Best budget mechanical keyboards in 2024

While most of the best mechanical keyboards come with a hefty price tag, that’s not always the case. The technology has become mainstream, and plenty of budget-conscious keyboards are available these days. You can easily find a mechanical keyboard to enjoy, and some even have premium features like hot-swappable switch sockets for modding. Regardless of your preferences, I’ve rounded up some of my favorites for 2024 to make your buying decision easier.

Our picks for the best budget mechanical keyboards

Best overall

Lemokey X3

Full-sized and performs well for just $50

Keychron is usually a more premium brand, but the X3 is one of the cheapest keyboards in its lineup. Nonetheless, this board has an impressive typing experience for the price, making it an excellent all-around pick if you’re on a budget and still want a full-sized mechanical keyboard.

Pros

Good typing experience
Customization with QMK and VIA
Adjustable backlight

Cons

Build quality lacking compared to more premium boards

Keychron makes a suite of excellent mechanical keyboards, but a lot of its success is at the more expensive end of the market. However, even the brand’s budget offerings, like the Lemokey X3, manage to provide a worthwhile typing experience. This full-sized mechanical keyboard will only cost you $50, but it comes with an adjustable red backlight, light bars on its sides, your choice of red or brown switches, and further customization by way of Keychron’s launcher.

You can remap basically whatever key you’d like, including mouse movements, and you get four different layers to set up, so you can program in more functions for a specific key just by switching layers. You can set up macros, too, as well as update firmware and test keys. No color options for lighting, though, as the backlight here is just red.

There is some board flex at the edges, and its plastic chassis doesn’t feel as solid as we would like, but in general, these are worthwhile sacrifices for those who want the feature set of a more expensive, full-size mechanical board with fairly robust customization, at a fraction of the price. Unless you really need RGB or feel comfortable spending more on a board that truly feels premium, the Lemokey X3 is tough to beat as a budget offering.

Best for productivity

Logitech K845

From a trusted name

$60 $80 Save $20

The Logitech K845 is a solidly-built 104/105-key mechanical keyboard from one of the oldest peripheral makers in the market. It has white LED backlighting, a choice of TTC or Cherry MX mechanical switches, and an aluminum top plate.

Pros

White backlighting
Choice of TTC or Cherry MX switches
Doesn’t need software to work

Cons

Cable isn’t replaceable
100% keyboards take up lots of desk space

Logitech is one of the oldest computer peripheral makers around, with a glowing reputation among both gamers and the office crowd. I could have put any number of mechanical keyboards onto this list, but the K845 just edged out the rest of the range. For under $60, you get a full-size keyboard with one essential frill: white backlighting behind the keys. It’s really hard to recommend any mechanical keyboard without this feature, which helps in low-light situations by outlining every key in a soft glow.

Logitech sells the K845 with a variety of mechanical switch types. There are ones made by TTC in either linear (red), tactile (brown), or clicky (blue), so choose the type that fits your typing style. There are also original Cherry MX switch options in clicky blue and linear red. These are smoother than the TTC clones, and keyboard purists or heavy typists might prefer to spend extra to get the Cherry MX variant.

The top plate is aluminum, which looks great and adds stiffness to the overall chassis. The cable is permanently attached to the keyboard, so you don’t have to worry about USB sockets breaking, but if the cable breaks, it’s more difficult to repair. The keyboard doesn’t need any software to operate, but that also means no programmable macros or other tweaks.

Best budget TKL

Durgod Taurus K320 TKL

More space for your mouse hand

The Durgod Taurus K320 TKL is a wired mechanical keyboard with the more compact TKL form factor, which drops the numpad from a full-sized board. This gives you more space for your mouse hand on your desk.

Pros

Choice of Cherry MX mechanical key switches
Replacable USB-C cable
Works on Mac and PC

Durgod might not be a widely known name, but the company has been putting out solid, affordable mechanical keyboards for some time now. The Taurus K320 TKL has a tenkeyless (TKL) form factor, which is slightly smaller than a full-size keyboard because it drops the numpad from the right. That gives you extra space on the desk for your mouse hand and keeps your arms closer together to aid with RSI and ergonomics. This keyboard also has full programmability, with the Durgod Zeus Engine Software, for macros or rebinding existing keys.

