11 Best Gaming Keyboards Under $100

Gaming on PC without the best gaming keyboard?

No way, If you are a gamer, you know that PC gaming requires you to have the best equipment. Being a PC gamer myself I know what it feels like having a cheap keyboard and mouse that doesn’t even work properly.

The previous keyboard you had might not even be that responsive. Yet when getting a keyboard you’ll see most high-end expensive keyboards that are equipped with a lot of features. However, if you go for the best gaming keyboards under $100, they are also equipped with similar features. Thus why not get the ones at an affordable price, If you get one of these, you will surely have an amazing gaming experience.

Stuck in finding the best one in an affordable price range? Don’t worry to make it easy for you we have reviewed the 11 best gaming keyboards under $100. These keyboards listed below are a combination of both mechanical and normal keyboards. Let’s move further.

Which are the best gaming keyboards under $100?

Redragon S101 Gaming keyboard
Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Keyboard
ETROBOT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Razer Ornata Chroma Gaming
NPET K10 Keyboard
SteelSeries Apex 3
Mafiti RK100
Keychron K6 – Best wireless gaming keyboard
ABKONCORE K660 – Best Mechanical Keyboard
AUKEY Mechanical Gaming
PICTEK Metal Gaming Keyboard

1. Redragon S101 Gaming Keyboard

If you’re a gamer, you would know how Redragon has given us such amazing gaming equipment for years. They have been making a ton of quality products for gamers. So today we have the Reddragon S101 gaming keyboard with us, let dig in to find out its features.

Key Modes and Design

This Redragon gaming keyboard is powered with an amazing RGB lighting mode. It consists of 7 different lighting modes and effects with 4 backlight brightness. Isn’t that amazing?

You can choose any color model that fits best for the environment and your eyes. If you play in dark rooms, this one might be the best one for you. However, you can also disable the lights if you don’t want them.

Most importantly, the keys to this keyboard are very quiet. So if you don’t like to hear a lot of sound from the keyboard, especially if you make videos while playing. For that, a quiet keyboard works best and this one can help you out.

Moreover, it also has adjustable breathing speed. If you are new to gaming breathing speed is the pulse of the color change in the keyboard. Yet having adjustable breathing speed makes this keyboard have a professional look.

Compatibility

In addition, it works with all windows operating systems along with macOS, so if you have any OS, this best gaming keyboard under $100 would work. This keyboard can also be used for typing purposes for office work. Besides, the integrated wrist rest feature provides you a very comfortable experience.

Most keyboards don’t have the best safety measures for Wrist injuries, however, this one does. This keyboard is made to work even when any liquid is spilled on it, it will work perfectly as far you clean it right away.

Other Features

Additionally, this gaming keyboard has 25 “N” key rollovers which totally are non-contentious. Moving on, it is equipped with 10 dedicated multimedia keys with 12 plus additional FN+ keys. Thus these keys add-in to make a total of 114 keys. So this also a plus point to have in a gaming keyboard. The more the keys in a keyboard, the better it will be.

At last, this whole package includes a wired gaming mouse and a gaming keyboard. So you’re getting an additional mouse, well this is surprising, as it would fit all your gaming equipment requirements.

Pros

Performance is quite fast
Affordable Price
Even works amazing with PS4
RGB lights are attractive

Cons

The Software is difficult to find

2. Razer Blackwidow Ultimate

What’s better than buying a keyboard made by razer? Razer as some you know is a very well known company. They’ve been making the best gaming products for many years. This time they have come up with this Razer Blackwidow mechanical gaming keyboard.

Key Modes and Design

It comes to quality when you come to this keyboard. It is designed especially for gaming, as this keyboard is powered by the Razer mechanical switches. This gives you the fastest and responsive keyboard.

Moreover, it features a dynamic lighting effect. It is different from other gaming keyboards. These backlit lights can easily be adjusted with the Razer Synapse software.

