

Keychron J5

Keychron V4

  • Layout size

    100%

    60%

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Case material

    ABS

    ABS, Plastic

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

  • Weight

    1,100 g

    730 g

    Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron J5
  • Keychron V4
Performance
82
68
Build quality
71
87
Productivity
89
95
Customizability
88
98
Portability
54
75

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
  • Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
  • Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
  • QMK
  • VIA
  • Sound dampening
See every spec side by side

From real owners

What owners say

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

Keychron J5

5.0

2 owner reviews

Praise
“Totally enjoying this keyboard. Weight gives a quality feel. Love north facing RGB and effects. Price is in a sweet spot. Happy that I didn’t allow lack of reviews to affect my decision. Highly recommended.”
M.T.Verified buyer· via Keychron

Keychron V4

5.0

14 owner reviews

Praise
“Definitely the best 80 dollar keyboard out right now. Very well lubed and stabbed are tooned well. Unfortunately can't get via to work (VIA isn't accepting the json file)”
Elsa P.Verified buyer· via Keychron

Full specs

Keychron J5 vs V4 specs

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

13 of 27 specs differ

Keychron J5

Keychron V4

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

—
Plate Mount, Tray Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

No
Yes

Layout

Layout size

100%
60%

Layout standard

ANSI
ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, JIS

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Battery

3,750 mAh
Wired only

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS
ABS, Plastic

Plate material

Steel
Steel

Keycaps

PBT
ABS, PBT

Weight

1,100 g
730 g

Dimensions

35 x 436 x 129 mm
20 x 117 x 304 mm

Typing angle

2°
4°

Backlight

RGB, north-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2025
2022

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Keychron J5

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Keychron V4

  • Keychron

    ISO-DE

    In stockShips to you

  • Input Gear

    ISO-DE

    Out of stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE

    In stockDoes not ship to you

Where to buy

Compare prices

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

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

Keychron J53 stores
Keychron V45 stores

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