9 Best Bitcoin Mining Pools

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As an individual miner, participating in a Bitcoin mining pool is the only feasible way to earn BTC block rewards. The advancement in mining hardware and investment from larger companies have increased the difficulty of Bitcoin mining exponentially for enthusiasts since the blockchain was first launched in 2009. While the days of mining Bitcoin using a single rig are gone, Bitcoin mining pools open the door for investors to earn and share block rewards.

To help with deciding which mining pool to use, this comparison lists the best Bitcoin mining pools so you can make an informed decision on which is the best solution.

Best Bitcoin Mining Pools For 2023

Based on our reviews, these are the top Bitcoin mining pools to use based on important factors such as reputation, pay-out scheme, user-friendliness, security, supported cryptocurrencies, fees, customer support, and reviews.

1. Binance Pool (best overall mining pool for beginners )
2. Slush Pool (best for reputation)
3. Antpool (best for ease of use)
4. BTC.com (best for security)
5. Foundry USA (best for large miners)
6. P2Pool (best for decentralization)
7. ViaBTC (best for features)
8. F2Pool (best for merged mining)
9. Poolin (best for customer service)

Top BTC Mining Pool Compared

Bitcoin Mining Pools: 2023 Reviews

1. Binance Pool

Binance Pool or otherwise known as Binance Smart Pool is a cryptocurrency mining service offered to its users on its global trading platform, Binance. Existing users on the platform can participate in the mining pools to earn rewards on Proof-of-Work (PoW) coins such as Bitcoin. Since the establishment of Binance Pool, it has grown in popularity and is currently the 5th largest Bitcoin mining pool at the time of writing based on hashrate distribution with nodes in America, Europe, Southern China, Northern China and other regions.

The advantage of using Binance Pool is the strong foundation that has been established within the Binance ecosystem which is a proven leader in its space for technology, innovation and security. Moreover, users have access to the broad range of products and services offered on Binance such as the Bitcoin wallet, exchange, DeFi features, staking and exchange for trading. It is also highly suitable for beginners that are looking to mine their first Bitcoin.

Binance Pool Bitcoin mining statistics.

Binance Pool uses the FPPS payout model for Bitcoin which means instant settlements and fewer fluctuations in earnings. The service guarantees a higher payout than a standard FPPS model due to the real-time hedging of the Smart Pool which is seen as a competitive advantage. Should there be a situation where the actual payout is less than FPPS, Binance Pool guarantees to compensate for users’ losses.

All settlements are paid out to the user's Binance wallet, which can be used on the exchange or withdrawn to an external wallet (read our full tutorial on withdrawing from Binance). The revenue earned from Binance Pool can be managed and monitored using the Binance App.

In terms of fees, there is a 2.5% mining fee which is quite high in the industry compared to other mining pool providers which offset the guaranteed higher pay-outs from real-time hedging. However, overall Binance Pool is one of the best Bitcoin pools as it is easy to use, safe and reliable. For those that are looking to mine Bitcoin, using Binance Pool is a great option.

2. Slush Pool

Slush Pool was the first Bitcoin mining pool ever established. Since launching in 2010 as “Bitcoin.cz”, the pool has helped to mine over 1.28 million BTC. Although initially operated by members of Satoshi Labs, the creators behind the Trezor wallet, the pool is now run by a Bitcoin mining company called Braiins which was founded shortly after Slush Pool began.

The platform publishes mining activity through statistical proof, which is why SlushPool has become known for its stability and accuracy. It is, therefore, often thought of as one of the more transparent mining platforms. The user interface is beginner-friendly and has a demo account for users to become familiar with the native dashboard. Support is offered in multiple languages including English, Russian, German and Chinese and for those that are on the go, the mining pool statistics can be reviewed using the pool’s native mobile application.

Slushpool website.

Rewards at Slush Pool are distributed via a “Score” system, which measures a miner’s scoring hash rate. The scoring hash rate reflects exactly how much computer power is being contributed to the mining pool. Rewards are then calculated proportionally. BTC is only distributed if a block reward is found and a 2% fee is implemented. Alongside BTC, users also have the opportunity to mine the privacy-focused Zcash and earn ZEC rewards.

