So you want to mine some crypto, the question is which platform to use? 

Outline

Mining platforms are software programs designed to accommodate crypto mining

Things to look for:

  • Number of cryptos available
  • Ease of use
  • Low fees
  • OS compatibility 

The top crypto mining platforms include: ECOS, GMiner, Kryptex, and Awesome Miner

Top 10 Crypto Mining Platforms

If you’re thinking of getting into cryptocurrency mining this year, you’ll need to know what the top crypto mining platforms available in the market are and which crypto you plan to mine. 

In this post, we’ll review 10 of the best options:

  1. ECOS
  2. Slush Pool
  3. StormGain
  4. Crypto Tab Browser
  5. CGMiner
  6. Cudo
  7. Kryptex
  8. Awesome Miner
  9. GMiner
  10. BetterHash

But first things first,

What exactly is a crypto mining platform?

A mining platform is a specialized tool which uses computing power in order to mine crypto. In other words, it’s a system created specifically to generate new cryptocurrency and add new blocks to the blockchain. These newly mined digital assets are the payment to the mining party. It’s a  reward for adding and maintaining the blockchain.

 

What to look for in mining platforms

With all the crypto mining platforms out there, it can be difficult to choose the right one.
A few things to consider:

 

Number of Supported Cryptocurrencies

Various mining platforms support the mining of different cryptocurrencies. Some like ECOS and StormGain only support Bitcoin mining. Others like GMiners and BetterHash Miner support several cryptocurrencies.

The more cryptocurrencies supported by a mining platform the better. This gives you options. However, the best crypto mining platform is ultimately the one that supports the coin you want to mine.

 

Solo or Pool Mining

Some platforms offer solo mining and others offer pool mining. 

Pool mining is where miners pool resources to increase their earning potential. Pool mining tends to be more profitable. It’s also the best option for beginners because it’s far less work to set up.

Solo mining is when a miner takes on the entire mining process on their own.

Some platforms offer both solo and pool mining, and you’re free to choose what works best for you.

 

Automated or Manual Mining

If you’re a beginner in crypto mining, a mining platform that offers you the option of automated mining is ideal. Platforms that offer automated mining make it far easier for anyone to participate in crypto mining. 

You don’t need many technical skills to set up automated mining. 

Manual mining is for advanced miners. These are typically people who have been in the crypto mining space for a while and they know their way around. They can set up and adjust the advanced features provided by a mining platform for better mining returns.

 

Service Fees

Crypto mining platforms make money by charging fees for services rendered. Different mining platforms charge different fees.

You want to find and use a platform that charges low and minimal fees. Some mining platforms charge withdrawal fees. Others don’t. 

It is not enough that the fees themselves are low. Consider how many of the services provided also come with fees.

 

 Top Ten Mining Platforms:

 

ECOS

ECOS is a crypto investment platform launched in 2017. 

The platform features a crypto wallet, exchange, cloud mining contracts, and crypto portfolios for investors. ECOS also has a mobile app available on App Store and Google Play.

ECOS offers cloud mining services through its cloud mining contracts.

NOte: ECOS mining contracts are only available for Bitcoin.

Users can create mining contracts that best suit their needs. You could  create a contract with as little as $75 or as much as $50,000. Contracts are valid for 15 to 50 months.

Users can pay for the contracts using a credit card or cryptocurrencies (including BTC, ETH, LTC, or EXP). 

As a new user, you get a free cloud mining contract for 1 month to test the platform.

ECOs make Bitcoin mining an easy and cheaper process as users don’t have to invest in expensive mining hardware. The platform allows users to rent mining equipment from them and use it to earn from Bitcoin mining. Payments are made daily for cloud mining and miner hosting contracts.

Pros

  •         Wide range of mining contracts
  •         Free cloud mining contract for new users for 1 month
  •         Convenient mobile Android and iOS app

Cons

  •         Only supports Bitcoin mining

 

Slush Pool

Established in 2010, Slush Pool is the oldest mining pool in the world. It is also the world’s first Bitcoin mining pool.

Slush Pool supports Bitcoin mining and Zcash mining. The pool charges a 2% pool fee for every mining activity. A plus is the 0% pool fee option for some supported ASIC miners.

