Akko PC98B Plus Air vs Keychron K5 SE
Keychron K5 SE is the cheaper pick at $84.99, roughly 38% under Akko PC98B Plus Air ($138.00). Keychron K5 SE offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Akko PC98B Plus Air trims the footprint. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Detailed comparison
Spec-by-spec breakdown — differences highlighted in cyan.
| Spec | Akko PC98B Plus Air | Keychron K5 SE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Akko PC98B Plus Air | Keychron K5 SE |
| Brand | Akko | Keychron |
| Price range | $138.00 | $84.99 |
| Community score | — | — |
| Form factor | 1800-compact (96%) | Full-size (100%) |
| Key count | 98 | 104 |
| Hot-swap | Yes | Yes |
| Supported switch pins | 3, 5 | 3, 5 |
| Case material | Polycarbonate | — |
| Plate material | Polycarbonate | — |
| Mounting style | Top mount | — |
| Connectivity | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+), 2.4GHz wireless (dongle) | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+) |
| RGB lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Layouts supported | ANSI | ISO DE |
| QMK support | No | — |
| VIA support | No | — |
| Weight (g) | — | — |
| Polling rate (Hz) | — | — |
Name
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron K5 SE
Brand
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron
Price range
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- $138.00
- Keychron K5 SE
- $84.99
Community score
Form factor
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- 1800-compact (96%)
- Keychron K5 SE
- Full-size (100%)
Key count
Hot-swap
Supported switch pins
- Keychron K5 SE
- 3, 5
Case material
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Polycarbonate
Plate material
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Polycarbonate
Mounting style
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Top mount
Connectivity
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+), 2.4GHz wireless (dongle)
- Keychron K5 SE
- Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+)
RGB lighting
Layouts supported
- Keychron K5 SE
- ISO DE
QMK support
VIA support
Weight (g)
Polling rate (Hz)
Which should you buy?
Keychron K5 SE is the cheaper pick at $84.99, roughly 38% under Akko PC98B Plus Air ($138.00). Keychron K5 SE offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Akko PC98B Plus Air trims the footprint. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Pick Akko PC98B Plus Air if
From $138.00
- You want a 1800-compact (96%) layout
Pick Keychron K5 SE if
From $84.99
- You want a full-size (100%) layout
- You're on a tighter budget
Also compared
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