Akko CS Jelly Pink vs Gateron Red
On paper these two are the same spring. The Akko CS Jelly Pink and the Gateron Red tie at every published measuring point, so the answer has to come from sound and build. Our full switch library already points each of these at the other. Hear them back to back below with the trims matched before you read a single number.
Hear them back to back
simulated from real specssound loads on your first tapShortcuts: press A or B anywhere outside a text box to fire that burst. Use the volume trims to loudness-match the pair before judging which sounds better.
Spec by spec
| Spec | Akko CS Jelly Pink | Gateron Red |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 45 g |
| Bottom-out force | 55 g (our estimate) | 55 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1.9 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Budget |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both makers rate these at actuation, which is the one case where the advertised numbers compare directly. Every other force row still has to be matched basis to basis. Neither Akko nor Gateron publishes a bottom-out figure, so the two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
Stroke character is a tie. Two linears feel alike under a finger, which pushes the decision onto the rows the spec sheet cannot fill in. Both springs measure 45 g at actuation and match at bottom-out too, so weight will not settle it. Neither Akko nor Gateron publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Only the Akko CS Jelly Pink arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. One pick, not three: the Akko CS Jelly Pink takes gaming and typing, and it is the one that carries less across a room. The Gateron Red is the answer only to a question our scoring does not ask.
- Overall pick
- Akko CS Jelly Pink
This pair does not split by use case: the Akko CS Jelly Pink comes out ahead of the Gateron Red on all three, so there is one pick here rather than three.
Force curves
Akko CS Jelly Pink
Akko publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 55 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Gateron Red
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 55 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Akko CS Jelly Pink or Gateron Red: the long answer
Read the spec sheet once, carefully, and most of this decision makes itself. Every force row in the table above reads the same on both sides, 45 g at actuation and 55 g at bottom-out. Neither Akko nor Gateron publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. Same depth, different trigger point: 1.9 mm on the Akko CS Jelly Pink against 2.0 mm on the Gateron Red, both inside 4.0 mm. On paper these are the same switch. The difference has to be somewhere the spec sheet does not reach.
Sound is where most people finally pick a side. Through the A/B player above, the Akko CS Jelly Pink comes through as bright glassy clack from the full-PC housing, while the Gateron Red reads as smooth, light clack with minimal scratch. One caveat we repeat wherever a player appears: no studio recording sits behind either of these. They are built from what each maker publishes and what the community reports.
On price and practicality, both are budget friendly. One of them has already been lubed for you and one has not, which is worth more than the price gap if you were not planning to open 70 switches.
This one does not split. Every axis we score points the same direction: the Akko CS Jelly Pink is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. On typing feel, its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. On noise, it makes the least fuss of the pair in a shared space. That leaves the Gateron Red to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
For either one on its own terms, read the Akko CS Jelly Pink page and the Gateron Red page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Akko CS Jelly Pink or the Gateron Red?
We pick the Akko CS Jelly Pink for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Which is quieter, the Akko CS Jelly Pink or the Gateron Red?
Nothing in either one is built to reduce noise, so on raw volume this is a tie decided by your keyboard rather than your switch. What you will actually hear is a difference of pitch and texture, which the player above shows better than a sentence can.
Which has the heavier spring, the Akko CS Jelly Pink or the Gateron Red?
Neither: they match at actuation and at bottom-out alike (45 g at actuation), so any difference in feel comes from the stroke rather than the spring. Neither Akko nor Gateron publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
Do the Akko CS Jelly Pink and the Gateron Red need lubing?
The Akko CS Jelly Pink arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Gateron Red does not, and on a full board that is an evening of work if you want it at its smoothest. Plenty of people run unlubed switches happily; it is a question of whether a slightly drier stroke bothers you.
More comparisons
More vs Akko CS Jelly Pink
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.