The keys installed in this keyboard are completely durable, which means no matter how many times you press till 60 million, they won’t break. This one is quite an interesting feature. However, one disadvantage is that it is a bit louder than other gaming keyboards. But if you are ok with a little sound coming from the keyboard, there’s no issue.

Compatibility

Furthermore, it includes a USB port with an audio jack which helps you a lot to put on headphones. Besides, the package includes a 2-year warranty. Thus if you are into mechanical keyboards, this will be the perfect option for you.

Other Features

Additionally, the smudge-free top cover finish in this keyboard makes all the sweat on your keyboard disappear. The finish keeps all the fingerprints away from it. This was my personal favorite feature as my hands sweated a lot when I played, however after using this keyboard, the keys don’t even feel oily.

Pros

Very Responsive
Programmable Backlights
Perfect for the price
2-year warranty
Some features can be adjusted with the software

Cons

Loud Keys
Some keys stick at times

3. Razer Ornata Chroma Gaming

This keyboard under $100 features a large detachable wrist rest just like the previously listed gaming keyboard. Yet, the difference is that this one has a quilted leatherette design which doesn’t annoy you at all.

There are some keyboards with wrist rest that annoy you because of the hardness. But you won’t experience that issue in this one as it has an Ergonomic design. With that, you will be able to play for extended sessions.

Key Modes and Design

Moreover, it is equipped with high-performance mecha-membrane switches. If you are not familiar with these switches don’t worry. Just keep in mind that they are the most comfortable switches which are soft-cushioned, and don’t forget these are rubber dome switches. These types of switches are amazing for gaming.

Additionally, the Razer Ornata is integrated with the best personalizations and gaming immersions. Both these astonish features are connected through the Razer Chroma. It syncs with the most popular games. Imagine getting a keyboard that changes it’s settings while playing specific games.

So This ultimate keyboard supports 16.8 million colors on backlit keys. This is completely insane. This one would be best for professional gamers as well as beginners who love to make the environment cool and attractive. The number of colors is in millions, you could just get lost while choosing the colors.

Compatibility

So it is compatible with all operating systems, like windows, mac, and Linux. Thus if you are bored with the previous keyboard and have an affordable budget, get this one. You’re getting the best razer keyboard, what else do you need?

Other Features

All the keys in this keyboard are completely programmable. The Razer Hypershift software allows all the keys to be reprogrammed as the gamer wants.

Pros

16.8 Million colors are available
Leatherette ergonomic design is amazing
Synchronizing feature
Anti-Ghosting keys
Mecha-Membrane Switches
Very Quite

Cons

The key spacing is not on point
The Razer software is not free

4. ETROBOT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

If you want an affordable gaming keyboard with a heck of features, this can be taken into consideration.

Key Modes and Design

This mechanical keyboard is a very solid with awesome and attractive design. It uses blue keyboard switches which not only make your gaming experience better but also comfortable. Besides, It doesn’t generate a loud sound when you press the keys. This feature is best for professional gamers as well as beginner ones.

Furthermore, it consists of 18 backlit modes with 13 sid-let led modes. Now, this is something rare. There are very less gaming keyboards with side-lit features. Imagine, having a gaming keyboard with attractive lights. All these lights can be adjusted with FN+~ keys, thus you won’t need any CD or software to do that. Also, the rainbow mode makes it look classy.

In addition, this keyboard uses MX Cherry Brown switches which are just astonishing.

Additionally, a total of 104 totally anti-ghosting keys deliver the most accurate performance ever. The multimedia shortcuts make it able for you to game without any error, with high speed.

Other Features

The keyboard itself is powered by a full metal case and a double injection keycap. The keycaps can withstand upto 50 million presses before it fails.

These both make it long-lasting, as well as maintain its quality. Besides, the USB connector is gold plated which helps you protect it from any kind of water spill. It has a spill-resistant design, so you don’t have to worry if something is spilled on it.

