All the keycap profiles compared*

(Pretty much all sculped and limited to Cherry MX stem compatible ones)

Overview

I thought it would be useful to have a more comprehensive article on keycaps somewhere on the internet, so here we are. Missing are a couple profiles which are harder to find, like KAT, OP-I, JAS(?), and non-sculpted profiles because I don’t like them.

(Update 10/06/23: I have bought more keycaps. They are not in this article. Some of them are pretty good. I don’t know when I will cover them.)

This article will not cover specific manufacturers, just the profiles. There may be cases where your particular set of keycaps will have a different thickness, etc. I can comment on feel up to a point, but a lot of this is subjective.

This is the type of information I would have found useful when I was looking at the different keycap profiles.

Things like keycap height, sculpt, typing surface curvature and area are all things that are hard to describe in words. While there are a decent number of reviews for most keycap profiles, it is usually the case that the reviewer only has experience with one or two profiles, which leads people to make assumptions about the profiles they haven’t tried. It’s hard to gauge what is what with only fragments of useable information.

Below are individual descriptions for each keycap profile. I will try to compare them to each other in a way that a reader might find useful, such as referring back to Cherry/OEM as a baseline.

I will not be mentioning kitting, as that is down to the particular set. I will, however, try to give a reasonable price estimate for the North American market. Prices will be based on what I can find for a full-size set (108 keys).

I won’t provide any affiliate links for anything.

1. XVX

Profile Name: XVX (Identical to Akko’s MDA sets)

Type: Spherical (Very light curve on vertical axis)

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.6 mm

Price: $24.99

Description: I put this one up here because I like it a lot. It is the shortest spherical profile on the market that I am aware of (MTNU be damned). The keycaps have a small amount of texture, though I would say it is on the smoother end of things. There is a lot of surface area to rest your fingers on, and the subtle curvature on the vertical axis makes them comfortable to touch. The taller F row is a noteworthy difference to the Cherry profile. These are pretty comparable in height to OEM profile, and a hair taller than Cherry.

I like these a lot. If you like Cherry/OEM and want to try something different, give these a try. They’re safe, but not too safe. Also good for big fingers.

2. Cherry

Profile Name: Cherry

Type: Cylindrical

Material: PBT (ABS also exists)

Thickness: 1.3 mm (Depends on model)

Price: $20 ~ (Example image is $50 plus shipping)

Description: The default profile which, in my opinion, has reached ubiquity purely on the strength of industry darling GMK. The stubbiness of this profile can cause interference with *some* switches in a north-facing orientation (RGB slot-side up). Despite the clear trend towards lettering being on the upper half of the keycap, this compatibility issue in the most popular enthusiast profile has led to an ongoing missed opportunity in north-facing RGB shine-through. Every enthusiast keyboard is south-facing to accommodate this profile.

It’s fine. Get OEM if you have a north-facing board, or use switches specifically designed to avoid interference issues (like Kailh Box Creams or something).

3. OEM

Profile Name: OEM

Type: Cylindrical

Material: PBT (ABS also exists)

Thickness: 1.3 mm

Price: $20 ~

Description: As far as I’m aware, OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer. The provenance for these more-or-less Cherry profile keycaps is in pre-made keyboard manufacturers wanting to put an LED right under the lettering for maximum brightness. As much as I appreciate the shortness of Cherry, OEM profile just makes compatibility a lot simpler. They feel like Cherry and it’s a shame that these haven’t taken off in the enthusiast space.

Not much to say, the increase in height isn’t that noticeable.

4. XVX-P

Profile Name: XVX-P

Type: Cylindrical

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.1 mm

Price: $25.99

Description: They’re like OEM but shallower. The cylindrical scoop is a bit less pronounced, and the F row and number row are both basically parallel. The rounded corners are primarily an aesthetic distinction. Small amount of texture.

Pretty good. There are only a couple sets with this profile so far, so consider it if you like the colors available.

5. OSA

Profile Name: OSA

Type: Cylindrical

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.3 mm

Price: $40

Description: Keychron’s OEM-height profile. Visually distinct, the sharp edges of they typing surface annoy me quite a bit. They have the same curve as OEM, but somehow it feels like there is less surface are to rest your fingers on. They have a small amount of texture.

My opinion is that I would prefer OEM or equivalent over these. They aren’t that bad, so if you buy a Keychron board you don’t need to toss them out.

6. CSA/MSA

Profile Name: CSA or MSA, varies

Type: Spherical

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.6 mm

Price: $20 ~

Description: Marshmallows. I’ve seen them sold under MSA and CSA, and I think I own both sets. Noticeably spherical, these keycaps have a large typing surface. A small amount of texture. OEM-tier height.

