Keychron K5 SE vs Keychron K8 HE
Keychron K5 SE is the cheaper pick at $84.99, roughly 35% under Keychron K8 HE ($129.99). Keychron K5 SE offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Keychron K8 HE 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 | Keychron K5 SE | Keychron K8 HE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Keychron K5 SE | Keychron K8 HE |
| Brand | Keychron | Keychron |
| Price range | $84.99 | $129.99 – $144.99 |
| Community score | — | — |
| Form factor | Full-size (100%) | TKL (80%) |
| Key count | 104 | 87 |
| Hot-swap | Yes | Yes |
| Supported switch pins | 3, 5 | — |
| Case material | — | Aluminum 6063 |
| Plate material | — | Aluminum 6063 |
| Mounting style | — | — |
| Connectivity | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+) | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+), 2.4GHz wireless (dongle) |
| RGB lighting | Yes | No |
| Layouts supported | ISO DE | ISO DE |
| QMK support | — | No |
| VIA support | — | No |
| Weight (g) | — | — |
| Polling rate (Hz) | — | — |
Name
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron K8 HE
- Keychron K8 HE
Brand
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron
- Keychron K8 HE
- Keychron
Price range
- Keychron K5 SE
- $84.99
- Keychron K8 HE
- $129.99 – $144.99
Community score
Form factor
- Keychron K5 SE
- Full-size (100%)
- Keychron K8 HE
- TKL (80%)
Key count
Hot-swap
Supported switch pins
- Keychron K5 SE
- 3, 5
Case material
- Keychron K8 HE
- Aluminum 6063
Plate material
- Keychron K8 HE
- Aluminum 6063
Mounting style
Connectivity
- Keychron K5 SE
- Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+)
- Keychron K8 HE
- Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+), 2.4GHz wireless (dongle)
RGB lighting
Layouts supported
- Keychron K5 SE
- ISO DE
- Keychron K8 HE
- 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 35% under Keychron K8 HE ($129.99). Keychron K5 SE offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Keychron K8 HE 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 Keychron K5 SE if
From $84.99
- You want a full-size (100%) layout
- You want per-key RGB lighting
- You're on a tighter budget
Pick Keychron K8 HE if
From $129.99
- You want a tkl (80%) layout
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