Compatibility

Also, the gaming keyboard is compatible with all Windows OS, Linux OS, as well as macOS. This type of compatibility means you can play with this keyboard on any PC.

Pros

Rainbow Mode makes it look more attractive
Very easy to play and type
Affordable Option
Uses MX Cherry Brown Switches
Side-lit design

Cons

Font is a bit fancy
No support

5. NPET K10 Gaming Keyboard

This NPET K10 is a quite basic gaming keyboard. As far as the keys are concerned, it’s like other normal keyboards. However, this one is equipped with the most extensive features, a gaming keyboard could have.

Key Modes and Design

It features UV coated keycaps along with injection laser carving ABS keycaps design. You would be wondering what these are. Well as it says by the name, the keys are laser engraved with the characters on top of them which never fades.

Moreover, the keycaps are 100% anti-sweat, which would be best for you if your hands sweat a lot while gaming. In addition, the design prevents any kind of damage to the keys, so you don’t need to worry about it.

Talking about the lighting, it has 4 LED lighting backlit modes along with 7 color breathing alternatives. The 4 colors LED remain there while the 7 colors move along the keyboard if you want them to.

It also includes 3 adjustable permanent mixed backlit modes. Also, all these lights are adjustable, you can increase or decrease the brightness and the breathing speed of the light anytime. It includes 104 standard anti-ghosting keys along with 13 multimedia keys and 26 keys.

Compatibility

Last but not the least, it is widely compatible with all operating systems. So whether you have mac or windows, it will work for both. Thus if you have a less budget, Get and enjoy your amazing gaming experience.

Other Features

These keys are non-conflicting and can withstand up to 60 million presses before it stops working. They not only improve the efficiency of your game but also provide you with a comfortable environment.

The ergonomic design gives the keyboard a 2 angle feet floating surface. It improves faster response and speed. It also gives a smooth surface to the game.

Additionally, the whole keyboard is 100% water-resistant. All the keys include a drain hole under it which can withstand any coffee or drink spill. Honestly, I was impressed by this feature as most keyboards don’t even work properly if something is spilled on them.

Pros

Water-Resistant and Anti-sweat
RGB Colours are attractive
Affordable Price
No driver needed

Cons

LEDs lack Adjustability

6. SteelSeries Apex 3

If you are looking for a high-end non-mechanical keyboard with a big rest for your wrist, this one can be taken into consideration. This best gaming keyboard under $100 the famous SteelSeries. There are many keyboards in their apex series. Yet this one is under the $100 budget and contains extensive features.

Key Modes and Design

The style of this keyboard is Whisper Quiet – Tactile and silent. So when you see quiet in the description, you know that the keyboard is very silent.

This keyboard features a 10 zone RGB lights with attractive color schemes and rainbow mode. The rainbow feature which mixes all the colors to make the one like in the picture. Unfortunately, the keys in this keyboard are hard to press which might be a disadvantage for you, if you game for longer periods.

Compatibility

These colors and keys can be easily adjusted through the steel series software. It will work on any OS.

Other Features

The attached plain surface as seen in the picture is magnetic which gives you comfortable support for your palm. It is covered with a very durable finish. Also, the keyboard is compatible with all Operating Systems.

So this keyboard features an ergonomic design. Thus if you’re a frequent gamer it provides quite decent performance.

Furthermore, it is powered with an Ip32 water-resistant technology. So you’re safe from any kind of liquid spill. Besides, it is included with whisper-quiet gaming switches with 20 million keypresses. After it reaches 20 million limits, it would probably fail.

Pros

Very quiet
Backlights doesn’t hit in the eyes
USB Port is also included

Cons

Keys are heavy
No warranty

7. Mafiti RK100

Now this keyboard has its own class, obviously, how can Mafiti let us ever down? I have personally used Mafiti’s gaming keyboards and mouse and I know that they can make the best quality keyboards.

