Quick Answer: Keychron is the stronger all-around brand — its Q/V-series ships QMK/VIA firmware natively across nearly the whole flagship lineup, and its catalog runs from $35 budget boards to $250 full customs, wider than NuPhy’s range. NuPhy’s edge is a tighter, more focused lineup built around ultra-slim, lightweight, colorful boards: the low-profile Air75 V3 (about $139-159) and standard-height gasket-mounted Halo75 V2 (about $129) genuinely lead on portability and typing softness for their size. Buy Keychron for the broadest software support and price range; buy NuPhy if slim, light, and colorful is the priority and you don’t mind a narrower lineup.
Keychron and NuPhy are the two brands enthusiasts land on once they’ve outgrown a $30 office board, because both build hot-swappable, gasket-mounted keyboards with real switch and keycap ecosystems behind them. But they didn’t grow up chasing the same buyer. Keychron built its reputation on being the default “does everything” brand — QMK/VIA out of the box, a size for every layout preference, and a price tier for every budget. NuPhy built its reputation narrower and sharper: making the slimmest, lightest, most colorful mechanical boards on the market, first with low-profile switches and later with standard-height gasket mounts that keep the same slim aesthetic. Here’s how they actually compare, and which one earns your money. For every option beyond these two, see our best mechanical keyboard pillar.
By the numbers: Per NuPhy’s own firmware documentation, only four current NuPhy models — the Air V2/V3, Halo V2, Gem80 and Kick75 — ship with QMK/VIA support; its Hall-effect and analog boards (Field75 HE, Air HE, Node75) instead run NuPhy’s own proprietary app because VIA can’t natively handle analog rapid-trigger input. And per switch-mount documentation across both brands, Keychron’s K3 Pro and NuPhy’s Air-series both use the Gateron Low Profile 2.0 mount, meaning low-profile switches are physically interchangeable between the two brands — a genuine point of compatibility that isn’t obvious from either brand’s marketing.
Keychron vs NuPhy at a glance
| Factor | Keychron (Q1 Max / K3 Pro) | NuPhy (Halo75 V2 / Air75 V3) |
|---|---|---|
| Firmware/software | QMK/VIA native on most of the lineup | QMK/VIA on select models only (Air V2/V3, Halo V2, Gem80, Kick75); HE boards use NuPhy's own app |
| Construction | Full-aluminum gasket-mount (Q-series) | Gasket-mounted, lighter plastic-forward builds |
| Low-profile switch mount | Gateron Low Profile 2.0 (K3 Pro) | Gateron Low Profile 2.0 (Air series) — interchangeable with Keychron's |
| Lineup breadth | Wide: $35 C3 Pro to $250 Q5 Max | Narrower: focused on Air/Halo slim-and-light lines |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 5.1, multi-device (Q-series wired only) | Tri-mode 2.4GHz/BT/wired across most boards |
| Price (standard-height gasket) | ~$189.99-209.99 (Q1 Max) | ~$129 (Halo75 V2) |
| Price (low-profile) | ~$84-94 (K3 Pro) | ~$139-159 (Air75 V3) |
| Best for | Software control, broadest lineup, full-aluminum feel | Slim/light portability, colorful builds |
Where Keychron wins
Keychron Q1 Max
- QMK/VIA support built in at the factory — no separate app required to remap keys or program macros.
- Full-aluminum gasket-mounted case at a taller, standard profile for a heavier, more substantial feel than NuPhy's lighter builds.
- Tri-mode wireless (Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, wired) with hot-swap sockets that accept standard 3/5-pin switches.
- Part of a much wider Keychron lineup, from the $35-40 C3 Pro up to the $199.99-249.99 Q5 Max, so there's a size and price tier for nearly any buyer.
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If software control and a heavier, more substantial full-aluminum build matter more to you than shaving down weight, Keychron is the safer brand-level bet. The Q1 Max’s native QMK/VIA firmware and gasket-mounted aluminum case are the two things enthusiasts actually argue about when comparing these brands, and Keychron wins both at the standard-height tier. For the low-profile category, the K3 Pro (~$84-94) undercuts NuPhy’s Air75 V3 by roughly $50-70 while sharing the same Gateron Low Profile 2.0 switch mount — see our best Keychron keyboard guide for the full lineup.
Where NuPhy wins
NuPhy Halo75 V2
- Gasket-mounted plate flexes slightly under each keystroke for a softer bottom-out feel, per NuPhy's own design notes and independent reviews of the Air75 V3's shared gasket architecture.
- Roughly $60-80 cheaper than Keychron's comparable Q1 Max, while keeping QMK/VIA support (Halo V2 is one of only four current NuPhy models with native VIA).
- Lighter, more travel-friendly build than Keychron's full-aluminum Q-series — a real advantage if the board is leaving your desk regularly.
- Tri-mode wireless standard across most of the current lineup, including budget-tier boards.
NuPhy’s whole pitch is slim, light, and colorful, and the Halo75 V2 delivers on it at a genuine discount to Keychron’s equivalent gasket-mounted board. The trade-off: NuPhy’s lineup is narrower, and QMK/VIA support isn’t brand-wide — it’s limited to the Air V2/V3, Halo V2, Gem80 and Kick75, while NuPhy’s Hall-effect boards (Field75 HE, Air HE, Node75) run a separate proprietary app instead. If you’re buying a NuPhy board specifically for VIA remapping, confirm the exact model supports it before you order — don’t assume brand-wide parity. See our best NuPhy keyboard guide for the rest of the lineup.
Which should you buy?
| Your situation | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Want the broadest QMK/VIA-native lineup | Keychron | Native firmware across nearly the whole Q/V-series |
| Want the slimmest, lightest travel board | NuPhy | Air/Halo lines built specifically for this |
| Want a full-aluminum gasket-mount feel | Keychron | Q-series is aluminum; NuPhy leans plastic-forward |
| Want the cheapest gasket-mount board | NuPhy | Halo75 V2 (~$129) undercuts Q1 Max by $60-80 |
| Swapping low-profile switches between brands | Tie | K3 Pro and Air series share Gateron Low Profile 2.0 |
The honest verdict: Keychron is the better brand for most buyers, mainly because of lineup breadth and software consistency — QMK/VIA works out of the box on nearly the entire Q/V-series, and there’s a Keychron for every budget from $35 to $250. NuPhy earns its place on portability and price at the gasket-mount tier — the Halo75 V2 is genuinely cheaper and lighter than a comparable Keychron board, and its low-profile Air series shares switch compatibility with Keychron’s own K3 Pro, so you’re not locked into one brand’s switch ecosystem even after you pick a case. Want the full field beyond these two brands? Our best hot-swappable keyboard guide ranks value picks across every brand, not just these two.