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Head to head · Prices checked Nov 12, 2026

Keychron Q5 vs Neo Neo98

Get the Keychron Q5 for knob and qmk.

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Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron Q5

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.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
$119 at Keychron

Get the

Neo Neo98

Build quality in the top 25% of 98% boards under $150.

Rules this board out

  • 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.
  • Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.
$129 at MK

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 Q5

Neo Neo98

  • Layout size

    96%

    98%

  • Connection

    Wired

    Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

    Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency

  • Mount style

    Gasket Mount, Plate Mount

    Gasket Mount, Top Mount

  • Knob

    Yes

    No

  • QMK

    Yes

    No

    The deep option when you want to remap every key

KeebFinder scores

How we score
  • Keychron Q5
  • Neo Neo98
Performance
72
68
Build quality
89
72
Productivity
97
76
Customizability
98
56
Portability
46
65

What they share

  • Hot-swappable
  • Case material: Aluminum
  • Sound dampening
  • Keycaps: ABS, PBT
See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron Q5 vs Neo Neo98 specs

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

14 of 27 specs differ

Keychron Q5

Neo Neo98

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile
—

Hot-swappable

Yes
Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount, Plate Mount
Gasket Mount, Top Mount

Sound dampening

Yes
Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes
No

Layout

Layout size

96%
98%

Layout standard

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

Ergonomics

Standard
Standard

Knob

Yes
No

Display

None
None

Media keys

Yes
No

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Wired
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz
—

Battery

Wired only
8,000 mAh

USB-C

Yes
Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum
Aluminum

Plate material

Steel
Aluminum, Plastic

Keycaps

ABS, PBT
ABS, PBT

Weight

2,310 g
—

Dimensions

20 x 145 x 390 mm
—

Typing angle

5°
7°

Backlight

RGB, south-facing
Yes, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes
No

VIA

Yes
No

N-key rollover

No
Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes
Yes

Extras

Released

2022
2026

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 Q54 stores
Neo Neo983 stores

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

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

Keychron Q5

  • Keychron

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

    In stockShips to you

    Go to Keychron

  • Keychron (DE)

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

    Out of stockDoes not ship to you

    Go to Keychron (DE)

Neo Neo98

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

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