Key Modes and Design

This keyboard has 3 colors (RBG) LED backlight. Like all other, the colors and the brightness be adjusted with the shortcut keys. Nonetheless, the lights give a very cool and smooth effect which makes the gaming environment better than ever.

This Mafiti RK100 has 104 normal and 12 hotkeys. These keys give you the quickest response time while playing. The space between the keys helps the keys to stand out. Also, the keycaps have an amazing concave design. Thus these all give you the feel of a mechanical keyboard.

One thing that I recommend in most of the gaming keyboards is also present in this one, which is the number pad. It makes it easier to type. Besides, it includes a rare feature which is the auto sleeping mode, the gaming keyboard automatically sleep if it’s not used for 10 minutes. This will also save electricity.

Compatibility

Furthermore, it is compatible with all windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, thus almost every gamer can use it. If you don’t do gaming much, this one can also work for typing or for daily use. In addition, it can also work for android Tv and Apple TVs.

It is very easy to install, you need to plug it in your PC. You don’t have to worry about any drivers, as this it doesn’t need a driver. Sadly, it doesn’t include the rainbow mode and moving effects.

Other Features

It is also water-resistant but not 100%, so you need to watch out from any kind of spill on the keyboard. Along with that, it has anti-sweat keycaps which absorb the sweat from your hands.

So this would be a great one to get, especially if you also type. In addition, its price is also very affordable. So if you’re starting out in the gaming field, get this one.

Pros

Affordable Price
Comfortable
Numpad is included

Cons

Only 3 colors available
Not much water resistant
Heavy keys

8. Keychron K6 - Best Wireless Gaming Keyboard

If you’ve used any of the MacBooks, you can notice how Apple is decreasing the size of the keys year by year. However, this one is also like the apple’s keyboard. This keyboard is giving us a very classy and sleek look. So Let’s see what we got here today.

Key Modes and Design

The Keychron K6 keyboard is a 65% wireless keyboard which means you don’t even have to worry about wires or connectivity issues. This keyboard is a Bluetooth mechanical keyboard with 68 keys in total.

The keys are backed up with an astonishing 15 types of RGB backlights. So you can change the light to any color which you like. However dim lights tend to give you a more focused environment, while bright ones may hit your eyes.

However, one thing which is not included in this keyboard is the 10 key numeric keypad which is a recommended feature for gaming. Besides that, it also doesn’t include any wrist safety measures.

Other than that, the keys are quiet enough that you won’t get annoyed. This keyboard has an ergonomic design which enclines the bottom to make it more comfortable for you to use it.

Compatibility

Talking about the compatibility, this keyboard works perfectly fine with all mac models and PCs. Including any year windows operating system. It can connect up to 3 devices at a time. You can switch among them easily.

Other Features

Moreover, it comes with a large capacity battery of 4000mAh which can last up to 72 hours of gaming WITH RGB lights on. Yet, you can also wire it if you don’t want to. Honestly, it doesn’t matter whether the keyboard is wired or not, but it’s your choice.

Pros

Wireless
Compact Design
Dual Modes
Keys are quiet

Cons

No numeric keypad
No integrated wrist safety

9. ABKONCORE K660 - Best Mechanical Keyboard

This keyboard has a lot of extensive features. This one is made by the famous gaming equipment builder: ABKONCORE.

Key Modes and Design

This keyboard features 104 anti-ghosting mechanical keys with a 1000 polling rate. If you’re not familiar with the polling rate, it is how often the PC checks the USB for data.

So this one has a 1000hz polling rate with the ability to be checked 1000 per second. This kind of polling rate is best for gamers, it makes the gaming keyboard responsive than ever. Also, the switches work till 50 million keypresses.

Furthermore, it features cheery MX blue switches. Again some rare switches in a keyboard under $100 budget. These switches are built to be long-lasting with great durability.