The Taurus K320 TKL has a removable USB-C cable for longevity. Well, it comes with two, one USB-C to USB-C and one USB-C to USB-A, so you will always have the cable you need for your computer. It uses a plastic-injected molding chassis in multiple color choices like white, black, green, dark gray, and pale blue. Durgod also sells it with multiple original Cherry MX mechanical key switch options, with black (firm linear), blue (clicky), brown (tactile), red (linear), silent red (dampened linear), speed silver (linear, low actuation force), and white (stiff clicky). I recommend MX Browns for typing if you’re not sure what you like or MX Reds if you want it for gaming as well.

HyperX Alloy Origins Core in TKL form with RGB lighting

Best gaming TKL

HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL

HyperX gaming switches

$80 $90 Save $10

The HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL drops the numpad from the Alloy Elite 2 to give your mousing hand more space. It has a choice of HyperX mechanical switches, a replaceable USB-C cable, and per-key RGB lighting.

Pros

Detachable USB-C cable
Full aluminum body
Macro customization (with Ngenuity software)

Cons

Needs software to customize functionality
No numpad

If you’re after a more gamer-centric TKL mechanical keyboard, the HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL is worth a look. It’s from the same product family as our best overall pick but in a smaller format. The keyboard uses HyperX’s own custom mechanical key switches — HyperX Red (linear), HyperX Aqua (tactile), or HyperX Blue (clicky) — which are all designed for gaming use. You can get the Alloy Origins Core TKL with mechanical switches, depending on your preferences.

Unlike many budget mechanical keyboards, this one uses aluminum on both the top and bottom shells. That makes it more durable and less prone to twisting or bouncing while typing or playing games. It also has a removable USB-C cable, adding to the overall longevity of the keyboard. HyperX also has its own Ngenuity software to program macros or RGB backlight effects, adding to the functionality this keyboard brings to the desktop.

Best 60% mechanical keyboard

Magicforce by Qisan

Small price, small footprint

The White Magicforce by Qisan is one best budget 60% mechanical keyboards around, with solid build quality, a replaceable Micro-USB cable, and multiple switch offerings from Cherry MX, Outemu, and Gateron.

Pros

Lightweight design
Solid build quality with metal top plate
Multiple switch options

Cons

Uses Micro-USB for connectivity
Odd keycap legends

Normally, buying smaller versions of anything usually costs more, but not this time. The Magicforce by Qisan is a 60% form factor mechanical keyboard that provides great value for its tiny price tag. This form factor has 68 keys, roughly 60% of the 104/105 that a full-sized keyboard has. Gone is the numpad and the function row that normally lives on the top. That means it takes up far less space on your desk, giving you more work area for books, notepads, or your mouse.

Qisan sells the Magicforce with multiple mechanical switch options from either Gateron, Cherry MX, or Outemu. The cheapest options use Outemu switches, while you can spend a little bit more and get switches that are generally regarded as better by the community. The Cherry MX and Gateron versions also have white backlighting behind the keys. The metal top plate is sturdy and helps to reject smudges and fingerprints. This is a fantastic starter mechanical keyboard, with one minor annoyance. While it does have a removable USB cable, Qisan used mini-USB instead of USB-C, so it might be less sturdy over time.

Best wireless mechanical keyboard for mobile

ROYAL KLUDGE RK61 Pro

Ultimate portability

The Royal Kludge RK61 Pro is a 60% mechanical keyboard that can be used wired or wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.0. It has a large battery, a choice of red, blue, or brown switches, and a CNC-ed aluminum case. It’s also hot-swap compatible.

