I’ve written so many reviews on budget keyboards at KeyboardsLab, and I thought it was time to make a list of the best budget keyboards that won’t break the bank. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best budget keyboards that deliver top-tier features, all without stretching your budget.
Epomaker Galaxy 100 – $109.99 At Amazon
The Galaxy 100 is the first full-sized budget keyboard I’ve seen that packs a punch and has good quality. You can choose from two switch options, the Feker Marble White Switches or the Epomaker Wisteria Linear Switches. If you get the Marble White switches, this keyboard will cost you $109.99, and if you get the Wisteria switches then you’ll have to pay an extra $10. This keyboard is fully hot-swappable and compatible with 5-pin and 3-pin switches
The build quality of the Epomaker Galaxy 100 is pretty good, with the case made from Aluminum. The keyboard is gasket-mounted, which makes it flex downwards and softer to type on, and it also has a flex-cut PCB.
The keycaps are MDA profile keycaps, which are different from your typical keycaps, they are flatter and might take a bit of time to get used to. Both the switch options are linear, but I prefer the cheaper Feker Marble White Switches because they are buttery smooth and also feel and sound incredible. The Galaxy 100 also supports VIA, which is a great software for customizing your keyboard and setting macros.
The top housing of the Epomaker Galaxy 100 is very pingy, but I could not feel it when I typed. This is due to the gasket mount and the flex-cut PCB. Under the PCB, you have sound-dampening layers and foams that make this keyboard so good to type on.
Chilkey ND75 – $125.10 At Amazon
The board is made entirely of Aluminum, so it is a little heavy and feels quite premium, and it also has a small screen. The typing performance is overall very good and the switches feel good as well.
The Chilkey ND75 comes with Dopamine Blue linear Gateron EF switches, and these are the only switches that you can get with this keyboard as of now. They are hot-swappable, so you can remove and replace them without any soldering. The switches are pre-lubed and are relatively lightweight, and they feel and sound good.
The board has a screwless quick assembly system that works using magnets, there are no screws attached and you can just remove the frame by pulling on it a little from the side, you can also take the PCB board off because it is also attached via magnets, and you only have to connect a little ribbon in place to assemble the keyboard again. This makes it great for customization as you can easily take the keyboard apart in just under 30 seconds.
Gamakay TK75 Pro – $89.99 At Amazon
I got the Gamakay TK75 Pro entirely stock, and my first impressions were that it’s a great keyboard, it sounds good and looks good. You can get it barebones (without any keycaps and switches), and it supports Bluetooth.
The build quality is nice, with an aluminum case. You don’t get a fancy back weight like the Wobkey Rainy75, but that is understandable because of the price. You also aren’t getting a screen, but to be honest, no one uses the screens and you do have to make some sacrifices for the price. There is a volume knob on the top right, and the case has a soft touch finish that I like.
The keycaps are double-shot PBT, but the stabilizers are wobbly and you might need to mod them to get better performance. The keyboard is hot-swappable, and you can always change the keycaps and switches. You only get one switch option with the Gamakay TK75 Pro, the KTT Hyacinth switches. These are 45g linear switches that come pre-lubed, and typing with these switches feels smooth and nice. There is a 4000 mAh battery, some sound-dampening layers, and foam, and the PCB is flex-cut.
Epomaker x Feker Galaxy80 – $105.99 At Amazon
The Epomaker Galaxy80 is a TKL keyboard that has a full aluminum case. The RGB is very amazing, and it greatly contributes to the space aesthetic Epomaker gave this keyboard. You can also use the keyboard wirelessly with a 2.4 GHz dongle that is included.
The Epomaker software looks good and does its job, you can rebind keys and change the RGB. You can also play songs on the software and the RGB will reflect that on the keyboard, which is an interesting feature. The keycaps are double-shot PBT, and they come in nice colors that complement the keyboard.
The Epomaker Galaxy80 uses the Feker Marble White Switches. These are the best thing about this keyboard, they are 47g linear switches that cost about $25 for a pack of hundred, which makes them very affordable. The switches come pre-lubed, and they feel smooth and the typing experience is nice. The PCB is hot-swappable and it has south-facing LEDs, and the stabilizers are good quality and not wobbly at all.
This keyboard is incredibly bouncy, and it sounds and feels great to type on. The clackiness of the keycaps depends on how many foam layers you keep, and there is no noticeable ping with and without the foam.
Wobkey Rainy75 – $129.00-139.00 At Amazon
The lite version of the Wobkey Rainy75 retails for $129, it doesn’t have any RGB. The standard version comes for $139, which has RGB, and the pro version comes for $159. You can get Electro colors with the pro version, and it comes with double the battery and double the weight.
The build quality of the Rainy75 is impressive, and the case is made from CNC Aluminum. There is a large weight on the back that has reflective glass on it, and it improves the look of the keyboard significantly. The keyboard has a marbly sound and you won’t hear any ping while typing on it.
The Rainy75 is a 75% keyboard, all versions are hot-swappable and with the standard version, the only switch option you get is the Violet HMX switches. These are linear switches that feel very light to press, so this keyboard is not a good pre-built option, as many people prefer tactile and clicky switches. However, this keyboard did feel very nice to type on, and the RGB was bright and looked good for this price. The keycaps are double-shot PBT, and you can’t complain about their quality as this is as good as it gets for $129. The stabilizers are plate-mounted and feel genuine.
The Rainy75 works well wirelessly, and the on/off switch is under the caps lock key. The keyboard is also compatible with VIA, which you can use to customize RGB, and set macros. To disassemble the keyboard, you have to pull out some keycaps which hide screws underneath. The plate and PCB are flex-cut, and there are some layers of sound-dampening foam between them. You can experiment by taking out some layers and finding the sound that you like.
Epomaker x Aula F75 – $71.89 At Amazon
The Aula F75 is a 75% keyboard, and the first thing I noticed is that it is very heavy, it is also made from plastic but I can’t complain about that because of the price. It has seven different color options and three different switch options, which you don’t even see in expensive keyboards these days. You can get the Aula F75 with an Aluminium case for an extra $30.
The keyboard does have wireless connectivity, which is Bluetooth with 2.4GHz. The case is made entirely of plastic but it does feel solid and of good quality. It also has RGB which is also pretty good for a keyboard of this price. The keyboard I got didn’t have shine-through keycaps but you can get the keyboard with them. The Aula F75 also comes with a knob, but it feels like a cheap plastic knob. You can use this knob in two modes, Office Mode and Game Mode. You can switch between the two modes by pushing the knob for a few seconds until the Caps Lock key and the Win key flash three times.
The keycaps are double-shot Cherry profile keycaps. They come in some good color options and generally sound pretty clacky, the F75 also has north-facing LEDs. The three switch options are all linear, they also have similar travel distances and similar force, and the only difference is that the pre-travel is a little longer in the Reaper switches(which was what I got).