The pool has a minimum payout of 0.001BTC for Bitcoin and 0.001 ZEC for ZCash. Those withdrawing any amount below 0.01BTC get charged a transaction fee of 0.001 BTC.

A few things to like about Slush Pool include its simple and easy-to-use interface. Beginners should have no problem navigating through the platform. Beginners also get to benefit from a demo account and plenty of helpful guides and materials.

The pool also features two-factor authentication for added security. It features a stat page where miners can examine real-time data of the mining pool. The Pool has an official mobile app for Android and iOS. However, the app is only meant for account monitoring. You cannot mine with the app.

Pros

  •         Simple and easy to use interface
  •         Demo account section
  •         Mobile app for Android and iOS

Cons

  •         Relatively high fees

StormGain

StormGain is an all-in-one crypto platform. The platform allows for crypto buying, selling, trading, exchanging, and mining. However, crypto mining is limited to Bitcoin.

StormGain simplifies Bitcoin mining by allowing users to start benefiting from the process with a simple click. All users have to do is log in to the platform’s website, go to the Bitcoin Miner page,  and click the “Activate” button to start mining.

Unlike other crypto mining platforms, StormGain offers Bitcoin mining services for free. However, there is a catch. The platform offers mining services in 4-hour shifts.  After every four hours, the platform stops mining. You’ll have to press the “Activate” button to continue with the mining process.

Another catch is that if you are not trading on StormGain the mining speed will be low. You also have to increase your trading level to boost your mining speed.

StormGain offers a cloud mining service so there is no need for expensive mining equipment. The platform has a native application for Android and iOS.

Pros

  •         Free Bitcoin mining service
  •         Processes withdrawals instantly
  •         Native app for Android and iOS

Cons

  •         Only supports Bitcoin mining

Crypto Tab Browser

Crypto Tab Browser offers a unique approach to crypto mining. The browser is the world’s first online browser that mines Bitcoin.

Crypto Tab features a built-in mining algorithm that not only enables Bitcoin mining but efficient use of users’ computers. Users can rest easy knowing they can mine and browse at the same time without overheating or battery drain issues.

The browser comes with the Cloud.Boost feature that allows users to boost mining speeds to maximize returns. Earnings and rewards are paid out in Bitcoin. The minimum payout is 0.00001BTC.

The Crypto Tab Browser is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Pros

  •         Crypto mining web browser
  •         Compatible with Android and iOS
  •         Compatible with Windows and macOS

Cons

  •         Low earnings

CGMiner

CGMiner is a popular crypto mining platform created in 2011. It is considered by many as one of the best crypto mining platforms in existence.

CGMiner is open-source and written in the C language. The mining software is compatible with almost every operating system. It also works with a variety of mining hardware including ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, and CPUs. It works with AMD graphic cards.

Users also appreciate the fact that CGMiner supports solo and pooled mining. The platform supports multiple mining pools.

Another plus for CGMiner is that it allows users to mine their rigs remotely and control fan speeds and other settings with simple keyboard commands. The mining software also offers advanced detection of new blocks.

It is, however, worth noting that CGMiner is best suited for advanced miners. The platform can be a little overwhelming for beginners in the crypto mining space.

Pros

  •         Open-source crypto mining software
  •         Compatible with a variety of operating systems
  •         Supports solo and pooled mining

Cons

  •         Best suited for advanced miners

Cudo Miner

Cudo Miner is another great crypto mining platform designed for all types of miners. The platform offers automated mining and manual mining.

With automated mining, the platform automatically sets everything for users. Beginners can best benefit from automated mining. There are advanced mining features for pros.

Cudo Miner supports GPU, CPU, and ASIC mining. It also supports several mining algorithms. The platform features auto coin switching to ensure users always mine the most profitable coin. Its advanced settings menu provides tools that enable users to overclock their GPUs or ASICs.

With CPU mining, users can easily continue earning even when their systems are idle. The software will intelligently mine whatever is most profitable.

New users get a seven-day free trial to test the platform and see if it’s best suited to their mining needs. Once you commit, expect some service fees. Fees are, however, pretty low, as low as 1.5%.

Pros

  •         GPU, CPU, and ASIC miner
  •         Auto coin switching feature
  •         Automated mining and manual mining

Cons

  •         Withdrawal fees

Kryptex

Kryptex is an easy-to-use crypto mining platform and one of the best in the market. It is a Windows app that is easy to install.

