Best Bitcoin Mining Software

Now that you already know about the best Bitcoin mining hardware, we’re going to talk about Bitcoin mining software.

What is Bitcoin Mining Software?

Bitcoin mining hardware handles the actual Bitcoin mining process, but:

Bitcoin mining software is equally as important.

• If you are a solo miner: the mining software connects your Bitcoin miner to the blockchain.
• If you mine with a pool: the software will connect you to your mining pool.
• If you are cloud mining: you do not need mining software.

Mining Software Compared

Software	Category	Pricing	Best Feature
	Braiins OS+	Best Overall	1-2% depending on pool	A ton of security features Stratum V2 Bulk device installation
	Hashr8 OS	Best For Linux	$2/month per device	Automatic coin switching
	Hive OS	Best For MacOS	$2/month per device	Amazing mobile app

Quick Tip

Mining is not the fastest way to get bitcoins.

Buying bitcoin is the fastest way.

Why Do You Need a Bitcoin Mining Operating System?

Bitcoin mining rigs and systems have come a long way since the beginning. The first Bitcoin miners made do with the tools they had at their disposal and set up various software to control the mining hardware in their rigs.

While these make-shift solutions were better than nothing, they didn’t exactly work efficiently. Not only did that slow down the mining process, but it also made it difficult for newcomers to join in on the fun.

Necessity is the mother of all invention, so along came solutions like Awesome Miner, ethOS, and SimpleMining that streamlined the mining process.

These days, mining operating systems are the standard.

But many users of the existing systems still experience issues with:

• Managing multiple mining devices.
• Maintaining a steady mining performance.
• Fixing spontaneous errors.
• Managing the mining system remotely.
• Maximizing the efficiency of their hardware.
• Difficulty adjustments

Importance of Bitcoin Mining Software

The main job of the software is to deliver the mining hardware’s work to the rest of the Bitcoin network and to receive the completed work from other miners on the network.

Bitcoin mining software monitors this input and output of your miner while also displaying statistics such as the speed of your miner, hashrate, fan speed and the temperature.

You may also need Bitcoin tax software in order to calculate your taxes owed. Just as an example, we have a great guide on how that software works to pay taxes on Coinbase buys.

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Bitcoin Wallets

One of the most important things you will need before using any kind of Bitcoin mining software is a wallet.

This is because all Bitcoin mining software will ask you for a Bitcoin address that will be used to send your mining rewards and payouts. Once you create or download a wallet you will be able to get a Bitcoin address from your wallet.

Check out our guide on how to add funds to your wallet.

There are many Bitcoin wallets, but these are the ones we recommend if you are just starting out:

• Ledger Nano X – Secure Bitcoin hardware wallet for all platforms.
• iOS Wallets – The most popular Bitcoin wallets for iOS.
• Android Wallets – The most popular Bitcoin wallets on Android.
• Desktop Wallets – The most popular Bitcoin wallets for desktop.

Now that we understand mining software and how it helps in the mining process, and you have your Bitcoin wallet and address, let’s look at different software on different operating systems.

Disclaimer: Mining Bitcoin is NOT the best way to get bitcoins. Buying Bitcoin is.

To buy bitcoin in your country, check our country guides:

…or visit our exchange finder if your country is not listed above.

Mining Software Overviews

Find the Right Software for You

So which software should you choose?

Let’s go over all the most important info for each mining software.

By the end, you should be able to pick the best bitcoin mining software for you.

Braiins OS+ Overview

Best Bitcoin Mining Software For Windows

Braiins OS is part of Satoshi Labs and is the creation of the original inventor of mining pools, Marek “Slush” Palatinus. You may also know Marek for his invention of the Trezor, the world’s first hardware wallet.

Unlike many other mining software and operating systems, Braiins is completely free. Satoshi Labs makes money off of Braiins OS by offering you incentives to join their Slush mining pool, although this is not required to use their software.

Supported Hardware

Braains OS+ currently supports Antminer S9, S9i and S9j. Support for Antminer S17 and T17 are coming soon. Thankfully, Braiins OS+ makes the S9 family so much more efficient, that it can extend the life of your Antminer S9 ASICs. It achieves this life increase through better mining efficiency, which we will cover next.

Performance

With Braiins OS, you can increase the hashrate of your S9 up to 17+ Terrahashes per second.

Braiins OS+ can also take an S9 on low power mode and deliver 20% better performance than even an S9i.

For aging hardware like the S9 family, this is a crazy performance boost, so we can’t wait to see what Braiin’s will be able to do once they launch support for next gen Antminers like the S17 and T17.

While there is no up front cost to buying the software, you will need to pay Slushpool dev fees by directing 2% of your hashing power to their pool regardless of which pool you end up mining on. However, if you choose to mine with Slushpool for all 100% of your hashing power, that rate drops to 1%.

This is how Satoshi Labs makes money off of Braiins OS.

Features

Braiins OS boasts many features, such as:

• Unlocked SSH
• Automatic Updates to the OS firmware
• Device installation on all your devices at once
• Super Fast boot up speeds
• Pre-heating to get mining faster
• Complete fan control

Command Line

For the more traditional, tech-savvy users, Braiins offers a simple but robust command line interface for their mining software in addition to the more common graphical user interface that most people are used to. Both have their advantages, but many are more comfortable issuing commands with a keyboard instead of mouse clicks.

