Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Mining Software Comparison

Windows

Software Name	User Interface	Device Support	Payments
Kryptex	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin, Ethereum, various cards and banks
BetterHash	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, ZCash, Dash, Bitcoin Gold, RavenCoin, Green, Firo
Nicehash	GUI	CPU, GPU, ASIC	Bitcoin
Awesome Miner	GUI	CPU, GPU, ASIC	Mined coin or from the pool
Cudo Miner	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, Algo
EasyMiner	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin, Litecoin
MultiMiner	GUI	GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
miniZ	GUI, Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
XMRig	Console	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
WildRig Multi	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
CGMiner	Console	GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
BFGMiner	Console	CPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
NPlusMiner	GUI	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
CryptoDredge	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
Nanominer	Console	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
Bminer	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
Claymore’s Dual	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
CMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
TT-Miner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
SRBMiner	Console	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
Computta	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin
myMiner	GUI	GPU	Ethereum, Ethereum Clasic, Monero
CryptoTab Browser	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin
lolMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
T-Rex	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
PhoenixMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
NBMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
MinerGate	GUI	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
GrinPro Miner	Console	GPU	Grin
BzMiner	Console, GUI	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool

Linux

Software Name	User Interface	Device Support	Payments
Awesome Miner	GUI	CPU, GPU, ASIC	Mined coin or from the pool
Cudo Miner	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, Algo
MultiMiner	GUI	GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
miniZ	GUI, Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
XMRig	Console	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
WildRig Multi	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
CGMiner	Console	GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
BFGMiner	Console	CPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
CryptoDredge	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
Nanominer	Console	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
Bminer	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
Claymore’s Dual	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
CMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
TT-Miner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
SRBMiner	Console	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
lolMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
T-Rex	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
PhoenixMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
NBMiner	Console	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
MinerGate	GUI	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
GrinPro Miner	Console	GPU	Grin
BzMiner	Console, GUI	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool

Mac

Software Name	User Interface	Device Support	Payments
Cudo Miner	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, Algo
MultiMiner	GUI	GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
MacMiner	GUI	GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
XMRig	Console	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool
CGMiner	Console	GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
BFGMiner	Console	CPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA	Mined coin or from the pool
CryptoTab Browser	GUI	CPU, GPU	Bitcoin
MinerGate	GUI	CPU, GPU	Mined coin or from the pool

Bitcoin Mining Software FAQ

What Is Bitcoin mining software?

Bitcoin mining software is software that solves complex mathematical puzzles with your hardware, and in turn, rewards you with Bitcoin.

There are various software solutions for Bitcoin mining in 2023.

The old-school ones like console miners have been around since Bitcoin’s inception in 2009.

In recent years, we also have GUI mining software, which packs those console miners into a nice graphical user interface.

Also, such new GUI mining software usually comes with lots of different console miners, picking the right one depending on what’s most profitable to mine at the moment.

It is also important to understand that most PCs can’t mine Bitcoin anymore.

This is because the Bitcoin mining difficulty went high, and now specialized hardware must be used to mine Bitcoin.

However, many of the mining software for PCs can be used to mine the cryptocurrency that’s most profitable at the moment, and pay you in Bitcoin.

How to mine Bitcoins?

There are a few ways to mine Bitcoin in 2023:

On your PC– Bitcoin can’t be mined on your PC anymore. However, there’s software for Windows, Linux, and Mac that can be used to mine the most profitable cryptocurrency and pay you in Bitcoin. You can also check the console miners, however, they can usually mine just a single cryptocurrency per setup, and you would have to exchange them for Bitcoin yourself.
Cloud mining– cloud mining Bitcoin is a relatively new concept compared to others, but it is the least hustle for inexperienced users and can be scaled to as much money as you want to invest in your crypto mining operation.
ASIC(Application-specific integrated circuit)– ASIC machines appeared when Bitcoin mining difficulty started rising exponentially. They are very specific pieces of hardware, that can be used only for specialized purposes. Unlike graphic cards and CPUs, which can be used for gaming, accounting, and lots of other stuff including mining- ASIC can only be used for one purpose- in this case to mine Bitcoin or some other cryptocurrency. They are much stronger than GPUs, but if Bitcoin mining goes wrong, you’ll have a hard time using them for anything else.
FPGA(Field Programmable Gate Array)– FPGA machines are the newest addition to Bitcoin mining software. They are logical circuits, that can be designed and programmed for doing anything you may need in computation, including mining cryptocurrencies. The advantage of FPGA is that it can be used to mine various cryptocurrency algorithms(unlike ASIC which can mine only one algorithm). However, FPGA is not for regular users as you need technical knowledge to build and program it.
Javascript– yes, it’s 2023 and we can even use Javascript to mine Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on our websites. However, the users must consent to it first, otherwise, your mining operation won’t be ethical, and can even be illegal.