Besides, the sound which comes from the keyboard is like a crisp click sound and is close to being silent. It helps you concentrate more on your game. Talking about the lighting, it contains many lighting modes with different colors. So it is designed with 27 types of lighting modes, you can adjust to any mode to make the environment around you better.

Other Features

You can also reprogram the backlight modes and adjust the brightness, this gives you the ability to set the best one. Most importantly, it also includes the rainbow effect which all the high-end gaming keyboards have.

Pros

Polling Rate is quite good
Price is affordable
Light modes are astonishing
Excellent Performance

Cons

Doesn’t have a Windows key
No USB Connector

10. AUKEY Mechanical Gaming

This keyboard has a lot of extensive features. This one is made by the famous gaming equipment builder: ABKONCORE.

Key Modes and Design

This Aukey KM-G12 comes with 7 color presets and 12 configuration presets. The 12 configurations present in this keyboard can be easily managed with the G-aim software.

You can customize the colors along with many more effects. Also, it has the rainbow effect included in and keep in mind that the lighting mode is surrounding for this keyboard. So if you play in the dark, this one can work best as you can adjust the lights without any problem.

It comes with Aukey’s blue switches which are characterized by precise tactile feedback. You only hear a click sound when the keys are pressed making it very quiet. These keys also make the keyboard responsive. Besides, 104 anti-ghosting rollovers are also there in this best gaming keyboard.

Compatibility

Talking about the compatibility, this one supports windows, mac os, and Linux perfectly. Yet, it may be unresponsive sometimes to other operating systems.

So to conclude, it is compatible with all operating systems. If you are more into mechanical gaming keyboards, this might be the one for you.

Other Features

Most gamers who have bought this keyboard have given a lot of good reviews, yet there are also some gamers who didn’t like it. Thus if you are looking for a stylish gaming keyboard this can be the one.

The ergonomically designed keycaps have a clear space between each key. This lets you use the keyboard for longer time periods. The height adjustments and the anti-slip feature is also included in this keyboard to give you a comfortable experience.

The design of this keyboard is very durable and long-lasting. The Keycaps are covered by double-shot molded ABS, which makes them abrasion and water-resistant. In addition, most gamers love it’s build quality as the design is solid with a sleek look.

Pros

Very Responsive
Sleek and Solid design
Very quiet
Good Build Quality

Cons

It’s a bit heavy
The keys are tall
No wrist rest

11. PICTEK Metal Gaming Keyboard

At last, we have the all-new PICTEK Metal gaming keyboard. This keyboard is featuring a very classy design, like all other gaming keyboards. It is included with a metal panel surface which gives you the most comfortable environment ever.

Key Modes and Design

So you can set any color which you like the most, and surprisingly the rainbow mode is also there. Unfortunately, the monochrome light mode is not supported with this keyboard.

One thing which is different from others is that the backlight can illuminate the letters. Besides, these backlights are completely adjustable, you can control the lights with a few shortcut keys.

The keys are quite hard wearing and will never fade as the letters are laser engraved. This keyboard is completely spill-resistant, the keys are raised above the metal surface. These keys don’t let the water enter the keyboard.

Talking about the keys, they are powered by advanced anti-ghosting technology. It makes it able for you to press 19 keys simultaneously. Also, the 12 multimedia shortcuts provide a very fast game response.

Compatibility

This gaming keyboard will be best for you if you want a durable keyboard with wide compatibility options. It can easily work with any OS along with PS4 too.

Other Features

The design is integrated with wrist rest along with a foldable kickstand. The wrist rest will help you avoid any wrist injuries because of excessive gaming. It gives your wrist quite smooth support because of it’s ergonomic design.

Moreover, the backlights are amazing and attractive. There are 2 lighting modes with adjustable brightness and extensive colors.

In addition, this keyboard gives you a very premium feel like the expensive ones. This membrane keyboard gives you very high performance with zero sound from the keys. Also, the keys can withstand up to 10 million presses.

