Michelle Legge
By Michelle LeggeHead of Crypto Tax Education
Updated Dec 20, 2023
This article has been fact checked and reviewed as per our editorial policy.

5 Best Bitcoin Mining Software Programs in 2024

There are plenty of options for Bitcoin mining software - so how do you know which to pick? Compare the best crypto mining software in 2024 in our guide.

What is Bitcoin mining software?

Bitcoin mining hardware and software go hand in hand. While your mining hardware does the hard work of actually solving the Proof of Work computations, crypto mining software is what lets you interact with and manage your mining activities. You can think of it as your mining management system.

We’ve got a whole article on the best Bitcoin mining hardware you can check out to learn more about mining machines, but knowing which mining software to choose is just as important. Mining software can help you:

  • Manage your ASIC or GPU, including remotely, and manage multiple rigs

  • Change your hardware's settings

  • Monitor your mining rewards and performance

  • Manage mining activities for those mining multiple cryptocurrencies

  • Manage mining pool connections and activities

How to pick the best crypto mining software?

There are quite a few factors to consider when choosing the best crypto mining software, including:

  • Compatibility: Your crypto mining software needs to be compatible with your mining rig or equipment, as well as the blockchain you're mining on.

  • Stability: You need your mining software to run reliably in order to manage your mining operations successfully - nobody likes an app riddled with bugs.

  • Price: Most mining software is free, but some offer premium features that may be worth your hard-earned cash (or coins) depending on the scale of your mining activities.

  • Interface: Although most mining software programs are free, not all of them are user-friendly - especially for those lacking basic coding knowledge. There are however a select few out there with a simple and user-friendly interface, ideal for novice investors who just want to set up and go.

  • Customization: Depending on your mining operations, you might need a customizable dashboard to manage your machines effectively and easily. Many mining software providers offer this, but for some, you'll need some technical coding knowledge to set it up.

  • Efficiency: Some mining software offers premium features that optimize the mining operations of some rigs. For example, Awesome Miner offers optimized Antminer firmware which allows 15% higher performance and improved power efficiency for the Antminer S19 and S17.

  • Development: Many mining software programs are open source, meaning anyone can build upon and develop them. As the crypto market is always developing, your mining software needs the community, or dedicated dev support, to keep up.

  • Security: Your software should be secure and your private information protected. Only ever download your mining software from the original source to avoid malware.

What is the best Bitcoin mining software?

Some of the best crypto and Bitcoin mining software in 2024 includes:

  • CGMiner

  • BFGMiner

  • Multiminer

  • Awesome Miner

  • EasyMiner

*Additional software required for Linux and MacOS

SoftwareRuns OnCompatible WithPrice
CGMinerWindows, LinuxASICFree
BFGMinerWindows, Linux, MacOSASIC, FPGAFree
MultiminerWindows, Linux*, MacOS*ASIC, GPU, FPGAFree
Awesome MinerWindows, LinuxASIC, GPU, FPGA, CPUFree for up to 2 miners
EasyMinerWindowsASIC, GPU, CPUFree

The best mining software for you will be the one with all the features you want to be included, and some of these mining software providers are actually compatible with each other! Let’s take a look in-depth.

Want to know how crypto mining is taxed? Read Crypto Mining Taxes: The Complete Guide

CGMiner Review

CGMiner is one of the oldest Bitcoin mining software options and was developed back in 2011.

Nowadays, it's not just limited to mining Bitcoin, but also lets you mine other cryptocurrencies such as Litecoin and Dogecoin, although may require a little extra configuration depending on the version you’ve downloaded. Fortunately, CGMiner is an open-source platform, which means it's highly flexible, albeit you’ll need some technical knowledge.

Unlike some other mining software, CGMiner doesn't have a graphical interface, but rather a command-line interface, which can make it a bit more daunting for beginners, but it's the go-to choice for experienced miners.

With CGMiner software, you can easily manage your mining rigs using keyboard commands, which lets you adjust settings on devices like fan speeds for cooling. CGMiner can run on Windows or Linux, and it was compatible with various types of mining hardware, including ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, however, the latest version is only for ASIC hardware.

The software is written in C and is cross-platform compatible, making it easy for anyone to verify the software's code. Additionally, CGMiner offers advanced detection of new blocks, allowing you to scale up hashing power without delays.

However, some investors may be put off by the technical experience needed to troubleshoot CGMiner. Some known issues include installation on Windows 10 and incompatibility with some antivirus software.

Download CGMiner free.

BFGMiner Review

Developed by Luke Dashjr in 2012,  BFGMiner has become one of the most popular mining software programs, second only to CGMiner. But unlike its predecessor, BFGMiner offers a few more features like dynamic clocking, monitoring, and more, which let miners adjust many aspects of their mining activities.

Although there may be a few more features more readily available than with CGMiner, you’ll still need plenty of technical knowledge to get BFGMiner downloaded, installed, and up and running successfully. BFGMiner is ideally suited for advanced miners who want to customize and tweak their mining process.

Since BFGMiner was initially created to support FPGA with a popular GPU miner, it only works with ASIC and FPGA rigs. It's written in C and is compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows operating systems. The software uses a command-line interface with customizable hotkeys, which can be easy to use for advanced users, but not so much for beginners.