Pros

Bluetooth can connect up to three devices
Detachable USB-C cable
Multiple mechanical key switch options

Cons

Relatively short battery life

The Royal Kludge RK61 Pro has one thing that is often overlooked on affordable mechanical keyboards: wireless connectivity. It supports Bluetooth 4.0, which allows it to connect to up to three devices across Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS. It also uses a 60% form factor for portability and comes with a coiled USB-C cable for wired connectivity or recharging. The internal Lithium-ion battery should last about a day or longer with the backlight turned off. It’s also got a stylish CNC-ed aluminum case, a rarity at this price point since aluminum usually drives the cost up substantially.

The RK61 Pro also has a software package that lets you customize every key on the keyboard and adjust the RGB lighting effects. Add macros, function layers, and more to make the most of your smaller form factor keyboard. While you can get it with your choice of red, blue, or brown switches, this keyboard also has hot-swappable sockets. That means any 3-pin or 5-pin switch can be used, allowing for thousands of options.

Best low-profile

Keychron K3 Ultra-Slim

Low-profile, low-cost

The Keychron K3 is an ultra-slim, wireless mechanical keyboard with your choice of low-profile Gateron or Keychron Optical switches. This is the revised version, so it has a sturdier construction with a new steel plate inside the bottom frame.

Pros

Sturdy construction
Choice of low-profile mechanical switches
34 hours of battery life with backlight on, 70 if off

Cons

Low-profile switches take some getting used to

Keychron has a reputation for high-quality, affordable mechanical keyboards. The Keychron K3 ultra-slim mechanical keyboard uses low-profile mechanical switches for a thinner, more notebook-like typing experience. That’s good if you’re used to using your laptop keyboard or just prefer the experience. This keyboard also has Bluetooth 5.1 and an internal battery. The company claims it can last for 34 hours with the backlight on or nearly 70 hours without the backlight. It can also be used wired with a USB-C to USB-A cable while the internal battery recharges.

Keychron sells this keyboard with two choices of switches: Gateron low-profile or Keychron optical low-profile. Both sets of switches have linear (red), clicky (blue), and tactile (brown) options, but the keyboards using Keychron’s optical switches are also outfitted with hot-swap sockets for easy changing to another type of switch. Keychron also sells the low-profile switches separately, starting at $25 a pack. These have even more options, so you can find a switch profile that suits your typing style. The optical low-profile switches are also slightly easier to press and have a lower pre-travel before the switch registers a key press.

Best 75% mechanical keyboard

Keychron K3 Max

Tons of features and customization

This premium wireless keyboard from Keychron sports low-profile Gatreon switches, both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity, a variety of backlight options, a 1000Hz polling rate, and support for connecting multiple devices. Plus, this keyboard comes in at under $100, keeping it an affordable buy.

Pros

2.4GHz, Bluetooth, and wired
QMK/VIA support
Configurable

The K3 Max, courtesy of Keychron, has it all when it comes to wireless 75% keyboards: 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity, customization options including a hot-swappable switch option, RGB backlight, a premium build, and a slim, low-profile design that goes well with its 75% form factor. On top of all that, you get a ton of luxury features, too, alongside a sub-$100 pricetag.

You can use Keychron’s Launcher web app to program your keys as well as set up macros, and whatever you’re typing won’t bother your ears thanks to interior foam. Plus, you get a 1000Hz polling rate and support for connecting up to three devices for some serious multitasking potential. If you want a no-compromise 75% wireless keyboard, the K3 Max is an excellent option.

Lastly, the K3 Max won’t have any trouble working across platforms, whether its Windows, macOS, or Android, and Keychron promises up to 42 hours of battery life with the backlight on and up to 73 hours without it. Though, of course, this will depend on your brightness.

Choosing the best budget mechanical keyboard

The market for budget mechanical keyboards grows constantly as new features filter down from the premium options. This list is just a small selection of what’s on offer, but it has something for every user. There is no one-fits-all option for mechanical keyboards as switch choice makes a big part of the decision, but there are some options that do fit the needs of more users.

We recommend the Lemokey X3 as our top choice of budget mechanical keyboard. It’s full-sized, performs well, and can be customized, so whether you are word processing or gaming, this keyboard can handle just about anything. Of course, you can spend more to get RGB or a premium feel, but for a budget board, the Lemokey X3 blends features and value quite competitively.

Editor’s choice