Comparison
A single-piece aluminium 75 percent board at 1,825 g against a split all-metal 75 percent board at 1,186 g with a knob, a tray mount and QMK.
A 75 percent gasket-mounted mechanical keyboard with a full aluminium case, hot-swappable switches and USB-C connectivity.
Full product researchTwo Keychron boards that share a layout class and almost nothing else. The Keychron Q1 is a single 75 percent mechanical keyboard in a full aluminium case, gasket mounted with a steel plate, weighing 1,825 g plus or minus 10 g. The Keychron Q11 is a 75 percent ANSI split mechanical keyboard with a rotary knob, an all-metal tray-mounted body weighing 1,186 g plus or minus 10 g fully assembled. Both are recorded as USB-C wired, both record a 1000 Hz polling rate, and both record double-shot PBT keycaps.
Every value here comes from the specifications recorded against each product, and each carries the manufacturer page it was read from. Neither board was measured for this comparison, so nothing here describes how either one types, how it sounds or how it ages.
One piece or two. The Q1 records a 75 percent layout. The Q11 records a 75 percent ANSI split layout with a rotary knob. The Q11's recorded audience is people who type for long hours and want to angle and split the halves of a mechanical keyboard without giving up remapping, and the knob is recorded as part of the layout rather than as a separate accessory.
Mount and case. The Q1 records a gasket mount with a steel plate in an aluminium case, and gasket mount and backlighting in its recorded features. The Q11 records a tray mount with the plate integrated into the case and an all-metal frame material. These are different constructions, not two finishes of the same one.
Mass. The Q1 records 1,825 g plus or minus 10 g and the Q11 records 1,186 g plus or minus 10 g fully assembled. The Q11 is the lighter board by a wide margin, and it is the one recorded as two pieces.
Switches. The Q1 records Gateron G Pro, Gateron Phantom and Keychron K Pro, all hot-swappable. The Q11 records Keychron Super red or brown, Gateron G Pro red or brown, or barebone, with hot-swappable sockets that take five pin and three pin switches. The barebone option means the board can be bought with no switches at all.
Remapping and stabilisers. The Q11 records remapping software as QMK firmware with the Keychron Launcher web app, on macOS and Windows, and screw-in PCB stabilisers. The Q1 records no remapping software specification at all, so the catalogue can neither confirm nor deny what the Q1 offers, and it records no stabiliser specification either.
Keycaps and connection. Both record double-shot PBT, with the Q1's not shine-through and the Q11's in a normal profile. Both record USB-C wired connectivity. The Q1's record adds that the wireless 75 percent aluminium board is sold as the Q1 Max, and the recorded feature list for both boards says there is no wireless connectivity on either.
The Q1 is the choice for a buyer who wants one solid aluminium board that stays planted on a desk, who wants the recorded gasket mount with a steel plate and the recorded backlighting, and who does not mind the 1,825 g.
The Q11 is the choice for a buyer who wants the halves angled, who wants the recorded rotary knob, who wants the recorded QMK remapping and the recorded screw-in stabilisers, and who would rather carry 1,186 g than 1,825 g.
It does not settle price, because no price is recorded for either board. It does not settle typing feel, sound or latency, because no board was measured and no such figure is recorded. It does not settle whether the Q1 can be remapped, because the catalogue holds no remapping software specification for it. And it does not settle the Q11's dimensions, which are marked as only partially verified because the page does not state whether 345 mm long and 134 mm wide describes one half or the pair.
Methodology
How the products below were evaluated and chosen.
What this comparison settles
It settles the recorded layout, the recorded case and frame material, the recorded mount style, the recorded mass, the recorded switch options, the recorded hot-swapping, the recorded keycap material, the recorded polling rate and the recorded connection. It does not settle price, typing feel, sound or latency, and it does not settle what the Q1 can be remapped to do.
At a glance
Values come from the structured product database, not from prose.
| Attribute | Keychron Q1 | Keychron Q11 |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | 75 percent | 75 percent ANSI split layout with a rotary knob |
| Connectivity | USB-C wired. The wireless 75 percent aluminium board is sold as the Q1 Max | USB-C wired |
| Mount style | Gasket mount with a steel plate | Tray mount, with the plate integrated into the case |
| Weight | 1,825 g, plus or minus 10 g | 1,186 g, plus or minus 10 g, fully assembled |
| Switch options | Gateron G Pro, Gateron Phantom and Keychron K Pro, hot-swappable | Keychron Super red or brown, Gateron G Pro red or brown, or barebone |
| Keycap material | Double-shot PBT, not shine-through | Double-shot PBT, normal profile |
| Polling rate | 1000 Hz | 1000 Hz |
Scroll the table sideways to see every product.
Differences
The differences that change the buying decision.
