Akko PC98B Plus Air vs Block Mechanical Keyboard
Akko PC98B Plus Air is the cheaper pick at $138.00, roughly 19% under Block Mechanical Keyboard ($170.00). Akko PC98B Plus Air offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Block Mechanical Keyboard 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 | Block Mechanical Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Akko PC98B Plus Air | Block Mechanical Keyboard |
| Brand | Akko | Lofree |
| Price range | $138.00 | $170.00 |
| Community score | — | — |
| Form factor | 1800-compact (96%) | TKL (80%) |
| Key count | 98 | 87 |
| Hot-swap | Yes | No |
| Supported switch pins | 3, 5 | — |
| Case material | Polycarbonate | — |
| Plate material | Polycarbonate | — |
| Mounting style | Top mount | — |
| Connectivity | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+), 2.4GHz wireless (dongle) | Bluetooth (5.0+) |
| RGB lighting | Yes | No |
| Layouts supported | ANSI | — |
| QMK support | No | — |
| VIA support | No | — |
| Weight (g) | — | — |
| Polling rate (Hz) | — | — |
Name
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- Block Mechanical Keyboard
- Block Mechanical Keyboard
Brand
Price range
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- $138.00
- Block Mechanical Keyboard
- $170.00
Community score
Form factor
- Akko PC98B Plus Air
- 1800-compact (96%)
- Block Mechanical Keyboard
- TKL (80%)
Key count
Hot-swap
Supported switch pins
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)
- Block Mechanical Keyboard
- Bluetooth (5.0+)
RGB lighting
Layouts supported
QMK support
VIA support
Weight (g)
Polling rate (Hz)
Which should you buy?
Akko PC98B Plus Air is the cheaper pick at $138.00, roughly 19% under Block Mechanical Keyboard ($170.00). Akko PC98B Plus Air offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Block Mechanical Keyboard 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
- You plan to swap switches without soldering
- You want per-key RGB lighting
- You're on a tighter budget
Pick Block Mechanical Keyboard if
From $170.00
- You want a tkl (80%) layout
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