Head to head · Prices checked Nov 7, 2026

Keychron K1 SE vs K3 Max

Get the Keychron K1 SE for the 2,000 mAh battery. Get the Keychron K3 Max for qmk.

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Battery

Keychron K1 SE

No reviews

from$122at Keychron (DE)

Compare 2 stores

QMK

Keychron K3 Max

4.1 (16)4.1 · 16 reviews

from$89at MK

Compare 6 stores

Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron K1 SE

Battery

Build quality in the top 45% of 80% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

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.

$122 at Keychron (DE)

Get the

Keychron K3 Max

QMK

Build quality in the top 5% of 75% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

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.

$89 at MK

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 K1 SE

Keychron K3 Max

Layout size
80%
75%
Connection
Bluetooth, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Battery
2,000 mAh
1,550 mAh
A larger battery means fewer cables during the day
Case material
Aluminum, Plastic
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood
QMK
No
Yes
The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score

Keychron K1 SE
Keychron K3 Max

Performance: 66
81
Build quality: 60
86
Productivity: 67
94
Customizability: 71
91
Portability: 77
77

What they share

Hot-swappable
Low profile

See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron K1 SE vs K3 Max specs

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

12 of 27 specs differ

Spec

Keychron K1 SE

Keychron K3 Max

Typing & switches

Switch options

—

Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes

Mount style

—

Plate Mount

Low profile

Yes

Sound dampening

Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes

Layout

Layout size

80%

75%

Layout standard

ANSI

ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK

Ergonomics

Standard

Display

None

Media keys

Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, Wired

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

—

1,000 Hz

Battery

2,000 mAhBetter

1,550 mAh

USB-C

Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic

ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood

Plate material

—

Aluminum, Plastic, Polycarbonate

Keycaps

—

ABS, PBT

Weight

—

580 g

Dimensions

—

22 x 306 x 116 mm

Typing angle

—

3°, 7°

Backlight

RGB

RGB, north-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes

VIA

Yes

N-key rollover

Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes

Extras

Released

2021

2023

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Keychron K1 SE

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Keychron K3 Max

Input Gear
ISO-DE
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-SW
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 K1 SE2 stores