Cherry vs Gateron Switches: Which Brand Is Better?

Every few months someone on a keyboard forum asks it again: cherry vs gateron switches, which one should I buy? The thread splits into two camps, and most of the people yelling have never typed on the other side’s switches. I have. Years of lubing, filming, swapping, and daily-driving both brands. Gateron wins for most people. But Cherry is not the dinosaur it used to be, and there is one situation where I would still pick it without a second thought.

To add another major manufacturer to the decision, read our Kailh vs Gateron comparison.

This guide gives you a quick pick table, a straight comparison of how the two brands actually differ, and the six switch packs I would buy with my own money. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which costs you nothing extra and does not change what I recommend.

Cherry vs Gateron Switches: Quick Pick Comparison (TL;DR)

Skip the reading if you just want the answer. This is what I would hand a friend who texted me at midnight.

Best For	Switch Pack	Type	Why It Wins	Link
Best Overall	Gateron Milky Yellow Pro V2 (72 pcs)	Linear, 50gf	Smooth out of the bag, covers a 65% board, easy on the wallet	Check Price
Best for Beginners	Cherry MX2A Experience Box (10 pcs)	Sampler	Linear, tactile, and clicky in one small box	Check Price
Best Cherry Linear	Cherry MX2A RGB Red (36 pcs)	Linear, 45g	The reference linear, now with Cherry’s updated MX2A build	Check Price
Best Cherry Tactile	Cherry MX2A RGB Brown (36 pcs)	Tactile, soft bump	Gentle bump, no click, officemate safe	Check Price
Strongest Tactile Bump	Gateron Jupiter Banana (110 pcs)	Tactile, 59gf	Sharp, defined bump, enough for a full-size board	Check Price
Best Budget Tryout	Gateron G Pro 3.0 Brown (35 pcs)	Tactile, 55gf	Pre-lubed 5-pin switches in a small, low-risk pack	Check Price

Cherry vs Gateron Switches at a Glance

First, why this debate exists at all. Cherry, the German company, set the standard with its MX design: the cross-shaped stem and the footprint that nearly every keycap and hot-swap socket is built around. Gateron is a Chinese manufacturer that built its reputation making MX-compatible switches. Same stem, same keycaps, same sockets. What changes is the plastic, the spring, the tolerances, and how much work happens at the factory before the switch ships.

Factor	Cherry	Gateron
Out-of-the-box smoothness	Good on the newer MX2A line, scratchier on older stock	Smoother on average, especially pre-lubed lines
Consistency	Very consistent, tight tolerances	Varies by line, so the exact model matters
Variety	A handful of core switches	Dozens of lines: linear, tactile, clicky, silent
Typical price per switch	Higher	Lower
Pack sizes	Often 36-piece kits	Often 35 to 110 pieces
Hot-swap compatibility	MX-compatible	MX-compatible
Best for	Purists, consistency, stock-board owners	Most builders, budget-minded typists, the lube-and-mod crowd

Feel, Sound, and Smoothness: Where Cherry vs Gateron Switches Differ

This is where the argument actually gets settled. Not on paper. In your fingers.

Older Cherry MX switches had a reputation for a faint scratch in the stem travel, and a lot of that reputation was earned. The newer MX2A line cleans that up, and in my experience it is a real improvement. Still, if you pull a Cherry and a pre-lubed Gateron out of their bags and press them side by side, the Gateron usually feels like it was already tuned. The Cherry feels like a switch waiting for you to tune it.

Sound follows the same pattern. Gateron’s milky-housing linears sound muted and slightly cushioned, which is the “thock” half the internet keeps chasing. I am a little tired of the hype, but I will not pretend I do not enjoy it. Cherry linears sound crisper and a touch higher in pitch. Neither is wrong. It is taste.

Tactile switches: the biggest gap

If you want a bump you can actually feel, this is where I would steer you away from the Cherry MX Brown. It is a perfectly good switch, and plenty of people love it for office work, but the bump is gentle. Some typists call it vague. The Gateron Jupiter Banana has a much more defined bump, and it is the first tactile I would hand to someone who says Browns “feel like nothing.”

Linear switches: closer than you think

An MX Red sits at 45g. A Gateron Yellow sits at 50g. That five-gram gap is noticeable for about a day, then it disappears. What you will actually notice is smoothness and sound, and that is where lubed Gateron tends to pull ahead.

Cherry vs Gateron Switches for Gaming

Most “gaming switch” marketing is fluff. The actuation point is similar across both brands. You will not lose a ranked match because you picked Gateron over Cherry. Your polling rate, your keyboard’s firmware, and your own reaction time matter far more.

What you can feel is fatigue. A light linear like the MX Red or a Milky Yellow is easy to double-tap and easy to rest your fingers on. A heavier tactile like the 59gf Jupiter Banana is lovely for typing but can feel slower in a fast strafe-and-tap game. For gaming I would pick a linear, and I would pick whichever brand fits the budget.

Price and Value Per Switch

Here is where Gateron pulls away. On the listings I checked, Cherry’s 36-piece kits worked out to well over twice the per-switch cost of Gateron’s larger packs. Less than half, in Gateron’s favor.

Count your keys before you shop. A 60% board has 61 switches, a 65% has roughly 67 to 68, a TKL has 87, and a full-size has 104. Add about ten percent for spares and the odd bent pin. That math is why a 72-piece Gateron pack fits a 65% build, while Cherry’s 36-piece kits mean buying two.

