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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Dimensions
    2. Build Quality
    3. Ergonomics
    4. Hardware Customizability
    5. Backlight Features
    6. Backlight Clarity
    7. Cable & Connector
    8. Wireless Versatility
    9. Macro Keys And Programming
    10. Extra Features
    11. In The Box
  5. Typing Experience
    1. Typing Quality
    2. Typing Noise
    3. Switches
    4. Keystrokes
  6. Performance
    1. Single-Key Latency
    2. Multi-Key Latency
    3. Data Transmission
    4. Chord Split
  7. Software and Operating System
    1. Configuration Software
    2. Computer Compatibility
    3. Wireless Mobile Compatibility
  8. Comments

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] vs Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.]

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.]
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.]

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Apr 08, 2025 04:39 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Jun 11, 2024 02:06 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Picture
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Picture

Variants

  • K10 Pro (100%)
  • K5 Pro (Low Profile) (100%)
  • K9 Pro (Low Profile) (60%)
  • K12 Pro (60%)
  • K6 Pro (65%)
  • K7 Pro (Low Profile) (65%)
  • K14 Pro (70%)
  • K2 Pro (75%)
  • K3 Pro (Low Profile) (75%)
  • K1 Pro (Low Profile) (80% (TKL))
  • K13 Pro (Numpad) (80% (TKL))
  • K8 Pro (80% (TKL))
  • K4 Pro (96%)
  • K17 Pro (Low Profile) (96%)
  • Q6 Pro (Carbon Black - 100%)
  • Q4 Pro (Carbon Black - 60%)
  • Q2 Pro (Carbon Black - 65%)
  • Q1 Pro (Carbon Black - 75%)
  • Q5 Pro (Carbon Black - 96%)
  • Q6 Pro (Shell White - 100%)
  • Q4 Pro (Shell White - 60%)
  • Q2 Pro (Shell White - 65%)
  • Q1 Pro (Shell White - 75%)
  • Q5 Pro (Shell White - 96%)
  • Q4 Pro (Silver Gray - 60%)
  • Q2 Pro (Silver Gray - 65%)
  • Q5 Pro (Silver Gray - 96%)
  • Q6 Pro (Silver Grey - 100%)

Our Verdict

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.]

Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.]

The Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] and the Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] are lineups of mechanical keyboards with hot-swappable PCBs and customizable hardware. The Q Pro Series are more premium wireless keyboards with better build quality and gasket-mounted designs that provide better overall typing quality. On the other hand, the K Pro Series are more budget-oriented, with the option of other aluminum or plastic cases.

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Carbon Black - 100%
Q6 Pro
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100%
K5 Pro (Low Profile)
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Carbon Black - 60%
Q4 Pro
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60%
K9 Pro (Low Profile)
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Carbon Black - 65%
Q2 Pro
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Carbon Black - 75%
Q1 Pro
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Carbon Black - 96%
Q5 Pro
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65%
K7 Pro (Low Profile)
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Shell White - 100%
Q6 Pro
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Shell White - 60%
Q4 Pro
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Shell White - 65%
Q2 Pro
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75%
K3 Pro (Low Profile)
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Shell White - 75%
Q1 Pro
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80% (TKL)
K1 Pro (Low Profile)
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Shell White - 96%
Q5 Pro
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80% (TKL)
K13 Pro (Numpad)
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Silver Gray - 60%
Q4 Pro
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80% (TKL)
K8 Pro
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Silver Gray - 65%
Q2 Pro
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Silver Gray - 96%
Q5 Pro
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96%
K17 Pro (Low Profile)
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Silver Grey - 100%
Q6 Pro
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Main Differences for
Gaming

Threshold 

0.10

Gaming 

8.2
8.3
No major differences between these keyboards for gaming. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Dimensions 
 

Top Picture  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Top Picture
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Top Picture

Size 
 

TenKeyLess (80%)
Compact (75%)

Height 
 

1.7" (4.3 cm)
1.9" (4.9 cm)

Width  

14.1" (35.8 cm)
12.9" (32.7 cm)

Depth 
 

5.1" (13.0 cm)
5.7" (14.5 cm)

Depth With Wrist Rest 
 

N/A
N/A

Weight 
 

2.95 lbs (1.336 kg)
3.82 lbs (1.731 kg)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.5
9.0

Build Quality Close Up  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Build Quality Close Up
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Build Quality Close Up

Keycap Material  

PBT
PBT
Show Text 

Ergonomics 
 

6.0
6.0

Side Picture  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Side Picture
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Side Picture

Curved/Angled 
 

No
No

Split Keyboard 
 

No
No

Key Alignment 
 

Staggered
Staggered

Minimum Incline 
 

5.2°

Medium Incline 
 

N/A

Maximum Incline 
 

10.5°
N/A

Home Row Height 
 

35.5 mm (1.4")
36.5 mm (1.4")
Show Text 

Hardware Customizability 
 

10
9.8

Customizability Overview  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Customizability Overview
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Customizability Overview

Replaceable Cherry Stabilizers 
 

Yes
Yes

Stabilizer Fixation 
 

Screw-in
Screw-in

Spacebar Stabilizer Size 
 

6.25u
6.25u

Size Of Right Mod Keys 
 

1.25u
1u

Hot-Swappable Switches 
 

Yes
Yes

Switch Stem Shape 
 

Cherry MX Style
Cherry MX Style

Switch PCB Socket 
 

5-pin Cherry
5-pin Cherry

North-Facing Cherry MX Interference 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Backlight Features 
 

10
10

Backlighting Picture  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Backlighting Picture
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Backlighting Picture

Brightness Max  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Brightness Max
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Brightness Max

