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3-way comparison · Prices checked Nov 2, 2026

Keychron K4 HE vs K4 HE vs Q5 HE

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron K4 HE

Build quality in the top 10% of 96% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.

Get the

Keychron K4 HE

Build quality in the top 10% of 96% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.

Get the

Keychron Q5 HE

polling rate

Build quality in the top 10% of 96% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

  • Magnetic switches only. Standard MX switches will not fit.
  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • Missing ISO-Nordic, ISO-FR, ISO-ES. The other board is sold in those layouts.

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 K4 HE

Keychron K4 HE

Keychron Q5 HE

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, Wired, 2.4 GHz

    Bluetooth, Wired, 2.4 GHz

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Max polling rate

    1,000 Hz

    1,000 Hz

    8,000 Hz

    Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing

  • Case material

    ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood

    ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood

    Aluminum

  • Mount style

    Tray Mount

    Tray Mount

    Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

  • Knob

    No

    No

    Yes

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron K4 HE
  • Keychron K4 HE
  • Keychron Q5 HE
Performance
92
92
100
Build quality
87
87
89
Productivity
94
94
97
Customizability
89
89
95
Portability
56
56
55

What they share

  • Layout size: 96%
  • Hall effect (magnetic)
  • Rapid trigger
  • Hot-swappable
  • Battery: 4,000 mAh
  • Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile
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 K4 HE

4.0

11 owner reviews

Praise
“So far it have met my expectations for the use i wanted it for, had a small hic up the first day i started ysing it but got easily resolved with the provided user manual”
PabloVerified buyer· via Keychron
Critique
“The keyboard is smooth to the touch, and has the nice feel. For me, it's almost an ideal keyboard but the one thing that gets me and it's a hard issue is that when connected, it takes away input from my controller when I game, especially for live service…”
Vick L.Verified buyer· via Keychron

Keychron K4 HE

4.0

11 owner reviews

Praise
“So far it have met my expectations for the use i wanted it for, had a small hic up the first day i started ysing it but got easily resolved with the provided user manual”
PabloVerified buyer· via Keychron
Critique
“The keyboard is smooth to the touch, and has the nice feel. For me, it's almost an ideal keyboard but the one thing that gets me and it's a hard issue is that when connected, it takes away input from my controller when I game, especially for live service…”
Vick L.Verified buyer· via Keychron

Keychron Q5 HE

5.0

2 owner reviews

Praise
“This keyboard is so unbelievably premium. I was extremely hesitant at first to buy a keyboard in this price range but I guarantee you, you can absolutely tell that you are using an expensive, premium, top of the line product. Definitely recommend.”
AdamVerified buyer· via Keychron

Full specs

Keychron K4 HE vs K4 HE vs Q5 HE specs

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

11 of 28 specs differ

Keychron K4 HE

Keychron K4 HE

Keychron Q5 HE

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Magnetic, Tactile

Hall effect (magnetic)

Yes
Yes
Yes

Rapid trigger

Yes
Yes
Yes

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes
Yes

Mount style

Tray Mount
Tray Mount
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes
Yes
Yes

Layout

Layout size

96%
96%
96%

Layout standard

ANSI, ISO, ISO-CH, ISO-DE, ISO-ES, ISO-FR, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK
ANSI, ISO, ISO-CH, ISO-DE, ISO-ES, ISO-FR, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK
ANSI, ISO, ISO-CH, ISO-DE, ISO-UK

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard
Standard

Knob

No
No
Yes

Display

None
None
None

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, Wired, 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth, Wired, 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz
8,000 HzBetter

Battery

4,000 mAh
4,000 mAh
4,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood
ABS, Aluminum, Plastic, Wood
Aluminum

Plate material

Aluminum
Aluminum
Aluminum

Keycaps

PBT
PBT
PBT

Weight

1,090 g
1,090 g
2,301 g

Dimensions

31 x 126 x 373 mm
31 x 126 x 373 mm
32 x 408 x 145 mm

Typing angle

5°, 8°
5°, 8°
5°

Backlight

RGB, north-facing
RGB, north-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
Yes
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
Yes
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2025
2025
2024

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Keychron K4 HE

  • Keychron

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-CH

    In stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-CH

    In stockDoes not ship to you

Keychron K4 HE

  • Keychron

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-CH

    In stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-CH

    In stockDoes not ship to you

Keychron Q5 HE

  • Keychron

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-CH

    In stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-CH

    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.

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