Keychron K4 V3 vs V5Wireless or Knob Choice
Choose the K4 V3 for Bluetooth and a built-in battery, or the wired-only V5 if knob support matters more.
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5.0 (4)5.0 · 4 reviews
from$94at Keychron
4.8 (8)4.8 · 8 reviews
from$74at MK
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron K4 V3
Build quality in the top 5% of 96% boards under $100.
- Bluetooth and wired connectivity, plus a 4000mAh battery.
- Keychron says it can connect wirelessly to up to three devices.
- Hot-swap support, QMK, and VIA are listed.
- 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.
- Missing ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW. The other board is sold in those layouts.
Get the
Keychron V5
polling rate
Build quality in the top 5% of 96% boards under $100.
- Knob support is listed, and the keyboard uses a 96% layout.
- The vendor specifies hot-swap support for 3-pin and 5-pin MX switches.
- The product metadata lists steel and polycarbonate plate materials.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Missing ISO-Nordic, ISO-CH. The other board is sold in those layouts.
Pick the K4 V3 if Bluetooth, multi-device wireless use, and its 4000mAh battery are priorities. Choose the V5 if you prefer a wired desk setup and want knob support or the listed plate-material options. Both share QMK, VIA, hot-swap support, and a 96% layout, so those features alone do not settle the choice.
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 V5
Connection
Bluetooth, Wired
Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Max polling rate
1,000 Hz
8,000 Hz
Higher polling helps competitive FPS and does nothing for typing
Case material
Aluminum, Plastic
ABS, Plastic
Mount style
Tray Mount
Gasket Mount, Plate Mount, Tray Mount
Knob
No
Yes
- Keychron K4 V3
- Keychron V5
- Performance
- 8291
- Build quality
- 8789
- Productivity
- 9598
- Customizability
- 9698
- Portability
- 5445
- Layout size: 96%
- Hot-swappable
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- QMK
- VIA
- Sound dampening
What will you mostly use it for?
The K4 V3 is the more flexible pick for office use and travel because it supports Bluetooth and has a battery. The V5 has the edge for a wired gaming setup and for buyers who value its knob support or listed plate choices. Programming is a close call: both share QMK, VIA, hot-swap sockets, and screw-in stabilizers. Content creators may favor the V5's knob, while those who move between devices may prefer the K4 V3.
Pick the Keychron V5
- The V5 is wired-only, which suits a fixed desktop setup.
- Its metadata lists polling rates of 1000 Hz and 8000 Hz, while the K4 V3 lists 1000 Hz.
- Both keyboards offer linear, tactile, and clicky switch options.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Keychron K4 V3
4 owner reviews
“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…”
Keychron V5
8 owner reviews
“In love with it already. Only downside is how long it took to get the keyboard. Other then that its a great product for the price”
Keychron K4 V3 vs V5 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 V5
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
Media keys
Connection
Max polling rate
Battery
USB-C
Case material
Plate material
Keycaps
Weight
Dimensions
Typing angle
Backlight
QMK
VIA
N-key rollover
Mac & Windows
Released
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 V5
Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-ES
In stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-FR, ISO-ES, ISO-SW
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
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 K4 V3 vs V5: your questions
Yes. The K4 V3 supports Bluetooth and wired connectivity, and Keychron says it can connect wirelessly to up to three devices. Its listed battery capacity is 4000mAh.
No wireless connection is listed for the V5, which is specified as wired-only. It uses a USB-C connection, according to the product details.
The K4 V3 is the more travel-friendly choice between these two because it supports Bluetooth and has a 4000mAh battery. It is also listed at about 813 g, compared with about 1170 g for the V5.
Both product listings include hot-swap support. Keychron specifies that the V5 accepts 3-pin and 5-pin MX switches without soldering, while its K4 V3 description says the hot-swappable version supports almost all 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switches.
Knob support is listed for the V5, and the vendor describes an assembled knob version. The K4 V3 feature list does not include knob support.
Both the Keychron K4 V3 and Keychron V5 list QMK and VIA support. Keychron describes its Launcher web app for remapping keys and setting macros on both models.
Keychron says the K4 V3 can connect wirelessly to up to three devices over Bluetooth. It also has a wired USB-C connection option.
Keychron describes the K4 V3 as using Cherry-profile double-shot PBT keycaps. The V5 uses double-shot PBT keycaps in its OSA profile, and the vendor says they are not shine-through.
The V5 metadata lists 1000 Hz and 8000 Hz, while the K4 V3 lists 1000 Hz. Keychron's V5 vendor description specifies 1000 Hz out of the box.
Both listings include Mac and Windows support, and Keychron says each comes with keycaps for both systems. The K4 V3 vendor description also names Linux support for its Launcher software.
The V5 metadata lists tray, plate, and gasket mount styles, as well as steel and polycarbonate plate materials. The vendor description specifies a tray-mount design with a steel plate, so confirm the exact version before buying if these options are important.
Both support hot-swappable switches and QMK/VIA, giving buyers options for switch changes and keymap customization. The V5 vendor description emphasizes component assembly, while Keychron specifies broad 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style switch compatibility for the hot-swappable K4 V3.
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