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Prices checked November 9, 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: No Touch ID, and the battery lasts up to 10 days with the backlight on versus Apple's month or more.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is the Logitech MX Keys Mini for Mac, about $100 instead of $149 (save 33%). What you give up: No Touch ID, and the battery lasts up to 10 days with the backlight on versus Apple's month or more. The cheapest is the Keychron B1 Pro Ultra-Slim Wireless Keyboard at about $40. Prices checked November 9, 2026.
Why it's a good swap Compact Mac layout with backlit keys that light as your hands approach, and it switches between three devices.
You give up: No Touch ID, and the battery lasts up to 10 days with the backlight on versus Apple's month or more.
Why it's a good swap Ultra-slim 75% layout that works with Mac and connects by Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz receiver or cable to three devices.
You give up: No Touch ID or backlight, and it has ABS plastic keycaps and body rather than an aluminum build.
Why it's a good swap Slim, quiet Bluetooth keyboard that works with macOS and switches between three devices.
You give up: No Touch ID or backlight, and it runs on AAA batteries instead of a rechargeable cell.
Why it's a good swap Slim aluminum-style compact keyboard with macOS function keys, backlit keys and multi-device Bluetooth.
You give up: No Touch ID, and Satechi's page does not state a battery life to compare with Apple's month or more.
Why it's a good swap Same Apple layout, rechargeable battery and USB-C pairing, and it pairs automatically with your Mac.
You give up: No Touch ID sensor, so you type your password or use Apple Watch to unlock and approve purchases.
Typical US prices, checked November 9, 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID? It usually sells for about $149. Here are 5 cheaper swaps from $40: the Logitech MX Keys Mini for Mac is the closest match from another brand, the Apple Magic Keyboard is a cheaper option from Apple and the Keychron B1 Pro Ultra-Slim Wireless Keyboard is the cheapest at about $40. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is worth it if you use a Mac with Apple silicon and want to unlock it and approve logins and Apple Pay purchases with your fingerprint. Apple rates the battery at about a month or more per charge, and the keyboard pairs and charges over its USB-C cable. It weighs 0.54 pound and needs macOS 15.1 or later.
If you don't need Touch ID, the Apple Magic Keyboard ($99) has the same layout. The Logitech MX Keys Mini for Mac ($100) adds backlit keys and three-device switching, and the Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s ($40) covers basic typing.
Compared on their own pages: Apple Magic Keyboard alternatives · Logitech MX Keys alternatives
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | The original | $149 | – | – | View ↗ |
| Keychron B1 Pro Ultra-Slim Wireless Keyboard | Close match | $40 | $109 (73%) | No Touch ID or backlight, and it has ABS plastic keycaps and body rather than an aluminum build. | View ↗ |
| Logitech Pebble Keys 2 K380s | Budget pick | $40 | $109 (73%) | No Touch ID or backlight, and it runs on AAA batteries instead of a rechargeable cell. | View ↗ |
| Satechi Slim X1 Bluetooth Backlit Keyboard | Close match | $70 | $79 (53%) | No Touch ID, and Satechi's page does not state a battery life to compare with Apple's month or more. | View ↗ |
| Apple Magic Keyboard | Same brand, cheaper | $99 | $50 (34%) | No Touch ID sensor, so you type your password or use Apple Watch to unlock and approve purchases. | View ↗ |
| Logitech MX Keys Mini for Mac | Close match | $100 | $49 (33%) | No Touch ID, and the battery lasts up to 10 days with the backlight on versus Apple's month or more. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked November 9, 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The Keychron B1 Pro Ultra-Slim Wireless Keyboard, at about $40 (73% less). Ultra-slim 75% layout that works with Mac and connects by Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz receiver or cable to three devices. The catch: No Touch ID or backlight, and it has ABS plastic keycaps and body rather than an aluminum build.
The Logitech MX Keys Mini for Mac, at about $100 (33% less). Compact Mac layout with backlit keys that light as your hands approach, and it switches between three devices. The catch: No Touch ID, and the battery lasts up to 10 days with the backlight on versus Apple's month or more.
Yes. The Apple Magic Keyboard, at about $99 (34% less). Same Apple layout, rechargeable battery and USB-C pairing, and it pairs automatically with your Mac. The catch: No Touch ID sensor, so you type your password or use Apple Watch to unlock and approve purchases.
Apple sells the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (USB-C) for $149 in the US. The version with a numeric keypad is $179 with white keys or $199 with black keys (checked November 9, 2026).
No. Apple lists it for Mac models with Apple silicon running macOS 15.1 or later.
No. Logitech, Satechi and Keychron keyboards work with Macs, but none of them has a Touch ID sensor; only Apple's keyboards do.
The Apple Magic Keyboard (USB-C) without Touch ID is $99 on Apple's US store, $50 less than the Touch ID version.
Each swap links to amazon.com. Prices are typical US prices checked November 9, 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Compared on their own pages: Apple Magic Keyboard alternatives
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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