Every low voltage drop ends at a plate, and the choice usually comes down to two styles. The keystone vs decora wall plate question is less about which is better and more about how each one holds its jacks, how it matches the switches nearby and how easily the outlet changes later. This guide compares them, then covers multimedia plates, gang count and when low voltage may share a box with power.
What is the difference between a keystone and a decora wall plate?
A keystone plate has its jack openings molded in, and snap-in keystone jacks for RJ45, coax, HDMI or audio clip straight into it. A decora-style plate has one large rectangular opening that takes a modular insert, which holds the jacks. Decora-style plates match decorator switches and let you change ports by swapping the insert.
Keystone vs decora wall plate: what each name means
The two terms describe different parts, which is why they confuse people. Keystone is a jack format: a snap-in module that clips into a rectangular port in a plate, surface box or patch panel. Decora-style describes a plate opening: the large rectangle used by decorator switches and GFCI receptacles.
So the real choice is between three plate families:
- Standard keystone plates, with one to six ports molded into the plate.
- Decora-style plates with a modular insert, where the insert holds keystone jacks or fixed connectors.
- Fixed-connector multimedia plates, with HDMI, F, RCA or binding posts built into the plate itself.
All three fit the same single gang or multi-gang bracket or box behind the wall.
How a keystone wall plate works
A keystone plate is one piece. You terminate the cable on a keystone jack, then snap the jack into a port from behind until it locks. A data jack is terminated first, as covered in how to punch down a keystone jack; a coax drop usually uses an F feed-through insert with a compression connector on the cable, as compared in compression vs crimp F connectors.
Because every port takes any keystone module, one plate can mix an RJ45 data jack, an F coax insert, an HDMI coupler and an audio jack. Unused ports take a blank. The catch is fit: installers and buyers often report that a jack from one maker does not seat firmly in another maker’s plate. Test one jack in the plate before you terminate a whole job.
The port count is fixed when you buy the plate. Adding a fourth drop to a three-port plate means a new plate.
How a decora-style plate and insert work
A decora-style plate has no ports of its own. A separate insert, sometimes called a frame or strap, snaps or screws into the rectangular opening, and that insert holds the keystone jacks or fixed connectors. Inserts are made in several port counts, so changing an outlet from two ports to four means swapping the insert and leaving the plate on the wall.
The main reason to choose this style is appearance. A decora-style data outlet matches the rocker switches and decorator receptacles around it, and screwless cover plates are common. The University of Connecticut’s telecommunications design standards require exactly this: connector modules in a rectangular GFCI-shaped mounting frame whose colour matches the nearby electrical outlets.
The trade off is an extra part: a metal insert under a screwless plate can hold the plate slightly off the wall, so dry fit both before the drywall is painted around them.
Keystone vs decora-style plates compared
The table compares the three low voltage wall plate types on the points installers ask about most.
| Point | Standard keystone plate | Decora-style plate and insert | Fixed-connector multimedia plate |
|---|---|---|---|
| What holds the jacks | Ports molded into the plate | A separate insert in the rectangular opening | Connectors built into the plate |
| Mix of signals | Any keystone module in any port | Any module the insert accepts | Only the connectors it was made with |
| Changing the port count | Replace the plate | Replace the insert | Replace the plate |
| Matches decorator switches | No | Yes | Depends on the plate |
| Parts to match | Plate and jacks | Plate, insert and jacks | Plate only |
Gang count and how many ports fit
The gang count of the plate must match the bracket or box behind it: single gang plates go on single gang brackets, two gang on two gang. Our guide to the low voltage mounting bracket covers choosing and fitting the bracket, so here the question is only how many ports the outlet needs.
Count the drops you are pulling now, then add the ones the room will want later, and size the plate for the total. Unused ports take blanks until they are needed. The UConn standard sets its own density limit: no more than three ports per frame, and multiple-gang faceplates where a location needs more.
A worked example, assuming a living room wall needs two data drops, one coax drop and one HDMI connection, plus one spare: 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 ports. That fits one six-port single gang keystone plate, or a two gang decora-style plate with a three-port insert in each gang under the UConn limit, with one blank.
Low voltage and line voltage in one box
Putting a data insert beside a receptacle under one two gang plate looks tidy, but the code decides whether it is allowed. The National Electrical Code does not permit communications conductors in the same outlet box as power conductors unless all of the power conductors are separated from them by a permanent barrier or listed divider. Section numbers and exceptions change between editions, so check the edition your jurisdiction enforces and ask the inspector when in doubt.
In practice there are two compliant ways to get the look:
- A multi-gang box with a listed divider that keeps the power side and the low voltage side apart, with one combination plate over both.
- Two separate openings, a power box and a low voltage bracket side by side, each with its own decora-style plate in a matching colour.
Never pass a low voltage cable through a power box to reach the next gang. Keeping cables apart inside the wall is covered in how to run coax through walls.
Multimedia wall plate options for AV drops
A multimedia wall plate brings several signals out at one point, usually behind a TV or at an equipment location. Fixed-connector plates suit a known, final layout. Keystone and decora-style plates suit outlets that may change, because each connector is a module.
- HDMI: a keystone coupler adds a connection in the path; a brush or pass-through plate lets the cable run straight to the equipment instead.
- Coax: an F feed-through insert in a keystone or decora-style frame.
- Data: a terminated RJ45 jack, or a field-terminated plug where the cable runs through; see pass-through vs standard RJ45.
- Speakers: binding post modules sized for the wire gauge in the wall.
Label every port on the plate, which the UConn standard also requires its faceplates to allow.
Where to find wall plates and inserts
The wall plates and inserts category lists keystone F connector, feed-through and blank inserts, within the antenna, tower and satellite division. Data jacks and plugs are in the connectors category.
For pricing and availability, ask your sales representative through the Bursma contact page or the Wyoming, MI branch, or open a Bursma dealer account.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put keystone jacks in a decora plate?
Yes, with a decora-style keystone insert. The insert snaps into the plate’s rectangular opening and the keystone jacks snap into the insert. Check that the jacks seat firmly in that insert before you terminate.
Are keystone jacks universal?
The format is common, but fit varies between makers. A jack may be loose or refuse to lock in another maker’s plate, so test one before buying for a whole job.
Can a data jack and a receptacle share one wall plate?
Only where a listed divider or permanent barrier separates the power and low voltage sides of the box and the code edition in force allows it. Otherwise use two openings with matching plates.
Which is better for a new build?
Decora-style plates if the outlets should match decorator switches or may change later; standard keystone plates if appearance matters less and fewer parts suit the job.