How much does it cost to mine Bitcoins?

This is something that depends on your situation and specific setup.

Two main factors that influence the cost to mine Bitcoins or some other crypto are:

Hardware– there’s various hardware that can be used to mine Bitcoins and crypto in general. So the cost depends on how much you paid for your hardware, and how soon it pays off.

Electricity– Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining is very energy-intensive, as it runs the mining hardware to its full potential. Thus, in order to mine you need to spend electricity. If you live in a country where electricity is cheap or have an alternate energy source like solar panels or hydro plants- that will definitely reduce the costs of your mining operation.

So an answer to this question is very relative.

You can start as low as mining with your own PC, which won’t cost you anything except the electricity bill.

What you can also do is gradually or at once add multiple graphics cards to your PC. This will increase your hardware and electricity cost, but also increase your profits.

Once you know your way around mining, if you think you have calculated everything properly and want to scale up then the sky is the limit(there are miners who own thousands of GPU and/or ASIC/FPGA machines).

Can I mine Bitcoin on my PC?

The short answer is yes and no.

Nowadays, you can’t mine Bitcoin with any PC, as the mining difficulty went too high.

However, there is various specialized mining software for Windows, Linux, and Mac, that can be used to mine the most profitable cryptocurrencies at the moment, and automatically exchange them for Bitcoin so you can withdraw.

Of course, the better PC you have, the more you can mine.

Strong CPU and GPU, as well as multiple GPUs are things that will make your mining operation stronger and more profitable.

Which software is best for Bitcoin mining?

While my preference goes to Kryptex, this is something you will need to figure out for yourself.

The best software for mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies depends on what hardware you have.

In other words, what’s best for me might not be the best for you and vice versa.

Thus, I encourage you to spend some time and test all of the mining software available, choosing the mining software that works best for you and your hardware:

Is Bitcoin mining illegal?

Bitcoin mining and Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, in general, are either legal or not regulated in most countries.

However, there are certain countries where mining and crypto are banned or not allowed.

Here’s a list of countries where Bitcoin and crypto aren’t allowed:

*Please understand that this answer is not any form of legal advice. You must do your own research and make sure that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are legal in your own country or your country of residence.

What is the most profitable crypto to mine?

The decision on which crypto to mine depends on which hardware you use.

Some hardware is better for one cryptocurrency, while the other performs better while mining some other cryptocurrency.

Of course, the price of the crypto you want to mine should play a strong role in your decision.

Unfortunately, this data can change very often, thus being tedious in the long run.

That’s why I prefer GUI mining software, which monitors the pricing and mining difficulty and automatically mines the most profitable crypto at the moment.

This way, you mine what’s most profitable, and can choose whether to hold as is, or automatically convert to Bitcoin, Ethereum, or similar long-existing cryptocurrencies.

What is the easiest coin to mine?

This can be a tough question to answer, as it depends on your knowledge of tech matters, and how you prefer to mine.

There are console miners which are tech-savvy, but do offer a vast range of coins to mine(pretty much all of the mineable coins).

On the other hand, there are GUI miners, which are limited to 10-20 coins available for mining, but they are very easy to mine.

Take a look at this article, hopefully, it will show you some easy ways to mine the most popular coins.

How does Bitcoin mining software work?

Under the hood, the software uses mathematics to solve the puzzle, and whoever solves the puzzle first, gets rewarded with Bitcoin.

On a less complicated level, you have a console miner, which you run from your PC, and before that, you add your wallet address into its config file.

Although much easier to understand than the mining code itself, console miners can be tech-savvy and can mine a single cryptocurrency at the time, which you choose.

However, in 2023(and for the last several years), we have the addition of GUI miners, which are rather easy to use.

