While some dismiss Bitcoin as a fad, many more are beginning to see it as the future of commerce. A 2022 Deloitte survey showed that 75% of small and mid-sized businesses already accept or plan to accept cryptocurrency within the next two years, as do many larger businesses and organizations.Cryptocurrency did go through a major crash later that year, mainly due to the downfall of FTX, one of the largest global cryptocurrency exchanges. FTX's bankruptcy, and its dispute with Binance, triggered a huge sell-off in the market and reduced liquidity from the crypto market. While Bitcoin can be purchased with real cash, it’s more commonly mined using a combination of specialized hardware and software. In this article, we review the best bitcoin mining software based on reputation, features, ease of use, and more. Here are our top four picks. Investing in cryptocurrencies, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), and other Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) is highly risky and speculative, and the markets can be extremely volatile. Consult with a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. This article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies nor can the accuracy or timeliness of the information be guaranteed. Best Bitcoin Mining Software Best Bitcoin Mining Software Final Verdict Compare Providers FAQs Methodology Key Specs Why We Chose It As one of the oldest bitcoin mining software, CGMiner is our choice as the best overall due to its open-source build, ability to run on any computer, and compatibility with multiple mining hardware. Pros & Cons Pros Open source Runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux Compatible with ASIC, GPU, and FPGA Cons Better for advanced users Command-line interface Hard to install on Windows 10 computers Overview CGMiner was developed in 2011 by Australian anesthetist and programmer Con Kolivas for mining cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin. It’s widely regarded as one of the best Bitcoin mining software available due to its open-source nature, simple interface with direct controls, and cross-platform and cross-hardware compatibility. CGMiner uses a command-line interface that allows users to mine their rigs remotely and control fan speeds and other settings with simple keyboard commands. The software also offers advanced detection of new blocks and makes it easy to scale up hashing power without delays. Although it’s Linux-based, CGMiner is cross-platform compatible and can run on Mac and Windows computers. It’s also open-source and written in C, making it easy for anyone to verify the software’s code. In addition to being cross-platform compatible, CGMiner works with a variety of mining hardware besides ASICs, including FPGAs, GPUs, and CPUs. CGMiner’s lack of a graphical user interface may be daunting to beginners, making it a better choice for advanced users. The software has been known to be difficult to install on computers running Windows 10. Antivirus software including Windows Defender can also give users a difficult time. CGMiner is free to download and use and is available on GitHub. Key Specs Why We Chose It Designed for FPGA and ASIC mining, BFGMiner offers advanced users the opportunity to tweak many aspects of their mining process, with dynamic clocking, monitoring, and remote mining rig interface, making the software our pick as the best for customization. Pros & Cons Pros Mines multiple cryptocurrencies simultaneously Runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux Compatible with ASIC and FPGA Cons Better for more advanced users Not as accessible for beginners Overview Released in 2012 by developer Luke Dashjr, BFGMiner has become one of the most popular mining software available, second only to CGMiner. It allows users to monitor hardware temperature, detect and start idle threads, and manage rigs remotely, putting it squarely in the category of the best software for customization. Because BFGMiner was originally created to add FPGA support to a popular GPU miner at the time it was developed, the software is only compatible with FPGA and ASIC. Like CGMiner, the software is written in C and runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows machines and even offers an option to install on Raspberry Pi. One of BFGMiner’s most popular features is its support for mining multiple cryptocurrencies at the same time. By simultaneously hashing on mining algorithms like Scrypt and SHA256d, the software lets users mine, hedge, and redistribute their risk with multiple cryptocurrencies. Like CGMiner, BFGMiner uses a command-line interface with customizable hotkeys. While easy to use for advanced users, the lack of a GUI may make the software impenetrable to beginners. BFGMiner is also free to download and use. Key Specs Why We Chose It Developed using the mining engine of BFGMiner, MultiMiner features a clean GUI, automated hardware detection and mining features, and cross-platform compatibility, making it our clear choice as the best for ease of use. Pros & Cons Pros Graphical user interface Automated mining features Optimized for Windows computers Cons Fewer customization options for advanced users Additional software required for Linux and MacOS Overview MultiMiner was developed in 2013 by BFGMiner developer Nate Woolls. Although it’s built on the BFGMiner engine, the software features an easy-to-use GUI and quick-start mining features, making it our favorite choice as the best for ease of use. While most mining software requires some coding skills, novices can get started with MultiMiner with no technical skills. The software walks users through the installation process and then scans the details of the hardware, including average hashing power and the linked pool. MultiMiner goes even further and shows users exactly how to connect to a pool, including where to enter the information associated with the pool. The software also offers users remote access to their mining rigs, lets them choose their mining strategy, and automatically mines the most profitable or lowest-difficulty cryptocurrency with a display of estimated