To help improve the efficiency of Bitcoin mining, in addition to the operation of the mining pool, Braiins developed its proprietary Bitcoin mining software known as BraiinOS and BraiinsOS+. In particular, BraiinsOS+ helps to autotune and improve the efficiency of mining hardware. By using BraiinsOS+ users can enjoy increased hashrate from Bitcoin ASIC miners and 0% pool fees instead of the standard 2%.

3. AntPool

After launching in 2014, AntPool has focused on becoming one of the top Bitcoin mining pools in the market. The pool has successfully held the top spot for Bitcoin hashrate on multiple occasions in the past. AntPool is operated by a company called Bitmain Technology, which also manufactures the famous Antminer ASIC series.

The company hosts Bitcoin mining servers all around the world, which are connected in a peer-to-peer network. All miners are connected to their nearest server geographically. Thanks to an increased presence, AntPool offers services to a range of customers with 3 mining modes to choose from:

• Stratum (used for traditional pool mining)
• P2Pool (for creating a single group of miners)
• Solo (for mining farms and individuals that can generate high hashrates)

Antpool website.

Above all else, the company has focused on building a user-friendly experience and a wide range of payment schemes. Alongside a friendly user interface, earnings can be distributed via PPS+ or PPLNS, which are both associated with an independent fee. PPS+ can be used for a 4% block fee, while PPLNS can be used for a 0% block fee. All rewards are distributed daily and assets are also protected with 2FA and log-in notifications.

Alongside BTC, the mining platform allows users to mine several other cryptocurrencies, unlike other mining pools. These include ETC, BTM, SC, ETH, DASH, XMC, LTC, ZEC, and BCH. All mining activity can be monitored from the platform’s mobile application and support is offered on a 24/7 basis via a ZenDesk ticketing system.

4. BTC.com

Marketed as “the world’s leading multi-currency integrated mining pool”, BTC.com has focused on providing users with an easy-to-manage platform for multi-currency mining. The company was originally established as a blockchain explorer in 2015 and subsequently developed a Bitcoin mining pool in 2016. Like AntPool, BTC.com is managed by Bitmain Technologies.

BTC.com hosts multiple servers worldwide, which are connected in a peer-to-peer network. Miners typically join the server that is geographically closest. The code behind the mining platform is completely open-source and, therefore, can be verified for accuracy. The open-source nature has also helped to bring legitimacy to the project. The management of BTC.com mining can be observed from the native BTC.com mobile application which provides a friendly and intuitive interface for miners.

BTC.com bitcoin mining pool hashrates.

Alongside BTC, users can mine BCH, LTC, ETH, DCR, and CKR. For BTC, rewards are distributed using an FPPS payout scheme, that implements an average fee of 4%. All other rewards are either paid out via FPPS or PPS payout schemes.

In addition to transparency, BTC.com places security as a top priority. The platform implements several security measures to discourage mismanagement of funds and to maintain the stability of the network. All data reading and writing are separated, and the platform hosts Cloudfare to protect users from a Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. In short, BTC.com is a reputable, secure and trustworthy Bitcoin mining pool.

5. Foundry USA

Built as the U.S.’s answer to a Chinese-dominated market, the Foundry USA Pool was first launched in 2019 by Foundry, a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group (DCG). DCG subsidiaries also include CoinDesk, Grayscale, Genesis, and Luno. Although Foundry USA entered the marketplace much later than competitors, as a result of the Chinese ban on Bitcoin exchanges and mining in 2021, the pool has moved into a commanding position and is currently the largest Bitcoin mining pool in the world with a market share of 16.69% at the time of writing.

Largest Bitcoin mining pools.

Foundry USA’s focus is on miners with large hashrates. This may include both organizations or individuals, but the company aims to become a specialist in providing mining machines, capital, and professional expertise to up-and-coming bitcoin miners situated within the U.S. While smaller entities can use the pool, Foundry USA is open to the fact that it is geared towards miners with higher computing power.

The mining pool supports both BTC and BCH and implements an FPPS payout scheme with 0% pool fees. However, this is currently unverifiable via the company’s website as all interested parties need to apply for access via a form found on Foundry’s website. In addition to mining expertise, the platform offers a connection with FoundryX, which is a new marketplace for buying and selling mining equipment. Moreover, individuals can stake cryptocurrencies to earn passive rewards through FoundryStaking, which supports the top Proof of Stake (PoS) protocols for staking.