Basically, the GUI miners pack the various console miners into their system and present them in a nice-looking desktop application environment.

Furthermore, they do monitor coin prices and can switch to a more profitable one at the moment, if that’s what you’d like to do.

So, I recommend GUI miners, because they can mine what’s most profitable at the moment(and exchange them for BTC or some other popular currency like ETH).

Also, GUI miners are the easiest to use, period.

Can you mine Bitcoin with software?

Sure you can. And that’s what this website is all about. :)

What equipment do I need for Bitcoin mining?

You can go with GPU, ASIC, or FPGA mining equipment.

For now, this website explains mostly GPU and ASIC methods.

With GPU, you need a regular PC, with some additional considerations.

In additional considerations, we have an open computer case(so we can attach multiple GPUs), as well USB risers which are used to attach those multiple GPUs to a motherboard.

With ASIC, well, you need an ASIC machine(or more than one if you’d like to and your budget allows it).

Can Bitcoin mining damage GPU?

The answer to this question isn’t that simple.

If you run your GPU on mining operation 24/7, and if you overclock it as much as possible, plus you don’t regularly clean it from dirt- yes, mining and even gaming can damage your GPU.

The main consideration when caring about your GPU health is the GPU temperature.

All three things above do increase GPU temperature, and when combined can eventually damage your hardware.

Mining 24/7 is indeed a high-performance task for your GPU. However, mining alone shouldn’t cause any problems to your GPU, as long as the coolers are working properly, and there’s ventilation in your rig.
Overclocking is something to be used sparingly, if at all. I’m not a big fan of overclocking and don’t endorse it on this website. Overclocking often and for long periods can damage your GPU regardless of mining- even if you only do gaming, or just use your PC regularly.
Cleaning your GPU vents from time to time is a great way to prolong your GPU life, whether you mine, play games, or just use a PC as ordinary peoples do.

Can Bitcoin mining make you rich?

Bitcoin mining can make you rich, but it isn’t as nearly as profitable as it once was.

Back in 2009/10, people were mining thousands of Bitcoins with their laptops and average home PCs.

Nowadays, you can mine Bitcoin only with specialized mining machines(ASIC), or by using some of the software listed on this website, which mines the most profitable cryptocurrency at the moment and pays you in Bitcoin.

So in today’s terms, Bitcoin mining is as lucrative as you invest in it.

If you have strong capital and invest heavily in Bitcoin mining, it may make you rich in the long term.

But don’t expect miracles with your home PC or a mining rig with a few GPUs.

You can definitely earn while mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but it will be proportional to how much you invested in it.

Can Bitcoin mining be profitable?

The short answer to this question is yes.

Whether you’re mining with your home PC or have a high scale mining operation- Bitcoin mining is definitely profitable.

Bitcoin mining has paid a lot to its miners over the last 10 years, sometimes more sometimes less.

The important thing is that you understand where we currently are in the market, so you can decide properly on whether should you sell your mining earnings, or hold until better prices come on board.

Just understand that situation is not the same as in 2010, and you will have to invest properly if you expect high earnings.

Can Bitcoin mining be traced?

All Bitcoin transactions and balances are publicly available on the Bitcoin blockchain.

The mining pool or a mining software through which you mine Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies may track your activity or not.

However, once you withdraw your earnings to a crypto wallet, the transaction from the mining pool to your wallet address can be traced.

Bitcoin and most crypto wallet addresses use pseudo-addresses, so your identity isn’t publicly available.

While everyone can see on the blockchain how much your address holds, and who sent which amount to your address, they can’t see your real identity.

At least not if you don’t publicly share your wallet address, thus connecting it to your real name and other data.

If you want to withdraw FIAT money(USD, EUR, etc), most exchanges and banks do ask for your identity if you decide to use them to convert your crypto earnings.

On the other hand, if you just use your mined crypto to pay for goods and services where crypto is accepted, you don’t necessarily need to disclose your real identity.

Can Bitcoin mining be a business?

Absolutely, Bitcoin mining is a strong business for many people throughout the world.

Bitcoin mining has its requirements but can be scaled.

In other words, the more you invest in your equipment, the more money you can make.

There are individuals and companies who have thousands of GPUs and/or ASIC machines, and their only purpose is to mine cryptocurrency 24/7.

