Low-profile switch family map
Kailh, Gateron and Cherry low-profile lineups, and how they relate to standard MX, on one map.
"Low-profile" is not a single standard. Stem, socket and spacing differ per family, and most are mutually incompatible. Start with the big picture by height.
Against standard MX (~18.5mm), low-profile families sit around 11–12mm. A few millimeters, but it changes typing height, travel and which caps you can use entirely. The table below summarizes each family's stem / socket / spacing (same source as the compatibility checker).
| Family | Stem | Socket | Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard MX (Cherry MX / compatible) | mx_cross | mx_standard_hotswap | mx_19 |
| Kailh Choc v1 | choc_2pin | choc_pg1350 | choc_18x17 |
| Kailh Choc v2 | mx_cross | millmax_3305 | mx_19 |
| Kailh Choc Mini (PG1232) | choc_mini_stem | choc_pg1232 | choc_mini_spacing |
| Gateron Low-Profile KS-33 | mx_cross | gateron_ks33 | mx_19 |
| Cherry MX Low Profile | mx_cross | solder | mx_19 |
| Optical switches | mx_cross | mx_optical_socket | mx_19 |
| Alps / Matias | alps_mount | solder | mx_19 |
Key takeaways
・Only Choc v1 uses the proprietary 2-pin stem; the rest are MX cross. ・Even within low-profile, sockets differ per family (PG1350 / v2-specific / Gateron KS-33 / MX LP solder). ・Spacing is 18×17 for Choc v1, 19.05mm for the rest. ・"Low-profile" does not mean "Choc-compatible."