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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 11, 2026

Keychron K4 V3 vs Q12

Get the Keychron Q12 for knob.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron K4 V3

Build quality in the top 5% of 96% boards under $100.

Rules this board out

  • North-facing LEDs. Cherry-profile keycaps can hit the switch housing.
  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.

Get the

Keychron Q12

Knob

Build quality in the top 5% of 96% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
  • Missing ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic. 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 V3

Keychron Q12

  • Connection

    Bluetooth, Wired

    Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Ergonomics

    Standard

    Southpaw

  • Case material

    Aluminum, Plastic

    Aluminum

  • Mount style

    Tray Mount

    Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

  • Knob

    No

    Yes

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron K4 V3
  • Keychron Q12
Performance
82
73
Build quality
87
90
Productivity
95
98
Customizability
96
98
Portability
54
46

What they share

  • Layout size: 96%
  • Hot-swappable
  • Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
  • Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
  • QMK
  • VIA
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 V3

5.0

4 owner reviews

Praise
“I am overall extremely impressed with this keyboard! I upgraded from a Corsair K70 Luxe that I had for many years, and this feels like miles better of an experience. I am impressed how good the Banana switches are, they are a little more tactile than the…”
Nick M.Verified buyer· via Keychron

Keychron Q12

4.5

12 owner reviews

Praise
“I really want my numpad to be on the left, so the inter-position between my mouse, keyboard, and Numpad are more ergonomic and balanced. However, if the product has a wireless option, I will for sure buy this version!”
Haiming Z.· via Keychron

Full specs

Keychron K4 V3 vs Q12 specs

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

9 of 27 specs differ

Keychron K4 V3

Keychron Q12

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
Clicky, Linear, Tactile

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Tray Mount
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes
Yes

Layout

Layout size

96%
96%

Layout standard

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

Ergonomics

Standard
Southpaw

Knob

No
Yes

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, Wired
Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Battery

4,000 mAh
Wired only

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum, Plastic
Aluminum

Plate material

—
Steel

Keycaps

PBT, PC
PBT

Weight

—
2,491 g

Dimensions

—
20 x 145 x 409 mm

Typing angle

5°
5°

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
Yes

VIA

Yes
Yes

N-key rollover

Yes
No

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2025
2023

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Keychron K4 V3

  • Keychron

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

    In stockShips to you

Keychron Q12

  • Keychron

    ISO

    Out of stockShips to you

  • Keychron (DE)

    ISO

    Out of 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 Q124 stores

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