The mining platform supports several mining algorithms and cryptocurrencies. It also features several mining pools. Like Cudo Miner, Kryptex features auto coin switching to help maximize your profits. Miners can easily control mining remotely. They can pause and resume mining activities from anywhere.

There is a lite mode function that allows users to use their computers at a lower percentage while mining either of the supported cryptocurrencies. Depending on the capabilities of their mining hardware users can choose to work with lite mode or full mode.

Kryptex stands out with its payment options. Unlike other crypto mining platforms, Kryptex makes payments in Bitcoin or real-world money. The minimum withdrawal amount is $0.5.

Pros

  •         Features several mining pools
  •         Auto coin switching feature
  •         Lite mode function

Cons

  •         Low earnings

Awesome Miner

Awesome Miner is an impressive crypto mining platform with a range of advanced features. The platform is compatible with several mining pools and supports CPU, GPU, and ASIC mining.

Awesome Miner also supports several mining algorithms and the mining of several cryptocurrencies. It features profit switching based on real-time revenue and power consumption. There is also detection of mining issues with automatic recovery.

Users can add, switch, and manage multiple miner pools with one click for an easy mining process. There is a dashboard providing a complete overview of running miners, including performance, revenue, and profit.

Awesome Miner is compatible with Windows and Linux. The mining platform is however not great for beginners. It is best suited for advanced miners and large-scale mining.

Pros

  •         Supports mining of several cryptocurrencies
  •         Features profit switching
  •         Can detect and automatically fix mining issues

Cons

  •         Best suited for advanced miners

GMiner

GMiner is a great crypto mining platform created by DevelSoftware. The mining platform boasts more than 617,000 daily active users.

GMiners supports GPU mining. It is compatible with AMD and NVIDIA graphic cards. It also supports several mining algorithms including Ethash, ProgPow, KAWPOW, Equihash, and CuckooCycle.

The mining platform supports the mining of several cryptocurrencies including Ethereum, Beam, Grin, Zelcash, Aeternity, and Ravencoin.

There are mining fees. Mining fees, however, differ depending on the mining algorithm used. For example, mining Ethereum or Ethereum Classic using the Ethash mining algorithm comes with a 1% fee.

GMiner like most crypto mining platforms is compatible with Windows and Linux.

Pros

  •         Supports most of the popular mining algorithms
  •         Supports mining of several cryptocurrencies
  •         Low service fees

Cons

  •         Slightly slower than other crypto mining platforms

BetterHash Miner

BetterHash Miner is an easy-to-use crypto mining platform best suited for all types of miners. It is perfect for beginners, intermediates, and pros.

The crypto mining platform features automated mining that is great for newbies. The platform does most of the heavy lifting including selecting the best performing algorithm and switching between algorithms. It does support several mining algorithms.

It also supports the mining of several cryptocurrencies including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Monero, Zcash, Ethereum Classic, Bitcoin Gold, and Ravencoin. There are no withdrawal fees. However, there are mining fees which are around 1%.

BetterHash Miner unlike most crypto mining platforms is only compatible with Windows.

Pros

  •         Automated mining
  •         Supports mining of several cryptocurrencies
  •         Supports several popular mining algorithms

Cons

  •         Only compatible with Windows

Bottom line

The crypto market is full of great crypto mining platforms. However, it all comes down to what you want or expect from a crypto mining platform.

From our list, ECOS stands out as a great crypto mining platform for beginners. The platform is easy to use, offers a cloud mining service, and has cloud mining contracts that can suit any type of miner. New users also get a 1-month free cloud mining contract.

StormGain, Crypto Tab Browser, Cudo Miner, and BetterHash Miner are other crypto mining platforms best suited for beginners. StormGain, for example, offers free Bitcoin mining. However, with a few catches.  Cudo Miner and BetterHash Miner offer automated mining, which is perfect for newbies.

Advanced crypto miners can consider CGMiners and Awesome Miner. Both platforms have advanced settings that promote advanced crypto mining.

Most of the listed platforms support several mining algorithms and the mining of several cryptocurrencies. A few like ECOS and StormGain only support Bitcoin mining.