Layout: a single 75 percent board against a split one with a knob
The Q1 records a 75 percent layout. The Q11 records a 75 percent ANSI split layout with a rotary knob, and its recorded audience is people who want to angle and split the halves. The Q11 adds the split and the knob; the Q1 adds nothing of that kind.
Mount and case: gasket with a steel plate against a tray mount
The Q1 records a gasket mount with a steel plate in an aluminium case, and gasket mount and backlighting in its feature list. The Q11 records a tray mount with the plate integrated into the case and an all-metal frame material. These are different constructions rather than different finishes.
Mass: 1,825 g against 1,186 g
The Q1 records 1,825 g plus or minus 10 g in an aluminium case. The Q11 records 1,186 g plus or minus 10 g fully assembled and is recorded as two pieces. The Q11 is the lighter board by a wide margin, which matters for carrying and for desk space.
Switches: three recorded sets against Super red or brown, G Pro or barebone
The Q1 records Gateron G Pro, Gateron Phantom and Keychron K Pro, all hot-swappable. The Q11 records Keychron Super red or brown, Gateron G Pro red or brown, or barebone, with sockets that take five pin and three pin switches, so it can also be bought with no switches at all.
Remapping and stabilisers: recorded for the Q11, not recorded for the Q1
The Q11 records remapping software as QMK firmware with the Keychron Launcher web app on macOS and Windows, and screw-in PCB stabilisers. The Q1 records no remapping software specification and no stabiliser specification, so the catalogue can neither confirm nor deny what the Q1 offers.
Connection and keycaps: USB-C wired on both
Both boards record USB-C wired connectivity and a 1000 Hz polling rate, and both record double-shot PBT keycaps, with the Q1's not shine-through and the Q11's in a normal profile. The Q1's record adds that the wireless 75 percent aluminium board is sold as the Q1 Max, and both feature lists say there is no wireless connectivity.
Products
Why it is here: The subject of this comparison. Its recorded single-piece aluminium case, gasket mount with a steel plate and 1,825 g weight mark it as the solid board in this pairing.
Layout: 75 percent
Why it is here: The split alternative. It records a 75 percent ANSI split layout with a rotary knob, an all-metal tray-mounted body at 1,186 g, screw-in PCB stabilisers and QMK remapping that the Q1's record does not hold.
Layout: 75 percent ANSI split layout with a rotary knob
No verified offer recorded for this product.
Fit
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Context
What the aluminium case and the gasket mount cost
The recorded 1,825 g weight, the recorded aluminium case and the recorded gasket mount with a steel plate are what keep the Q1 planted on a desk. The cost is mass, a single fixed footprint and no split, and the recorded backlighting is the one feature it holds that the Q11 does not.What the tray-mounted split costs
The recorded split layout, the recorded rotary knob and the recorded all-metal body at 1,186 g are what the Q11 offers instead of a solid block. The cost is a tray mount with the plate integrated into the case rather than a gasket mount, a partly verified dimension, and no recorded lighting specification.FAQ
Yes. Its recorded layout is a 75 percent ANSI split layout with a rotary knob, where the Q1 records a single 75 percent layout with no split recorded.
Source:Keychron Q11 page
The Q11, at a recorded 1,186 g plus or minus 10 g fully assembled, against the Q1's recorded 1,825 g plus or minus 10 g in an aluminium case.
Source:Keychron Q11 page
No. The recorded mount style is a tray mount with the plate integrated into the case, where the Q1 records a gasket mount with a steel plate.
Source:Keychron Q11 page
On the record, yes. The Q1 records Gateron G Pro, Gateron Phantom and Keychron K Pro, all hot-swappable, and the Q11 records hot-swappable sockets for five pin and three pin switches with Keychron Super red or brown, Gateron G Pro red or brown, or barebone.
Source:Keychron Q1 page
No. Its recorded connectivity is USB-C wired, and the same record notes that the wireless 75 percent aluminium board is sold as the Q1 Max. The recorded feature list says there is no wireless connectivity on it.
Source:Keychron Q1 page
QMK firmware with the Keychron Launcher web app, on macOS and Windows. No remapping software specification is recorded for the Q1, so the catalogue cannot say what it offers.
Source:Keychron Q11 page
Keep researching
Two hot-swappable Keychron mechanical keyboards compared on case material, layout, weight and software.
Wireless behaviour of the Keychron Q1 and what that means for multi-device use.
Two recorded alternatives to the Keychron Q1: the Keychron K8 Pro for a lighter tenkeyless board with QMK and VIA remapping, and the Logitech MX Keys.
The Keychron Q1 is a 75 percent mechanical board in a 1,825 g aluminium case with hot-swappable switches and a wired connection. The Logitech MX Keys Mini is a compact scissor-switch wireless board at 506 g. How the recorded specifications differ.
The Keychron Q1 is a 75 percent gasket-mounted mechanical keyboard with a full aluminium case, hot-swappable switches, connected over USB-C.