BFGMiner's most popular feature is the ability to mine multiple cryptocurrencies simultaneously. The software supports mining algorithms such as Scrypt and SHA256d, which lets users mine, hedge, and distribute their risk with various cryptocurrencies.

Download BFGMiner free.

Multiminer Review

Multiminer is more geared towards those new to crypto mining, who want an easier interface and user experience. Multiminer stands out as a more intuitive mining software, that eliminates the need for coding knowledge that many other mining programs like CGMiner and BFGMiner require.

Multiminer works on Windows, MacOS, and Linux, and allows for mining with ASIC or FPGA miners, as well as GPUs, although Linux and Mac users may require additional software.  Multiminer supports many mining algorithms, including SHA256, Scrypt, CryptoNight, Ethash, Equihash, and Quark, so users can mine BTC, ETC, LTC, and more.

As well as this, Multiminer has simple, configurable strategies you can use to automatically switch to mining the most profitable crypto at that moment. Alternatively, you can set up alerts and make these decisions manually.

For those who want to manage their mining activities on the go, you can also connect Multiminer with smartphone monitoring software to control your mining rigs from your phone, wherever you are.

Download Multiminer free.

Awesome Miner Review

Awesome Miner was developed by IntelliBreeze, a Swedish software company, in 2014 for managing cryptocurrency mining on Windows machines and has since grown into a powerful, and popular, mining software that allows users to manage multiple rigs and pools from a singular dashboard.

The software supports a wide range of mining hardware, including ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, and CPUs, and it's compatible with over 50 mining engines, such as CGminer and BFGMiner.

One of the biggest appeals of Awesome Miner is scalability - it's suitable for both beginners with a smaller mining operation, and those running full-scale mining farms.

For small hobby mining operations, Awesome Miner offers a simple web interface available from any PC, tablet, or smartphone, a simple dashboard to look at your performance, profit, and power consumption, and an easy one-click pool setup. While for those running large mining operations, Awesome Miner supports up to 200,000 ASIC miners and 25,000 GPU/CPU miners from one dashboard.

Awesome Miner is its built-in C# script engine, which allows users to create customized triggers and actions. So for those with technical know-how, this feature is particularly useful if you want to automate specific tasks and actions.

While Awesome Miner is primarily designed for Windows and Linux, the web version of the software can be accessed from any computer or browser. Awesome Miner is free to use for up to two miners without a subscription. For users with more mining rigs than this, there is a monthly subscription of $2 per miner, per month. As well as this, if you want access to additional features like Antminer Firmware, there is a 2.8% mining fee.

Download Awesome Miner.

EasyMiner Review

EasyMiner is a great choice for those who want to start mining crypto quickly and easily, without the hassle of complicated software and technical coding knowledge. As well as this, unlike many mining software programs, EasyMiner still offers support for GPUs and CPUs.

Far more visual than many other crypto mining software programs, Easy Miner offers a graphical dashboard with simple, visual representations of your mining operations, including analytics and real-time statistics like hash rate, earnings, and live price feeds.

EasyMiner also prioritizes security and ensures that your mining activity is kept private, with what they describe as "paranoid, military-grade security". Once you set up the software, it automatically begins mining cryptocurrency for you based on the processing power it identifies.

Download EasyMiner free.

Software mining vs. cloud mining

There are some other options available to you if you don’t have the hardware available to you, and it comes in the form of hash power marketplaces, otherwise known as cloud mining operations.

Hash power marketplaces allow you to buy hash power from others to mine crypto and earn. A word of warning though, cloud mining platforms have a bad rep - there are plenty of scams out there, but there are a couple of reputable options, including NiceHash and Mining Rig Rentals.

Remember though, all your mining activities are likely taxable! Find out more about crypto mining taxes.

FAQs

More questions about crypto mining software? No worries.

Is crypto mining software legal?

Crypto mining is legal in most countries, and so is the software to manage your operations. But it's important to check your national laws before you start mining as some countries, like China and Iran, have banned cryptocurrency mining.

How much does Bitcoin mining software cost?

Bitcoin mining software is usually free to download and use, although a few programs have some features only available to paid users. It’s usually mining hardware and electricity costs that will impact your earnings.

What kind of hardware do I need for Bitcoin mining software?

To mine Bitcoin profitably, you need a dedicated ASIC rig. Other cryptocurrencies may be less competitive, but even then you’ll usually need a GPU as a minimum to mine profitably. You can find out more about the best crypto mining rigs in our guide.

Can I use Bitcoin mining software on my laptop?

Not really. Although some mining software providers claim to support CPU, the reality is that mining Bitcoin requires extensive processing power and laptops are not fit for purpose. Using your laptop to try and mine Bitcoin may cause damage.

What are some popular Bitcoin and crypto mining software programs?

Some popular Bitcoin and crypto mining software programs include CGMiner, BFGMiner, EasyMiner, Awesome Miner, and MultiMiner. Each program has its own unique features and benefits, so it's important to do your research and choose the one that best suits your needs.

Disclaimer
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