The Keychron K2 Pro at $74.99 (keychron.com, unchanged across the 2026-08-26 and 2026-09-06 checks) is the pick now that it is buyable: the 2026-09-06 re-check found it back in stock after the 2026-08-26 check showed it sold out, and it is the only board here carrying QMK/VIA firmware, double-shot PBT (OSA profile) keycaps and a hot-swappable variant together. Runner-up: the Keychron K3 Pro at $67.99 (keychron.com, in stock on both checks) for a low-profile feel at $7.00 less, though this White Backlight variant is not hot-swappable and carries the smallest battery of the three. The Royal Kludge RK84 was the cheapest board here on 2026-08-26 and was still in stock on 2026-09-06, but the re-check recorded CA$85.00 at rkgamingstore.com — a Canadian-dollar figure that cannot be set against the US-dollar prices above, or measured against this question's $100 cap. Caveats: none of these boards has been typed on by us, every figure is a manufacturer specification read on the date given, and prices and stock change without notice.
The limits first: none of these boards has been typed on by us, every figure below is a manufacturer specification read on the date given, and prices and stock are the 2026-09-06 re-check unless a line names 2026-08-26. All three claim 75%, and all three cut a different corner to hit this price. The RK84 (84-key, tri-mode Bluetooth 5.0/2.4GHz/USB-C) is hot-swappable for RK Blue, Brown, or Red switches and runs RK's own DIY software rather than QMK/VIA — no open firmware. Its keycaps are ABS double-shot, not PBT, and the ~200-hour battery figure Royal Kludge publishes is measured in 2.4GHz mode with the backlight off, not mixed real-world use; a full charge takes 6-7 hours.
The K3 Pro is Keychron's low-profile 75% (84-key), running Gateron low-profile Red switches on this SKU with QMK/VIA support and double-shot PBT low-profile keycaps. Its 1550mAh battery is the smallest of the three by a wide margin — about 100 hours with backlight off, dropping to roughly 50 hours at the lowest RGB setting — and this White Backlight variant is not hot-swappable (Keychron sells a separate RGB Backlight Hot-Swappable K3 Pro for that).
The K2 Pro (75%, 84-key) is Bluetooth 5.1 only with no 2.4GHz radio, but it's the only one of the three with QMK/VIA firmware AND double-shot PBT (OSA profile) AND a hot-swappable variant, backed by a 4000mAh battery rated to ~260 hours backlight off. It was out of stock at keychron.com on 2026-08-26 and back in stock at the 2026-09-06 re-check, at $74.99 on both dates — which is what moves it from a watch-list entry to the pick here.
The $7.00 gap between the two boards with a first-party US-dollar price on 2026-09-06 — the K3 Pro at $67.99 and the K2 Pro at $74.99 — does not buy 'more keyboard' in every dimension: it buys open QMK/VIA firmware, PBT keycaps and a hot-swappable variant on the K2 Pro, against a low-profile chassis and Gateron low-profile Reds on the K3 Pro. The RK84 still offers what neither Keychron here does — a 2.4GHz radio alongside Bluetooth and a standard hot-swap socket — but its only 2026-09-06 reading is CA$85.00, so this answer cannot tell you whether it still clears a US-dollar $100 cap. Who this is NOT for: anyone who needs a numpad — all three boards here are 75%, and none has one. And it is not for anyone who wants open firmware and hot-swap together on the cheapest board in the set: the K3 Pro's priced variant has QMK/VIA but no hot-swap sockets, and the RK84 has hot-swap but runs RK's own DIY software.
| Spec | Keychron K2 Pro | Keychron K3 Pro | Royal Kludge RK84 |
|---|---|---|---|
| layout | 75% (84-key) | 75% low-profile (84-key) | 84-key, 75% compact layout |
| connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1 + USB-C wired | Bluetooth 5.1, up to 3 devices + USB-C wired | tri-mode: Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz wireless, USB-C wired |
| battery | 4000mAh li-polymer; ~260h backlight off, ~130h RGB (lowest brightness) | 1550mAh li-polymer; ~100h backlight off, ~50h RGB (lowest brightness) | 3750mAh; rated ~200hr in 2.4GHz mode with backlight OFF (not typical mixed use), 6-7hr full charge |
| hot_swap | yes (hot-swappable variant priced; also sold as non-hot-swap) | no (this White Backlight variant); RGB Backlight Hot-Swappable version sold separately | yes |
| firmware | QMK/VIA | QMK/VIA | |
| keycaps | Double-shot PBT, OSA profile | Low-profile double-shot PBT | ABS double-shot |
| switch_type | Keychron K Pro mechanical (Red/Blue/Brown/Banana) | Gateron low-profile mechanical Red (this variant); Blue/Brown also offered | |
| backlight | RGB, 22 backlight modes | White backlight (this variant); RGB variant also offered | RGB, 21 onboard lighting modes, 5 brightness levels (official spec; Tom's Hardware counted 19 modes on its review unit) |
| mount_type | Tray mount, steel plate | Tray mount | removable frame, tray-style case |
| os_support | macOS/Windows/Linux | macOS/Windows/Linux | Windows XP/2000/7/8/10, macOS, iOS, Android |
| polling_rate | 1000Hz wired / 90Hz wireless | 1000Hz wired / 90Hz wireless | |
| variant_priced | Black - Fully Assembled (Hot-Swappable) / White Backlight / K Pro Red | Black / White Backlight / Red | |
| case_material | ABS + aluminum frame | ||
| switchOptions | RK Blue, RK Brown, RK Red (hot-swappable) | ||
| weight | 803.5g (1.77lb) per Tom's Hardware; official RK spec table lists 0.79kg | ||
| dimensions | 315 x 125 x 39mm per official RK spec table (Tom's Hardware lists 315 x 125 x 40mm) | ||
| software | RK DIY software (onboard macro/lighting customization) |
Last updated: 2026-09-10
Prices last checked 2026-09-06
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