Pros

Premium feels
Affordable price
Customer support is good

Cons

Does not support making all keys the same color
No monochrome light mode

Best Gaming Keyboards under $100 - Buyer’s Guide

Now you have read all the reviews, it’s time to get one of the best gaming keyboards under $100. Before buying, you need a few features to consider before getting it. Don’t worry you will find them all here, we have put all the list together.

Backlight

So most gamers get a gaming keyboard that comes with backlights. They make an amazing environment to play. Thus you can see also see that most gaming keyboards come with attractive lights.

There are different kinds of lighting styles and colors in gaming keyboards. Some have more than lighting modes and millions of colors, while some don’t have any lighting modes but contain several colors.

Therefore, I suggest that you should get a keyboard with at least 2 to 3 lighting modes. Do keep in mind that the famous rainbow mode also comes in lighting modes.

Switches

There are many types of switches in gaming keyboards. Some keyboards come preinstalled with their own company made standard switches. While some contain famous and amazing switches. To make it easier for you, I’ve shortlisted the best keyboard switches for gaming.

Gateron clear
Cherry MX Red
Cherry MX Black

You don’t have to go in-depth about that, remember that if a keyboard has any of these switches equipped in them, they are worth buying. They not only give you excellent performance but also a comfortable and quiet experience.

Total Keypresses

Total keypresses are not difficult to look for and understand. The total key presses in the a keyboard is the total number of presses on the key until the key becomes unresponsive.

Thus more the amount of total keypresses, the better is the gaming keyboard. All gaming keyboards above have at least 10 million keypress capacity.

Wireless or Wired Keyboard?

It doesn’t actually matter whether you are using a wired or wireless keyboard. At the end of the day, you are going to sit on your gaming chair and play there. Yet some people like to put the keyboard on the side rest of the chair, so for them, the wireless gaming keyboard is the best.

However, if the range of the keyboard doesn’t matter, you can get any wired or wireless. Long words short, the wireless keyboard can get slowed than the wired one. As wired one has a physical connection while the wireless one doesn’t

Thus I would recommend that you buy a wired keyboard and there are a couple of reasons for that too. With these advantages, you will be able to differ with both of them.

Wired

Pros

Faster data transfer rate
Cheaper than wireless
Easy to set up( just plug-in the USB)

Wireless

Pros

No mess for wiring
Can put it anywhere within the range

Key styles

Moving on to the key styles, some keys are high while some are too low. Now it’s your choice whether you can play better on high keys or the low one. Mostly the keys which are low don’t make that much noise.

Water-resistance

If you are buying the best keyboard, it needs to be at least spill-resistant. This feature is a must for every gamer as who knows if the water you’re drinking while gaming spills on your keyboard.

It’s simple, if it is water-resistant nothing will happen, you would only need to clean it. However, if it isn’t water-resistant, it would stop working right away, if it doesn’t it’s, of course, your luck.

Type of Gaming keyboards

There are 2 main types of gaming keyboards; Mechanical and membrane. Yet, 50% of the keyboard are mechanical.

The reason for it is that mechanical keyboards tend to be more responsive. While the membrane gaming keyboards can get a bit noisy and less responsive but of course not to the extent.

Now it’s your choice whether you buy a mechanical or a membrane keyboard. If you’re more into membrane keyboards, get the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate. If you like mechanical more, the ETROBOT Mechanic Keyboard would be the best one.

Software Compatibility

This feature is also really helpful for those who consider the backlight of the keyboard to be of different modes. As you know, most keyboards have different lighting modes with different colors.

Now, these lights need to be adjusted with software or with some shortcut keys, so this is the point where software compatibility comes in. It’s totally your choice about the software. Yet, in my opinion, I would suggest you go for a gaming keyboard with software compatibility as it will be easier to adjust the lights with it.

Conclusion

So why are you waiting? Get one and enjoy your gaming experience. Do let me know in the comments, how the gaming keyboard was after getting it!