They’re cute. I think these work best in a cute board. Perhaps a little better for larger fingers.

7. ASA

Profile Name: ASA

Type: Spherical

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.6 mm

Price: $39.99

Description: SA-ish sculpting at OEM-ish height. Moderate amount of texture. The typing surface is as small as SA-P without the height. As you can see from the image, they’re relatively flat. Combined with the shallow sculpting (marginally shallower than SA-P in my opinion), this profile has a mix of features that I personally do not care for.

8. KSA

Profile Name: KSA

Type: Spherical

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.7 mm

Price: $35 plus shipping

Description: Keychron’s “high profile” offering. Moderate-high texture. The spherical sculpting is less spherical and more “dish-like.” It’s hard to explain, but typing surface “flattens” out close to each edge. It’s sort of like a very rounded square pyramid upside down, but somewhat shallow. The keycaps themselves are tall and have a lot of angle.

I personally think the sculpting is not that attractive, and I don’t like the combination of rounded corners and sharp edges. They being said, if they could be purchased without paying to have them shipped directly from Keychron I would consider buying them again.

9. SA (AFSA)

Profile Name: AFSA (Often listed as SA)

Type: Spherical

Material: ABS

Thickness: 1.0 / 1.7 mm (Double Shot)

Price: $39.99

Description: The “We have SA at home” option. Erroneously listed on Amazon as SA, these are noticeably shorter in height and have more in common sculpting-wise with MT3. The “upside-down pyramid” sculpt is very clear with these, with an additional flatter portion around the lettering. This sculpting is deeper than KSA but shallower than MT3. The bottom row is flat, but this profile otherwise sports very aggressive angling. The set I purchased came with a Flat spacebar and an angled one, similar to MT3. Very smooth.

If you want the “high profile” experience on a budget, I would consider these (As of 2023, KSA might eventually become more accessible).

10. MT3 (ABS)

Profile Name: MT3

Type: Spherical

Material: ABS

Thickness: 1.2 / 1.8 mm (Double Shot)

Price: $120 plus shipping

Description: The more popular "high” profile. “Upside-down pyramid” sculpting with a deep dish. Some texture. Among the tallest profiles, these sets come with a flat and an angled spacebar. Small feeling typing surface due to the spherical sculpting.

If you like deep dish feel, these are probably what you are looking for.

11. MT3 (PBT)

Profile Name: MT3

Type: Spherical

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.5 mm

Price: $120

Description: Identical in overall shape, the only difference I could notice between this and MT3 (ABS) was the rough typing surface. Same height, spherical sculpting, multiple space bars, etc.

For the people who need PBT in their life, I suppose. I like the prominent texture on the typing surface.

12. SA-P

Profile Name: Signature Plastics SA-P

Type: Spherical

Material: PBT

Thickness: 1.7 mm

Price: $110 plus shipping

Description: The OG high profile, and still (barely) the tallest. The Spherical All name is not for show, with this profile touting real spherical sculpting. P indicates the new PBT molds, with the old molds being designed for ABS (and AFAIK very smooth). It’s also kind of shallow, especially compared to MT3. It does make the keycaps look like plastic blocks though, which is nice. Spacebars are flat on these, and the texture is between MT3 (ABS) and MT3 (PBT).

I like these.

MT3 vs. SA

Having tried both, my opinion is that they’re both pretty good. If you’re on a budget, ASA and SA (AFSA) make good budget short alternatives for these.

An Attempt to visualize keycap curvature.

So what I did was press each keycap into some Model Magic and shine a light at an angle so you could see the curvature of the different keycaps. It didn’t come out as clearly as I would have liked, but I think it gives a reasonable indication of the relative curvature. You can at least see the difference between spherical and cylindrical profiles moderately well.

As you can see, the XVX and MSA/CSA profiles cast a different type of shadow to the Cherry, OEM, XVX-P, and OSA sets. This is the spherical sculpting at work.

As you can see, SA (AFSA), MT3 (ABS), and MT3 (PBT) have a “puffier” look to them. That’s the deep sculpting at work.

Personal Recommendations

XVX

Yeah, I just really like these a lot. I’d like them to get more popular so I can get different color variations for myself. I think they’re a good starting point for putting something new on whatever keyboard you have since they’re pretty cheap and have shine-through options.

Please give XVX profile a try.

SA (AFSA)

As much as it’s confusing to have these “fake” SA sets floating around, they are comparatively affordable and give you the “high profile” experience at a lower price point.

Conclusion

Someone should have done this already. I’m a few hundred in the hole collecting all these just to figure out how they all compared to each other.