In this article, I will walk you through the best mining pools for Monero mining. I will show you the largest pools but also the ones that are most talked about on Reddit. In addition, I will walk you through why many Monero miners are in favor of using P2Pool, why they believe it is the best Monero mining pool, and how that supports Monero’s mission.
This post is part of my in-depth series on Monero where I review all things related to Monero mining: software, hardware, mining rigs, wallets, profitability, calculators you name it.
Best Monero Mining pools
#1. P2Pool
P2Pool is the most popular pool as it is decentralized. This means that technically everyone is solo mining but there is a complicated mechanism to ensure that everyone shares the block reward. You see the problem with other mining pools is that:
- All the rewards go to the mining pool admin’s wallet so if they wanted to they could abscond with the funds
- The admin controls all the hashrate. If they manage to control more than 51% of the hashrate they could perform an attack on the Monero blockchain.
The Monero community wants to preserve its blockchain by making it as decentralized as possible.
P2Pool is a good step in that direction.
Monero community members consider P2Pool the best option as it supports decentralization and has no fees.
Features and benefits
- Supports decentralization
- 0% fees
- 100% uptime
- non-custodial payouts i.e. there isn’t a central authority collecting and handing out payments
- Currently represents 11% of Monero computing power
Drawbacks
- A little complicated for beginners to set up on their own. The easiest way to hook up to P2Pool is to use Gupax.io, a software that provides a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to manage the process.
#2. MoneroOcean
The second most popular mining pool that people are talking about on the Monero mining subreddit is Moneroocean.stream.
This pool has adapted XMRig, the most popular software for mining XMR, to algorithmically mine other proof of work coins as well.
This means that the pool and its accompanying software will mine the most profitable coin whether it is CPU mining, GPU mining, or both, and will pay you in XMR.
Features and benefits
- You generate a higher yield because let’s face it XMR mining is not that profitable.
- It’s cheap. You can set XMRig software use fees to 0% which otherwise are 1% and the pool only charges you transaction fees for converting your rewards into XMR: 0.4-0.6%
- Best experience for algorithmically mining profitable coins and getting paid in XMR.
- You can mine other coins with your GPU and get paid in XMR. Monero mining is not compatible with GPU mining.
Drawbacks
- You are not mining XMR coins. If you want to support the Monero network then you’re not really doing that by using MoneroOcean.
#3. Nanopool.org
Nanopool is the largest and most popular Monero mining pool and controls 33% of Monero’s Network Hash rate. Nanopool provides a user-friendly interface, detailed statistics, and various options for configuring your mining software. You can mine 9 coins on Nanopool including XMR.
Features and benefits
- Largest pool with over 800 MH/s
- Pool Fees: 1%
- Finds new blocks 23% of the time
- Payout model: PPLNS. In PPLNS (Pay Per Last N Shares) pool mining, miners are paid based on their contribution to the most recent “N” shares submitted by all miners. It encourages long-term participation by paying miners for their consistent work, reducing the impact of luck or short-term variations in mining results on their earnings.
- Compatible with XMRig and XMR Stak software plus they have their own nanominer software.
Drawbacks
- It is the largest pool. To make Monero more decentralized it would be best to choose a smaller pool or just mine with P2Pool
#4. Supportxmr.com
Supportxmr is the second largest pool managing 22% of Monero’s hashrate. They have an IRC channel at #monero-pools if you need to chat with the two administrators of the pool.
Features and benefits
- Second largest pool with just under 600 MH/s
- Fees: 0.6%
- Payout: PPLNS
- Only mines Monero coin
Drawbacks
- Again it’s a large pool so best to avoid it if you want to help decentralize Monero
#5. Hashvault.pro
Hashvault.pro controls another 22% of the mining hashrate for Monero. Their website is a little more informative compared to the rest and shares data on Monero mining stats and market prices.
Features and benefits
- Third largest pool with over 500 MH/s
- Fees: 0.9%
- Payout mode: PPLNS
- Option to mine 11 coins in total
- Includes XMRig software guide
Drawbacks
- It’s one of the largest pools
#6. 2miners.com
2miners is another reliable Monero mining pool. They also support another 20 coins.
Features
- A moderately sized pool that finds blocks 8% of the time.
- Fees: 1%
- Payout: PPLNS
- Data centers worldwide: Asia, Europe, US
- DDOS protection
- Official pool for Nicehash, an algorithmic software that finds you the most profitable coin to mine.
- Email and telegram notifications
Drawbacks
- Smaller community which means you may not find as many answers or support as you would get with a larger pool
#7. Xmrpool.eu
Xmrpool.eu is a choice for those based in the EU.
Features and benefits
- Has multiple chat support options: Reddit, Telegram, Slack
- Fees: 0.9%
- Payout: PPLNS
- Chance of finding a block: 4%
- Has a fun lottery feature where the winner wins a Monero mining rig
Drawbacks
- Smaller pool so payouts may be more bumpy compared to a larger pool.