6. P2Pool

Often described as a cross between solo mining and pooled mining, P2Pool is a decentralized mining alternative. The idea behind the mining pool was first developed in 2011 to support the decentralisation of the Bitcoin mining process and Bitcoin blockchain protocol. Many in the industry were concerned that centralized mining pool operators would gain too much influence over transactions processed on the blockchain.

Like pooled mining, all hash rates are still combined but unlike pooled mining, there is no centralized entity in control of the blocks generated. Even if P2Pool managed to secure over 50% of the Bitcoin mining hashrate, there is no danger of a 51% attack because each block is still being created by individual miners.

Related: Can Bitcoin be hacked in a 51% attack?

A key element to P2Pool is known as the “sharechain”, which is a sidechain running in parallel to Bitcoin. Each miner in P2Pool focuses on solving blocks of the sharechain which can be found much quicker due to a lower difficulty setting. However, these blocks are still fully functioning Bitcoin blocks. As a result, every so often a true Bitcoin block is found and posted to the Bitcoin blockchain for BTC rewards. Rewards are then distributed among all P2Pool contributors using the sharechain. The number of rewards is proportional to the number of sharechain blocks that an individual miner has previously created.

Like solo mining, this means that rewards are distributed on a random basis that is dependent on when BTC block rewards are found. The variance of block rewards will, therefore, be slightly higher than traditional mining pools. However, as the number of miners searching for blocks is higher, the level of rewards is reportedly similar.

The level of control offered by P2Pool may be attractive to some miners, however, it is worth mentioning that the setup is technically complex. As there is no centralized operator, there is also very little support if things go wrong. It is, therefore, a pool more suited to experienced miners and those that believe in the ideology of decentralization.

P2Pool sets a 1% fee by default, however, the fee is an optional donation to help the development of P2Pool.

7. ViaBTC

ViaBTC is a Bitcoin mining pool that was first launched in 2016. The platform focuses on providing a professional and transparent mining service for its customers. Although slightly younger than competing mining pools, the operator has now served over 1 million miners located in over 130 countries and has developed a respectable reputation among cryptocurrency miners along the way. ViaBTC supports a wide range of cryptocurrency mining services besides Bitcoin such as BCH, BSV, FCH, ETH, and ETC.

ViaBTC has focused on producing an encompassing ecosystem for Bitcoin miners that offers a broader appeal compared to its competitors. The platform offers a mining pool, ViaBTC wallet, access to the CoinEx exchange and Smart Chain and access to OneSwap’s decentralized exchange. In addition to the impressive ecosystem, ViaBTC has developed unique features to enhance the mining experience. These include smart mining and a one-click switch.

ViaBTC mining pool 30-day hashrate and difficulty.

Both smart mining and one-click switch options are situated within the umbrella of the “smart mining” module. Smart mining enhances returns by implementing an algorithm to switch between mining preferences. Likewise, one-click switch allows users to switch hashrate between multiple cryptocurrencies without needing to change configurations. Smart mining is available in the Bitcoin pool, which includes BTC and BCH. The one-click switch is also available in the Zcash pool that consists of ZEC and ZEN.

Rewards on ViaBTC are distributed through PPS+ and PPLNS payout schemes. PPS+ is charged at a 4% block fee and PPLNS is charged at a 2% block fee. The profitability for each payout scheme can be calculated using the platform’s pool hashrate chart.

Support is offered in multiple languages via an online ticketing system and assistance can also be found via the platform’s comprehensive help centre guides. Overall, for individuals that are looking for a wide range of features and cryptocurrencies to mine, ViaBTC is a great choice.

8. F2Pool

F2Pool, also known as Discus Fish to members of the crypto community, was first launched in 2013. It was one of the earliest mining pools to grace the industry and remains China’s oldest. Used by over 2 million miners worldwide, F2Pool has now become one of the most popular and is currently the 2nd largest pool for hashrate distribution at 14.8% of blocks mined. After successfully launching a Bitcoin-focused pool, the platform expanded into other cryptocurrencies and even supports non-custodial ETH 2.0 staking with a minimum of 0.1 ETH.

BTC mining pool hashrate distributions.

Alongside BTC, a range of other cryptocurrencies can be mined including ETH, LTC, ETC, BCH, CKB, RVN, ZEC, ZEN, KDA, DCR, and DASH. Some of these can be combined in what F2Pool terms “merged mining”. Merged mining allows users to apply the work completed for one blockchain to others. This means that users can earn extra coins without using any more hashrate which is a great feature.