For such people, Bitcoin mining is definitely a business.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining is a process like anything else- if it makes you money, and you are earning above the limit proposed by your country, you have to register for a company and also pay taxes(as in any other business).

Can Bitcoin mining be stopped?

Bitcoin mining can be stopped as you wish.

If you’re mining with any GUI mining software listed on this website, there’s usually an option to mine only when you’re not around(when the computer is idle).

Furthermore, you can stop your Bitcoin mining software from mining at any point, if you plan to do some other intensive task on your PC or simply don’t want to mine at the moment for any reason.

In case your PC was hacked and infected with some malware that mines with your own hardware, you will need to clean your PC with some tools like Malware Bytes or ask for professional help.

Can Bitcoin mining be done on mobile?

Mobile and tablet devices aren’t suitable for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining.

In fact, the iPhone app store has banned all of the crypto mining software, as it can damage your device, and at the same time provides very low earnings, if any.

There are some mining apps available for Android, however, you are strongly advised not to do it.

Simply, the risk-to-reward ratio, in this case, is too high. You risk a lot, and won’t earn almost anything while mining with your mobile device.

How Bitcoin mining works?

In a nutshell, the Bitcoin network is powered and secured by Bitcoin miners(through the miner’s hardware), and as a reward, they get Bitcoin coins.

There are a few more things to it, like Bitcoin’s difficulty and Bitcoin halving.

Bitcoin difficulty is a measure of how hard it is to win a reward on the Bitcoin blockchain.

The more mining power you provide, the higher your chances to win a reward.

Of course, in 2023, the difficulty is so high that you can never earn by mining yourself, except if you mine as a lotto(no earnings unless you get a reward, but if you win the lotto, you’ll get 6.25 Bitcoins).

Bitcoin halving happens approximately every four years, and every four years Bitcoin reward drops by half.

Right now, Bitcoin miners are rewarded 6.25 BTC at the end of every block, which takes approximately 10 minutes to accomplish.

At this time(approximately), the Bitcoin reward will drop to 3.125 BTC per block(ten minutes).

How Bitcoin mining affects environment?

There’s a big hype around the globe about how bad Bitcoin mining is for pollution.

The basic premise of this thesis is that Bitcoin mining uses a lot of dirty power(from charcoal etc), especially in China.

First of all, starting in 2021 Bitcoin mining in China is officially banned.

The second and more important thing is the basic logic behind what Bitcoin is.

Bitcoin is a system designed to replace the traditional banking system- fast transactions, low fees, and no intermediaries(like banks).

I did some research while writing on another website, and it turns out there are more than a million bank offices.

Do you really think that all those offices together don’t pollute more than Bitcoin? Also, so many of us have to go to banks for various reasons, and we all pollute the Earth and waste our time while doing so.

How Bitcoin mining started?

The Bitcoin payment system was invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group under the name “Satoshi Nakamoto”.

Bitcoin’s Blockchain was started on January 3rd, 2009 at 18:15 UTC presumably by Satoshi Nakamoto.

The first block is called a genesis block.

This genesis block started as the first transaction paying the reward of 50 new Bitcoins to its creator.

Basically, Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first block and announced the various enthusiasts of this system via email and forum.

How Bitcoin mining pools work?

Back in the beginning, it was very easy to mine Bitcoin.

The mining difficulty was low, and everyone could earn Bitcoin by mining with their laptops and home PCs.

However, as time went by, mining difficulty went much faster, essentially making it impossible to mine Bitcoin alone.

Every 10 minutes, there’s a new block(at this moment giving a 6.25 BTC reward).

However, there are millions of devices around the world that mine BTC.

This is why mining pools got invented.

Instead of mining alone, and having nearly zero chance of winning a BTC reward, we mine together through the mining pools.

Once the mining pool gets a BTC reward, it splits it to all the miners of that mining pool, according to the miner’s contribution to the mining pool.

What Bitcoin mining looks like?

Bitcoin mining is a connection between the Bitcoin network and your mining hardware.

Your mining hardware can be a PC, ASIC, or some other compatible device.

You connect your mining hardware to the Bitcoin network by using some of the Bitcoin mining software, as listed on this website.

Once you start mining, you’re rewarded in Bitcoin or some other cryptocurrency.

Then every once in a while, you can withdraw your mining earnings to your wallet.