#8. Pool.kryptex.com
Kryptex is a smaller pool with their data center based in Germany but its customers are giving good feedback on it on Reddit
Features and benefits
- Payout: PPS+. In a PPS+ mining pool, miners receive a fixed payout for each share they contribute to the mining process. The main advantage of PPS+ is that it provides a stable and consistent income for miners, regardless of the pool’s luck in finding blocks. You can find more about the difference between PPS+ and PPLNS here
- Fees: 1%
- Chance of finding a block: 1%
- OS: Windows and HiveOS
Drawbacks
- Being a smaller pool means it will find blocks less frequently which means you will have less steady and larger inflows
#9. Skypool.org
Skypool is a smaller pool based out of China and supports multiple cryptocurrencies including Monero.
Features and benefits
- Payout: PPS+.
- Fees: 1%
- Chance of finding a block: less than 1%
- OS: Windows and HiveOS
Drawbacks
- The website tutorial is in Chinese
#10. Monerohash.com
Monerohash.com is a US-based pool.
Features
- Fees: 1.6%
- Payout: prop. Miners in a PROP pool contribute their hash power to find a block. When a block is successfully mined, the rewards are distributed in proportion to the number of valid shares contributed by each miner. The main drawback of the PROP method is that it can be riskier for miners in pools with fluctuating or unpredictable block discovery times
- Chance of finding a block: less than 1%
Drawbacks
- High fees
- Less frequent mining rewards
How to decide which is the best Monero pool for you
At first glance, all pools look similar. They charge approximately the same and look the same so how do you decide which one to mine Monero on?
Here are some important factors you should consider
- Mining Pool Size: The size of the pool affects how often blocks are found. Larger pools find blocks more frequently, leading to more consistent but smaller rewards. Smaller pools find blocks less often but offer larger rewards when they do. Your preference for a steady income or occasional larger payouts can guide your choice.
- Payment Method: Different pools use various payment methods, such as PPLNS, PPS, or SOLO. Payment methods can impact your earnings based on your mining strategy and how much you value regular payouts versus potential variance.
- Pool Fees: Fees don’t vary massively between mining pools but for a coin like Monero where profit margins are already tight it can make a difference.
- Software and Compatibility: Ensure that the pool is compatible with your mining software and hardware. Some pools offer their own software for ease of use.
- Support and Community: A supportive community can be invaluable for troubleshooting, sharing tips, and staying informed about network changes.
- Decentralization: While larger pools have advantages it is better for Monero if you join a smaller pool as it helps with network be more decentralized. The only exception to this rule is P2Pool.
- Geographical Location: Proximity to the mining pool’s servers can impact latency and the efficiency of your crypto mining setup. Choosing a pool with servers close to your location can reduce potential communication delays.
- Coin Support: If you’re interested in mining multiple cryptocurrencies, choose a pool that offers support for other coins and not only XMR.
- Security and Reliability: Look for a pool with a solid track record for uptime and security.
- Longevity: Established pools with a history of operation often instill more confidence in miners compared to new or untested pools.
- Pool Features: Some pools offer unique features, like detailed statistics, customizable alerts, or specialized mining software.
Alternatives to pool mining
The alternative to pool mining is to become a solo miner.
This means that you get to keep the reward from your mining operations for yourself and don’t have to share it.
The challenge with this practice is that you won’t be finding blocks so frequently while you will still have to pay those monthly bills for power consumption.
This is why pool mining is a much better option.
Useful resources
- A study on Monero mining profit: How Profitable Is Monero CPU Mining: Why It Isn’t Worth It
- Calculators: Best Monero Mining Calculator: 7 Tools to Calculate Profit
- How to mine XMR: How to Mine Monero: A Step-by-Step Guide
- For the best hardware: 15 Best Monero Mining Hardware: Your Ultimate Guide
- How Much Ram Is Needed to Mine Monero
Up next
What Is the Best CPU for Monero Mining in 2023?
I decided to settle the score and find an objective way to measure which is the best Monero miner. To do this I needed to find the most efficient miner. When I say most efficient I mean the miner that will give you back your upfront investment the fastest. In this post, I will walk you through my research and the methodology I used to rank Monero mining CPUs and I will show you which is the winner. Read more.
What Is a Good Hashrate for Monero Mining (2023)
Using XMRig Benchmark data I have analyzed the average hashrate of the top Monero mining rigs. The most powerful miners are those in the AMD EPYC series which clock around 45 KH/s on average. A high-end AMD Ryzen will give you around 25KH/s while the AMD Threadripper delivers a hefty hashrate at just under 60 KH/s. If you are looking at an Intel CPU you can expect to get 7 KH/s max. If you want to be profitable mining Monero you need to achieve at least 15KH/s. Let me show you why. Read more.