Two-Factor Authentication

According to Slushpool,

Every important change made to a user account requires email verification. We furthermore recommend enabling two-factor authentication using either TOTP mobile app or a hardware token (U2F). For even better protection, there is a possibility to lock your payout address so it can be only changed in future by a signed message from said address.

Slushpool takes the security of your earnings very seriously, which means a robust set of two-factor authentication options are at your disposal.

Technical Support

Braiin’s OS comes with some of the best documentation of all the mining software. If that doesn’t answer you questions you can reach out to Braiins for help or join their telegram.

Implementation of Stratum V2

Braiins OS+ has also implemented its Stratum V2 communication protocol. This protocol offers truly advanced features for power miners such as bandwidth load reductions, hash rate variance control, and hash rate hijacking protection.

It also comes with a nifty Proxy so that you can still use Stratum on other pools even if it isn’t supported by them.

Should You Use Braiins OS?

There is no one more experienced in mining software than Satoshi Labs, so you really can’t go wrong. These guys are constantly innovating, so even if you are running Linux, you won’t be disappointed in choosing Braiins.

That being said, if you don’t plan to start mining with Slushpool, be aware that you will essentially pay a 2% fee to Slushpool (in the form of redirecting 2% of your hashing power to them). By mining with Slushpool, that cuts in half and becomes very attractive.

For more info on mining pools and how to pick one, see our complete guide on mining pools.

Hashr8 Overview

Best Mining Software for Linux

Every system has its flaws, and the best solutions to how to fix those flaws often come from the users of the system. Enter Hashr8, a Bitcoin mining operating system developed by miners for miners.

As you’d expect, Hashr8 has fixed many of the flaws we covered in the introduction. But the developers have also added some additional bells and whistles to their OS.

What Hashr8 Can Do Now

To combat the inefficiencies of other mining systems, Hashr8 constantly monitors the performance of your rig and automatically restarts it when there’s an error. It also comes with a handy mobile app that notifies you of any changes and allows you to control your mining system remotely when you’re on the go.

What Hashr8 Can Do Soon

On the horizon, the team behind Hashr8 plan to add automated mining based on which cryptocurrencies are currently the most profitable to mine. Users will also be able to optimize the settings of their rig, adjust their power consumption, manage an entire mining farm from the app, and download performance reports for each individual mining rig.

In other words, there’s a lot to be excited about!

What Are the Benefits of Hashr8?

Now that you have a basic overview of Hashr8, it’s time to look at some of the specific benefits of using this mining operating system over the alternatives on the market.

Remote Management

The app (which is available for both iOS and Android devices) that comes with Hashr8 allows you to control multiple mining rigs from your phone.

First of all, it’ll notify you the moment there’s a low hash rate, or when any parts overheat or malfunction. But the app also allows you to control which cryptocurrency is being mined, which wallet you’re using, and what your numbers look like. Finally, you also have the option to overclock your mining rigs.

Easy Installation

Another advancement the team behind Hashr8 has made is on the installation front.

Newbies no longer have to dread a complicated installation process. This one’s plug and play. Simply go to the Hashr8 website, download the disk image, and connect it to your rig via a flash drive.

It’ll automatically configure the installation based on the hardware in your rig. You also have the option to add overclocking and firmware with the configuration presets that are included.

Incredible Support

Since Bitcoin mining is such a rapidly evolving space, any service providers have to adapt their systems to serve their customers.

Hashr8 already supports over 650 different miners and mining pools, so chances are the one you’re using is covered. Your mining rig itself is likely also supported, as Hashr8 is compatible with most CPU, GPU, and ASIC miners and covers mining for multiple kinds of coins.

How Much Does Hashr8 Cost?

As mentioned, you can choose between three different packages when you sign up for Hashr8.

Here are your three options:

1. Home Miner is free and allows you to run three mining devices at the same time.
2. Pro Miner costs $2 per month for every mining device after the first three.
3. Corporate Miner gives you a dedicated account manager, additional configuration and integration options, as well as a discount when you use more than 300 mining devices.

Each option comes with 24/7 customer service and support if you need help with Hashr8.

How to Install Hashr8 in 8 Steps

Decided whether or not you want to try out Hashr8? Then it’s time to look at how to install it. Fortunately, it’s as easy as eight simple steps.

Here’s how to install Hashr8:

1. Go to the Hashr8 website and click “Login” in the top right corner and then “Register” to create an account.
2. Log in to your new account and click “Download” on the left-hand side of the dashboard to download the installation file.
3. Transfer the installation file to a flash drive or external hard drive so you can connect it to your mining device.
4. Click “Rigs” on the Hashr8 dashboard menu and then choose “Add Rig” to add your mining device.
5. Fill in all the required details, such as name, description, password, and the number of GPUs, then click “Save.”
6. Click the name of your rig once it has been set up, then click “System Info” and copy the information under the “Rig Token” section.
7. Open the installation file on your flash drive or external hard disk and paste the information you just copied to into the document named “token.txt” and save.
8. Plug your flash drive or external hard disk into your mining rig, turn it on, and wait until it’s registered as online on your Hashr8 dashboard.

That’s it, you’re not ready to mine!

Quick Tip

Using mining software is not the fastest way to get bitcoins.

Try an exchange below for the fastest way to get bitcoins, or buy Bitcoin using a payment network like Skrill or Interac e-Transfer or use a bank transfer such as SEPA when available.

To buy bitcoin in your country or state, check our guides! A few of our most popular are listed below!

…or visit our exchange finder if your country is not listed above.