profits. MultiMiner was created for Windows, so users will need to install additional software for Mac and Linux machines. Luckily, there are simple directions to do so. The software also makes it easy to switch mining rigs, including GPUs, ASICs, and FPGAs. Despite its appeal to beginners, power users can also access MultiMiner’s advanced features, including direct access to API settings and engine arguments. The software is also free to download and use. Key Specs Why We Chose It Awesome Miner is a powerful mining software that lets users manage multiple mining rigs and miners' pools, all from one dashboard. As a result, it tops our list as the best centralized management software. Pros & Cons Pros Supports more than 50 mining engines Customized triggers and actions Access from any computer, tablet, or smartphone Cons No MacOS software Not for novice users Overview Awesome Miner was developed by Swedish software company IntelliBreeze in 2014 as a cryptocurrency mining management application for Windows machines. It supports large-scale mining with a dashboard that lets users manage multiple mining engines and pools in one operation, making it the best software for centralized management. Awesome Miner offers a number of powerful features to help users maximize profit and minimize downtime. The software can handle multiple mining hardware types at the same time (including ASICs and FPGAs), supports more than 50 mining engines (cgminer, bfgminer, xmrig, srbminer, etc.), and is compatible with popular mining algorithms (SHA-256, Scrypt, X11, Ethereum, and Zcash). Awesome Miner also makes it easy for users to add, switch, and manage multiple miner pools with one click so they can start mining in less time. All of this is managed in Awesome Miner’s comprehensive dashboard, which also displays hardware properties like fan speed, temperature, etc. The software features a built-in C# script engine miners can use to make customized triggers and actions. Although Awesome Miner is designed for Windows and Linux, the web version of the software can be accessed on any computer or browser. Awesome Miner is free to download and use. While new bitcoin mining software is being developed every year, only a handful grabbed our attention due to their reputation, features, and ease of use. At the top of our list is CGMiner, which we chose as the best overall since its open-source platform can be used on any computer and practically any mining rig. If you'd like software for a specific skill level, advanced users will like BFGMiner because of its ability to detect and start idle threads and mine multiple cryptocurrencies, while novices will enjoy MultiMiner’s friendly graphical user interface (GUI). Bitcoin Mining Explained In general, it takes about 10 minutes to mine a block and a block will award a number of coins to whoever mines it. Unfortunately, because of the sheer number of people mining coins, solo miners are a rarity because the odds of discovering a block are very low. The actual rate will vary depending on a multitude of factors, such as hash rate. Although bitcoin mining software is free, there are tremendous costs involved in both hardware and electricity costs. The specialized mining hardware can cost between a few hundred dollars to $10,000. Mining equipment is also very power-hungry. Depending on the cost of electricity in a miner’s area, it could potentially cost tens of thousands to process one bitcoin a month. One way to reduce this cost is to join a mining pool that harnesses the computational power of hardware owned by multiple miners. The drawback is that each miner receives only a small portion of each mined bitcoin. MultiMiner is the best option for beginners, with an easy-to-use GUI and quick-start mining feature. Novices can get started with MultiMiner—no technical skills required. MultiMiner allows users to easily connect to a pool and begin mining. Monero (XMR) is one of the easiest cryptocurrencies to mine if you're using a home computer and not a professional setup. We looked at close to a dozen bitcoin mining software for this review. At the top of our list was the oldest and most widely used software, which we analyzed for features and ease of use. Next, we differentiated between the best mining software for novices and those for advanced power users. Mostly this broke down into the type of interface (command-line versus GUI) and the ability to either automate or customize mining features. Finally, we looked for software that could be used on as many platforms as possible and that was compatible with the widest array of mining rigs to give users the most flexibility in their mining operations. Article Sources Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy. Deloitte. "Merchant Adoption of Digital Currency Payments Survey," Page 15. GitHub. "Luke-Jr/BFGMiner." GitHub. "Nwoolls/MultiMiner." Awesome Miner. "About IntelliBreeze Software." Awesome Minor. "For Pool Operators."Best Bitcoin Mining Software for 2024
Best Overall : CGMiner
Best for Customization : BFGMiner
Best for Ease of Use : MultiMiner
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Best Centralized Management : Awesome Miner
Final Verdict
Compare the Best Bitcoin Mining Software
Software Features Cross-platform Compatibility Customizable CGMiner Best Overall Open-source software with cross-platform/hardware compatibility Mac, Linux, Windows, ASIC, GPU, and FPGA Yes BFGMiner Best for Customization Support for dynamic clocking and multiple cryptocurrencies ASIC, FPGA, Linux, Mac, and Windows Yes MultiMiner Best for Ease of Use GUI, automated hardware detection, and mining features GPUs, ASICs, Linux, Mac, Windows, and FPGAs Yes, fewer options Awesome Miner Best Centralized Management Manage multiple rigs and pools with one dashboard SHA-256, Scrypt, X11, Ethereum, and Zcash Yes Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to mine one bitcoin?
Can you mine bitcoin for free?
What is the best bitcoin mining program for beginners?
What is the easiest crypto to mine?
Methodology
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See Also
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