Keychron K5 SE vs Royal Kludge S98
Keychron K5 SE is the cheaper pick at $84.99, roughly 6% under Royal Kludge S98 ($89.99). Keychron K5 SE offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Royal Kludge S98 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 | Royal Kludge S98 |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Keychron K5 SE | Royal Kludge S98 |
| Brand | Keychron | Royal Kludge |
| Price range | $84.99 | $89.99 |
| Community score | — | — |
| Form factor | Full-size (100%) | 96% |
| Key count | 104 | 98 |
| Hot-swap | Yes | Yes |
| Supported switch pins | 3, 5 | 3, 5 |
| Case material | — | — |
| Plate material | — | — |
| Mounting style | — | Top mount |
| Connectivity | Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+) | Wired USB-C, Wired USB-A, Bluetooth (5.0+), 2.4GHz wireless (dongle), USB-C detachable cable |
| RGB lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Layouts supported | ISO DE | ANSI |
| QMK support | — | No |
| VIA support | — | No |
| Weight (g) | — | — |
| Polling rate (Hz) | — | — |
Name
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron K5 SE
- Royal Kludge S98
- Royal Kludge S98
Brand
- Keychron K5 SE
- Keychron
- Royal Kludge S98
- Royal Kludge
Price range
- Keychron K5 SE
- $84.99
- Royal Kludge S98
- $89.99
Community score
Form factor
- Keychron K5 SE
- Full-size (100%)
Key count
Hot-swap
Supported switch pins
- Keychron K5 SE
- 3, 5
- Royal Kludge S98
- 3, 5
Case material
Plate material
Mounting style
- Royal Kludge S98
- Top mount
Connectivity
- Keychron K5 SE
- Wired USB-C, Bluetooth (5.0+)
- Royal Kludge S98
- Wired USB-C, Wired USB-A, Bluetooth (5.0+), 2.4GHz wireless (dongle), USB-C detachable cable
RGB lighting
Layouts supported
- Keychron K5 SE
- ISO DE
- Royal Kludge S98
- ANSI
QMK support
VIA support
Weight (g)
Polling rate (Hz)
Which should you buy?
Keychron K5 SE is the cheaper pick at $84.99, roughly 6% under Royal Kludge S98 ($89.99). Keychron K5 SE offers more keys for full-layout workflows, while Royal Kludge S98 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're on a tighter budget
Pick Royal Kludge S98 if
From $89.99
- You want a 96% layout
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