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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 12, 2026

Keychron K3 V3 vs K5 SE

Get the Keychron K3 V3 for qmk. Get the Keychron K5 SE for the 2,000 mAh battery.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron K3 V3

QMK

Build quality in the top 10% 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.
$84 at MK

Get the

Keychron K5 SE

Battery

Build quality in the top 30% of 100% 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 ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
$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.

Keychron K3 V3

Keychron K5 SE

  • Layout size

    75%

    100%

  • Battery

    1,550 mAh

    2,000 mAh

    A larger battery means fewer cables during the day

  • Case material

    ABS, Aluminum

    Aluminum, Plastic

  • Mount style

    PCB Mount, Plate Mount, Top Mount

    Tray Mount

  • QMK

    Yes

    No

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron K3 V3
  • Keychron K5 SE
Performance
82
63
Build quality
83
66
Productivity
80
66
Customizability
89
69
Portability
77
55

What they share

  • Connection: Bluetooth, Wired
  • Hot-swappable
  • Low profile
  • Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron K3 V3 vs K5 SE specs

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

10 of 25 specs differ

Keychron K3 V3

Keychron K5 SE

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

PCB Mount, Plate Mount, Top Mount
Tray Mount

Low profile

Yes
Yes

Layout

Layout size

75%
100%

Layout standard

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

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, Wired
Bluetooth, Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

1,550 mAh
2,000 mAhBetter

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS, Aluminum
Aluminum, Plastic

Plate material

Aluminum
—

Keycaps

ABS, PBT
ABS

Weight

540 g
—

Dimensions

19 x 306 x 116 mm
—

Typing angle

3°
—

Backlight

RGB, north-facing
RGB, north-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

VIA

Yes
No

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2024
2022

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 K3 V34 stores
Keychron K5 SE3 stores

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Keychron K3 V3

  • Keychron

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

    In stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-SW

    In stockDoes not ship to you

Keychron K5 SE

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

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