Top Budget Switches of 2024

Overview

You no longer need to break the bank to have quality switches for your custom mechanical keyboard! With the surge of innovation, switches from notable names (such as Gateron, Akko, HMX, and more) have been able to produce quality switches at affordable prices. 

Top Budget Switch(s)

Here is our list of the top budget switches this year:

Product Details

Name	Gateron EF Grayish
Switch Type	Tactile
Top Housing Material	PC
Bottom Housing Material	PA66
Stem Material	POM
Operating Force	42±10g
Mount	3 pin
Pre Travel	2.0±0.4mm
Total Travel	3.5±0.4mm
Factory Lubed	Yes

The Gateron EF Grayish is satisfying to type on. It has a crisp tactility and a fun lively sound for only $0.27 per switch.

Switch Feel

The Gateron Grayish has a heavy tactile bump near the top of the keypress and a slight post-bump linear at the end of the keypress. I would compare the tactile bump to other tactile switches that have a similar "P" shaped tactile bump. Boba U4T for example has a pronounced tactile bump that I would describe as an upper case "P" while the Gateron EF Grayish has a tactile bump that is more like a lower cased "p."

Switch Sound

The Gateron EF Grayish has a soft and relatively muted bottom out due to the nylon bottom housing and a hard and poppy top out due to the PC top and the tactile bump. The Gateron EF Grayish leans towards the mid to high end in terms of pitch which I would describe as sounding "poppy." There is no noticeable scratch or spring ping, but there is some leaf ping when the tactile bump makes contact with the metal leaves which can be remedied through hand lubing the switch.

Here is a sound test of the Gateron EF Grayish :

Product Details

Name	Gateron EF Curry
Switch Type	Tactile
Top Housing Material	PC
Bottom Housing Material	PA66
Stem Material	POM
Operating Force	42±10g
Mount	3 pin
Pre Travel	2.0±0.4mm
Total Travel	3.5±0.4mm
Factory Lubed	Yes

The Gateron EF Curry feels and sounds creamy with a nice bassy bottom out and a clear poppy top out for only $0.20 per switch.

Switch Feel

The Gateron EF Curry comes slightly factory lubed on the rails of the stems and it feels silky smooth to type on with no noticeable scratch. It feels soft when bottoming out, due to the nylon bottom housing, and when topping out the return on each keypress feels responsive and poppy. 

Switch Sound

The Gateron EF Curry has a soft and relatively muted bottom out with a solid and louder top out. Gateron EF Curry has a mixture of both deep thocky sounds and high clacky sounds. When bottoming out the Gateron EF Curry has a lower pitched sound signature, possibly due to the nylon bottom housing, and when topping out the Gateron EF Curry has a higher pitched sound signature, possibly due to the PC top housing. 

Here is a sound test of the Gateron EF Curry:

Product Details

Name	Akko Fairy Silent
Switch Type	Linear
Top Housing Material	PA
Bottom Housing Material	PA
Stem Material	POM
Operating Force	50gf ± 5gf
Mount	5 pin
Pre Travel	2.0±0.3mm
Total Travel	3.3mm
Factory Lubed	Yes

The Akko Fairy is another great budget choice for a silent switch priced at $0.31 per switch. It fits in-between the Outemu Cream Yellow and the Boba U4 in terms on its silencing mechanics and its overall feel and sound.  

Switch Feel

The Akko Fairy has a soft and quiet typing experience. It feels very smooth and clean to type on with its factory lube. The Akko Fairy uses silicone on the rails of the stems for its silencing mechanism, which provides a soft typing feel. The Akko Fairy could also provide a more responsive typing experience with its short travel distance and a relatively light spring weight. 

In its stock form, the Akko Fairy is similar to the Akko Penguin in terms of smoothness, and slightly scratchier than the Boba U4 which is $0.65 per switch. 

Switch Sound

The nylon housing of the Akko Fairy creates a muted but full sound signature that leans towards a lower pitched tone. Overall, it provides a clean silent sound with very minor scratchiness. 

The Akko Fairy has a similar volume to the Outemu Cream Yellow and slightly more muted compared to a Boba U4. As a silent switch, the Akko Fairy is a competitive choice especially given its friendly price point. The Akko Fairy is a great option for office work or public settings where you might be more conscious about the typing volume. 

Here is a sound test of the Akko Fairy:

Product Details

Name	HMX Violet
Switch Type	Linear
Top Housing Material	PC
Bottom Housing Material	PA
Stem Material	POM
Operating Force	45g
Mount	5 pin
Pre Travel	2.0±0.3mm
Total Travel	3.5±0.5mm
Factory Lubed	Yes

The HMX Violet was one of the most hyped budget switches by HMX this year thanks to the Rainy75. The HMX Violet produces a satisfying high-pitched clack with unnoticeable amounts of wobble for only $0.28 per switch.

Switch Feel

The HMX Violet comes slightly factory lubed. In its stock form from the factory, the HMX Violet is smooth with little to no scratch. The HMX Violet also has almost no stem wobble, consistent with the rest of the HMX line.

Switch Sound

The HMX Violet is consistent with the classic HMX sound profile: clean and bright. For reference, the HMX Violet sounds similar to HMX Cheese and sounds slightly brighter and higher pitched than the HMX Hyacinth.

Here is a sound test of the HMX Violet:

Other Reading

HMX Violet and JWK WOB | Rainy75 Switch Review

Holy Panda Tactile Switch Review

Gazzew Boba U4T Tactile Switch Review

Sarokeys Strawberry Wine V2 Linear Switch Review

HMX Cheese Linear Switch Review

HMX Macchiato Linear Switch Review

Cherry MX Black Clear Top  "Nixie" Linear Switch Review

Durock Silent Switches Review | Dolphin, Shrimp, Daybreak Silent Switches

Gateron North Pole Linear Switch (Yellow and Red) Review

Video Sound Test: Expensive vs Cheap switches on QK65 R2 - Worth it?

Linear Switches Comparison on Mr Suit | Gateron Oil King, C³Equaz Tangerine, C³Equalz Banana Split, KTT Strawberry, and SP Star Meteor White