Rewards are distributed on F2Pool via a PPS+ payout scheme. In addition to a share of block rewards, miners are rewarded with a 3% bonus as a loyalty reward for using the pool. A 2.5% fee is charged, which places the pool in the mid-range in terms of costs against other mining pools. Minimum withdrawals for F2Pool stand at 0.001 BTC which is very reasonable.

9. Poolin

Branded as “more than just a mining pool”, Poolin is one of the youngest Bitcoin mining pool operators in existence. But that doesn’t mean Poolin is one of the smallest. Although the platform only launched in 2018, thanks to a wide range of quality services, the Bitcoin mining pool soared into the top 5 hashrate spots. In addition to the Bitcoin mining pool, Poolin also offers a hosting service that can host a range of ASIC mining equipment.

Similar to F2Pool, Poolin offers a merged mining feature that allows users to mine multiple cryptocurrencies using the same computing power. Poolin also offers an auto-switch feature that automatically switches hashrate between BTC and BCH, depending on which can offer the best mining profitability at the time. All rewards are distributed using an FPPS payout scheme, which charges a 2.5% fee.

The customer service offered at Poolin also helps to make it stand out from the crowd. A customer service representative can be accessed for one-on-one queries and the mining pool’s telegram community greatly enhances communication between users and Poolin staff.

What Is A BTC Mining Pool?

Bitcoin mining pools are a combination of individual mining power and resources that increase the chances of winning block rewards. As a result of combining computing power, a Bitcoin mining pool has a much higher likelihood of solving the complex mathematical problem required to add new transactions to the blockchain compared to a single mining rig. Block rewards are then distributed among all of those that contribute to the pool. By consolidating resources, Bitcoin mining pools allow individuals to earn a Bitcoin block reward when competing against larger mining companies. For more information, read our guide that explains what is a Bitcoin mining pool.

What To Look For In A Bitcoin Mining Pool

Picking a Bitcoin mining pool to join can be confusing and difficult for beginners. To reduce the risk of any issues or troubles mining Bitcoin in a pool, it is important to consider and research certain factors which reputation, pay-out scheme, user-friendliness, security, supported cryptocurrencies, fees, customer support and reviews.

• Pay-out schemes. There is no set pay-out scheme for Bitcoin mining pools. The 2 main pay-out schemes employed include (1) pay-per-share and (2) pay-per-last-N-shares, however, there are also variations built using those strategies. A miner needs to understand what pay-out scheme is employed, how often rewards will be distributed, and whether there is a minimum withdrawal limit implemented.
• User-friendliness. Bitcoin mining can be a technically daunting endeavor to undertake. The more user-friendly a Bitcoin mining pool operating platform is, the less likely mistakes will be made.
• Fees. Most mining pool operators will charge a maintenance fee for the services provided. These fees eat into profits earned from Bitcoin mining and are a crucial factor to understand. Due to the number of mining pay-out schemes, there is often not one set fee implemented for an operator.
• Security. Like cryptocurrency exchanges and other crypto-related platforms, security for Bitcoin mining pool platforms should be a top priority. Common security methods to look out for with Bitcoin mining pool operators include two-factor authentication and log-in notifications.
• Supported crypto. While having the ability to mine Bitcoin is key, several mining operators now offer the ability to mine a wide range of other cryptocurrencies. This may be an attractive factor for some miners that have the extra computing power to spare.
• Customer support. For those new to Bitcoin mining customer support will likely be an important factor to assist with troubleshooting queries. Experienced Bitcoin miners are less likely to be dependent on customer support service.
• Reputation & reviews. Bitcoin mining pools have been exploited in the past. There are also mining pool operators that have used the computing power of others to further their means. All of these scenarios affect the overall reputation of a Bitcoin mining pool within the cryptocurrency community. Bitcoin miners need to choose a mining pool that upholds the highest of reputations and is respected by the majority of users.

Conclusion

Bitcoin mining pools are a necessity for individual miners that want to earn Bitcoin block rewards from the blockchain. With the significant uptick in demand over the last decade, there are several Bitcoin mining pool options in the market. Not all pools are created equally and managed the same which can make the task of choosing one extremely difficult.

Before joining a Bitcoin mining pool, it is wise to check the fees involved, the reputation among the community, the pay-out schemes offered and the pool's geographic location. While all information in this guide has been collected as accurately as possible, make sure to verify all information in case any changes have occurred.

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