Keychron Q13 Pro vs Q15 MaxAlice vs Ortholinear
Decide between a traditional ergonomic Alice layout or a radical ortholinear grid, with the Q13 Pro being the safer choice for most.
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4.7 (12)4.7 · 12 reviews
from$167at Keychron
4.8 (8)4.8 · 8 reviews
from$199at Keychron
Which one should you get?
Get the
Keychron Q13 Pro
Alice
Build quality in the top 10% of 96% boards under $200.
- Ergonomic 96% Alice layout is easier to adopt for most users coming from a standard keyboard.
- Longer wireless battery life at up to 300 hours with backlight off.
- Available in both ANSI and ISO layout versions.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
Get the
Keychron Q15 Max
Ortholinear
- Ortholinear layout improves finger efficiency and reduces strain for users willing to adapt.
- Lighter and more compact at 1232g and 283 mm length, making it highly portable.
- Includes 2.4 GHz wireless with 1000 Hz polling for low-latency gaming and work.
- South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
- No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
Choose the Keychron Q13 Pro if you want an ergonomic upgrade that still feels familiar, with a 96% Alice layout and long Bluetooth battery life for office work. Choose the Keychron Q15 Max if you are ready to commit to an ortholinear layout, value a smaller, lighter keyboard for travel, and want the gaming advantage of 2.4 GHz wireless. Your decision is primarily about how much ergonomic change you are willing to adopt.
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 Q13 Pro
Keychron Q15 Max
Connection
Bluetooth, Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Ergonomics
Alice
Ortholinear, Split Spacebar
Weight
2,392 g
1,232 g
Heavier boards stay planted and lighter ones travel
Layout standard
ANSI, ISO
ANSI
ISO and JIS exist so regional layouts fit
Released
2023
2024
- Keychron Q13 Pro
- Keychron Q15 Max
- Performance
- 8277
- Build quality
- 8888
- Productivity
- 10093
- Customizability
- 9696
- Portability
- 5752
- Hot-swappable
- Battery: 4,000 mAh
- Max polling rate: 1,000 Hz
- Case material: Aluminum
- Switch options: Clicky, Linear, Tactile
- Mount style: Gasket Mount
What will you mostly use it for?
The Keychron Q13 Pro excels in office environments where its traditional ergonomic layout is easier to adopt, and it offers longer Bluetooth battery life. The Q15 Max outshines for travel and gaming thanks to its lighter weight, compact size, and 2.4 GHz connectivity. For programming and modding, both keyboards offer deep customization through QMK and VIA, making them a tie. The Q15 Max uniquely suits content creation with its twin knobs and small footprint, while the Q13 Pro benefits from broader community support for its standard layout.
Pick the Keychron Q15 Max
- Supports 2.4 GHz wireless with a 1000 Hz polling rate, crucial for low-latency gaming.
- The compact ortholinear layout can be efficient for specific game genres, though it requires adaptation.
- The smaller footprint (283 mm length) frees up desk space for mouse motion.
What owners say
Ratings and quotes collected from verified store reviews, including the critical ones.
Keychron Q13 Pro
12 owner reviews
“I was looking for a good ergonomic, programmable, mechanical keyboard and this is it. It would be nice to have a proper case to carry it.”
“So, me,being dumb, didn't pay too much attention to the iso vs not iso (?) layout. The enter key doesn't bother me much, but left shift.... Being smoll is an issue. I did rekey the additional key to be L-shift, but it's too... Janky? For my mucked up brain…”
Keychron Q15 Max
8 owner reviews
“Keyboard works great. Turned right spacebar into backspace, added back "+=" button to main layer and replaced caps lock with tab with very usefull web browser app. Amazing product. And the RGB looks great. Only downside is that you can't 100% perfectly fit…”
Keychron Q13 Pro vs Q15 Max specs
Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.
8 of 26 specs differ
Keychron Q13 Pro
Keychron Q15 Max
Switch options
Hot-swappable
Mount style
Sound dampening
Screw-in stabilizers
Layout size
Layout standard
Ergonomics
Knob
Display
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 Q13 Pro
Keychron
ISO
Out of stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO
Out of stockDoes not ship to you
Keychron Q15 Max
No ISO layout at the stores we track.
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 Q13 Pro vs Q15 Max: your questions
The Keychron Q13 Pro is better for beginners because its 96% Alice layout is a staggered ergonomic design that feels more familiar to users of standard row-staggered keyboards. The Q15 Max's ortholinear grid requires a significant relearning period and is generally recommended for experienced typists looking to make a larger change.
No, the Q15 Max uses a non-standard ortholinear layout. The manufacturer and customer reviews note that keys like the Enter key are sized differently from standard keyboards, making it difficult to find compatible aftermarket keycap sets without using mismatched keys from different rows.
The Q15 Max is much lighter at approximately 1232 grams, roughly half the weight of the Q13 Pro which comes in at about 2392 grams. For frequent travel, the Q15 Max is significantly more portable.
The Keychron Q15 Max is better for wireless gaming because it supports a 2.4 GHz connection that offers a 1000 Hz polling rate out of the box, matching the wired performance. The Q13 Pro only offers Bluetooth or wired, with Bluetooth having a 90 Hz polling rate for wireless use.
Yes, both the Keychron Q13 Pro and Q15 Max support QMK and VIA, allowing full key remapping, macro creation, and custom layers. You can use the Keychron Launcher web app on Chrome, Opera, or Edge browsers to customize them in wired mode.
Yes, both the Q13 Pro and Q15 Max are hot-swappable. They are compatible with most 3-pin and 5-pin MX-style mechanical switches from brands such as Cherry, Gateron, and Kailh, without any soldering required.
The Q13 Pro has a longer battery life, with the manufacturer stating up to 300 hours with the backlight off. The Q15 Max is rated for up to 180 hours in the same scenario. Both use a 4000 mAh battery.
The Q13 Pro comes with KSA double-shot PBT keycaps that are not shine-through, featuring a spherical-angle profile. The Q15 Max comes with XDA dye-sub PBT keycaps that are uniform in height and also not shine-through, offering a different feel and sound.
The Q15 Max features two programmable knobs, which can be customized for dual functions like volume and scrolling. The Q13 Pro has a single knob for control.
Yes, both the Q13 Pro and Q15 Max are designed to work with both Mac and Windows. They include a system toggle switch on the keyboard and come with additional custom keycaps for both operating systems, allowing you to save two different layouts.
The Q13 Pro has a typing angle of 5 degrees, while the Q15 Max has a steeper 7 degrees. This difference may affect wrist posture and overall comfort during long typing sessions.
No, neither the Q13 Pro nor the Q15 Max includes a carrying case in the box. One customer review for the Q13 Pro specifically noted that it would be nice to have a proper case for carrying it.
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