Backlighting  

Yes
Yes

Brightness Min  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Brightness Min
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Brightness Min

RGB 
 

Yes
Yes

Per-Key Backlighting 
 

Yes
Yes

Effects 
 

Yes
Yes

Software Controllable 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Backlight Clarity 
 

4.0
4.0

White Shot  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] White Shot
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] White Shot
Show Text 

Cable & Connector  

Connectivity  

Wireless
Wireless

Detachable 
 

Yes (Wired Mode and Charge)
Yes (Wired Mode and Charge)

Length  

3.9 ft (1.2 m)
5.9 ft (1.8 m)

Connector (Keyboard side) 
 

USB type-C
USB type-C
Show Text 

Wireless Versatility 
 

10
10

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Multi-Device Pairing 
 

3
3

Proprietary Receiver 
 

No
No

Battery Type 
 

Rechargeable
Rechargeable
Show Text 

Macro Keys And Programming 
 

4.0
4.0

Dedicated Macro Keys Count  

0
0

Onboard Macro Programming 
 

No
No

Macro Programming With Software 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

Extra Features  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Extra Features
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Extra Features

Media Keys 
 

Non-Dedicated
Non-Dedicated

Trackpad / Trackball  

No
No

Scroll Wheel 
 

No
No

Control Knob 
 

No
Yes

USB Passthrough 
 

No
No

Numpad  

No
No

Windows Key Lock 
 

No
No

Lock Indicator  

Caps Lock
Caps Lock
Show Text 

In The Box  

Bundle Picture  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Bundle Picture
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Bundle Picture
Show Text 
Typing Experience

Typing Quality 
 

8.0
8.5

Key Spacing 
 

19.0 mm (0.748")
19.0 mm (0.748")
Show Text 

Typing Noise 
 

4.3
8.7

Typing Sample  

Average Loudness 
 

55.9 dBA
46.8 dBA

High Pitch Clicks 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Switches 
 

Wobble Video  

Switch Name 
 

Gateron G Pro Blue
Keychron K Pro Brown

Switch Type 
 

Mechanical
Mechanical

Feel 
 

Clicky
Tactile

Analog 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Keystrokes 
 

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Operating Force 
 

57 gf
47 gf

Actuation Force 
 

43 gf
38 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

2.3 mm
2.5 mm

Total Travel 
 

4.5 mm
4.1 mm
Show Text 
Performance

Single-Key Latency 
 

8.3
8.4

Single-Key Latency Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Best Connection 
 

9.8 ms
9.0 ms

Best Connection Std Dev  

±1.0 ms
±0.9 ms

Wired 
 

9.8 ms
9.0 ms

Receiver 
 

N/A
N/A

Bluetooth 
 

19.9 ms
30.7 ms

PCB (Estimated) 
 

6.6 ms
6.7 ms
Show Text 

Multi-Key Latency 
 

8.0
8.0

Latency Video  

Multi-Key Latency Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Connection Evaluated  

Wired
Wired

Key Press 
 

9.9 ms
9.9 ms

Key Release 
 

12.9 ms
13.5 ms
Show Text 

Data Transmission 
 

8.2
8.2

Multi-Key Raw USB  

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] Multi-Key Raw USB
Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.] Multi-Key Raw USB

Connection Evaluated  

Wired
Wired

USB Polling Rate 
 

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

Effective Update Rate 
 

1,000 Hz
1,000 Hz

N-Key Rollover (NKRO) 
 

Yes
Yes

Multiple Keys Per USB Report 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Chord Split 
 

8.8
8.5

Chord Split Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

4 Chord Split Delay 
 

3.3 ms
4.2 ms

8 Chord Split Delay 
 

10.8 ms
9.7 ms
Show Text 
Software and Operating System

Configuration Software 
 

Software Tour  

Software Name  

VIA
VIA

Software Windows Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

Software macOS Compatible 
 

Yes
Yes

Onboard Memory 
 

Yes
Yes

Profiles 
 

6+
6+
Show Text 

Computer Compatibility 
 

10
10

Windows 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

macOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Linux (Ubuntu 22) 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Media Key Compatibility 
 

Windows, MacOS & Linux
Windows, MacOS & Linux
Show Text 

Wireless Mobile Compatibility 
 

10
10

Android 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

iOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

iPadOS 
 

Fully Compatible
Fully Compatible

Media Key Compatibility 
 

Android, iPhone & iPad
Android, iPhone & iPad
Show Text 

Check Price

Carbon Black - 100%
Q6 Pro
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100%
K5 Pro (Low Profile)
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Carbon Black - 60%
Q4 Pro
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60%
K9 Pro (Low Profile)
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Carbon Black - 65%
Q2 Pro
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Carbon Black - 75%
Q1 Pro
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Carbon Black - 96%
Q5 Pro
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65%
K7 Pro (Low Profile)
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Shell White - 100%
Q6 Pro
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Shell White - 60%
Q4 Pro
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Shell White - 65%
Q2 Pro
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75%
K3 Pro (Low Profile)
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Shell White - 75%
Q1 Pro
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80% (TKL)
K1 Pro (Low Profile)
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Shell White - 96%
Q5 Pro
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80% (TKL)
K13 Pro (Numpad)
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Silver Gray - 60%
Q4 Pro
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80% (TKL)
K8 Pro
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Silver Gray - 65%
Q2 Pro
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Silver Gray - 96%
Q5 Pro
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96%
K17 Pro (Low Profile)
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Silver Grey - 100%
Q6 Pro
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Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.]

Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.]

Comments

  1. Comparison

Keychron K8 Pro [K2 Pro, K3 Pro, K4 Pro, etc.] vs Keychron Q Pro Series [Q1 Pro, Q2 Pro, etc.]: Main Discussion

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