The Best Cherry vs Gateron Switches Right Now

Best Overall: Gateron Milky Yellow Pro V2 (72 pcs)

If you only read one section, read this one. The Milky Yellow Pro is a pre-lubed, 50gf linear with a milky housing that muffles the sound. It is smooth, quiet enough for most rooms, and the 72-piece pack covers a 65% board with spares. It is the switch I recommend most often to friends who just want their build to feel good.

The catch: a bit of stem wobble is noticeable if you go looking for it, and 50gf is slightly heavier than an MX Red.

Verdict: If you want the best feel per dollar and you do not care about the brand name on the bag, buy this.

Best Cherry Linear: Cherry MX2A RGB Red (36 pcs)

The reference linear. Light 45g feel, gold crosspoint contacts, and a rated lifespan of 50 million actuations. The newer MX2A build is a clear step up from the older stock I used to complain about. It is also very consistent from switch to switch, which is the thing Cherry has always done better than anyone.

Here is the catch: you get 36 switches per kit, so a full board means buying more than one, and it still benefits from a lube job.

Verdict: The right pick if you want that classic MX linear feel and light fingers for long gaming sessions.

Best for Beginners: Cherry MX2A Experience Box (10 pcs)

I am a big believer in spending a little before you spend a lot. This sampler gives you linear, tactile, and clicky switches in one box, so you can find out whether you are a bump person or a smooth-glide person before you commit to 70 switches. It will not build a keyboard. That is not the point.

The catch: it is only 10 switches, and it is all Cherry, so you will not get a Gateron comparison out of it.

Verdict: Cheap insurance against a bad purchase. Start here if you have never built or modded a board.

Best Cherry Tactile: Cherry MX2A RGB Brown (36 pcs)

The safe office choice. A tactile bump with no click, so your officemates will not plot against you. Familiar, classic feel, and quiet enough for shared spaces.

The honest trade-off: the bump is soft. If you want to feel every keypress clearly, you will likely want something sharper, like the Jupiter Banana below. And the 36-piece kits add up fast on bigger boards.

Verdict: Pick this if you want a gentle, unobtrusive tactile feel and a name you trust.

Strongest Bump: Gateron Jupiter Banana (110 pcs)

This is the tactile I point people to when Browns leave them cold. Pre-lubed, 59gf, 5-pin, with a clearly defined bump. The 110-piece pack covers a full-size board and leaves spares.

The catch: it is heavier than most tactiles. If you type for hours with a light touch, test it before you commit. It also feels slower in fast-paced shooters.

Verdict: The best tactile feel on this list if you actually want to feel the bump.

Best Budget Tryout: Gateron G Pro 3.0 Brown (35 pcs)

A small pack of pre-lubed, 5-pin, 55gf tactile switches. It is the low-risk way to test Gateron’s tactile feel, or to fill out a numpad, a macro pad, or a small board.

The catch: 35 pieces will not fill most boards, and the bump is moderate rather than dramatic. Do not buy this expecting to build a 65% on one pack.

Verdict: Buy it to find out whether you like the feel, not to build a whole keyboard.

Which One Should You Buy?

1. You have never built or modded a board. Start with the Cherry MX2A Experience Box. Ten switches will teach you more than a week of forum reading.
2. You want the best feel per dollar. Gateron Milky Yellow Pro V2. It is not close.
3. You type all day in a shared office. Cherry MX2A Brown if you want subtle, Gateron Jupiter Banana if you want to feel the bump and do not mind a heavier switch.
4. You mostly game. Go linear. Cherry MX2A Red or Gateron Milky Yellow Pro, and let your budget pick.
5. You value consistency and brand pedigree. Cherry. You are paying for tight tolerances and a switch that behaves the same every time.

One nuanced take, because the internet makes this more tribal than it is: the brand matters less than the specific switch and what you do to it. A lubed, well-tuned Cherry beats a scratchy budget Gateron. And, as I tell anyone who will listen, a good $90 board with decent switches beats a bad $200 one every time.

Three Tips Before You Order

1. Check 3-pin versus 5-pin. On plate-mounted boards, 3-pin switches can wobble because they lack the two extra plastic pins. 5-pin switches seat more securely. The switches recommended here are 5-pin or standard MX-style, but double-check the listing on any other pack you consider.
2. Match your lube to the switch. Krytox 205g0 is the usual choice for linears. Thinner 3204 works better on tactiles because it will not smother the bump. Most people will not notice this difference on day one, but they will feel it a month in.
3. Buy spares. Bent pins happen. Ten percent extra costs less than a reorder and a week of waiting.

Final Verdict: Cherry vs Gateron Switches

Gateron wins for most people. It is smoother out of the box, cheaper per switch, and available in far more flavors. The Gateron Milky Yellow Pro V2 is the one I would buy if you told me nothing else about you.

Cherry wins on consistency and pedigree. The MX2A line is a real improvement, and if you want that classic MX feel with tight tolerances, the MX2A Red and Brown deliver. Just budget for more than one kit.

Not sure which camp you are in? Do not guess. Grab the Cherry MX2A Experience Box, find out what your fingers like, then buy in bulk. The best switch brand is the one you will not think about once your board is built.