How to Choose the Best Mining Pool for Bitcoin and Altcoins in 2026

Trying to mine Bitcoin or altcoins on your own? Don’t. It’s like trying to win the lottery by buying one ticket every year. The network difficulty is too high, your hardware can’t compete, and you’ll wait months-maybe years-for a single payout. That’s why mining pools exist. They let hundreds or thousands of miners combine their power, share the rewards, and get paid regularly. But not all pools are the same. Picking the wrong one can cost you hundreds in lost earnings every year.

What a Mining Pool Actually Does

A mining pool is a team. Instead of you mining alone, you join a group of others using the same algorithm. When the group finds a block, the reward is split based on how much work each miner contributed. This means you get small payments often-daily or even hourly-instead of waiting for a rare solo win.

In 2025, Bitcoin’s network hash rate hit over 1,000 EH/s. That’s 1 quintillion calculations per second. No home miner can compete alone. Even a top-end ASIC miner like the Antminer S21 contributes less than 0.0000002% of that total. Without a pool, you’d likely never see a Bitcoin payout.

Top Mining Pools in 2026 (and Their Fees)

Here are the biggest Bitcoin mining pools right now, ranked by market share and key details:

Bitcoin Mining Pool Comparison: Fees, Hasrate, and Reward Methods

Pool Name	Market Share	Hashrate (EH/s)	Fee Rate	Reward Method
Foundry USA	26.6%	256.3	1.09%	FPPS
AntPool	17.96%	178.4	1.03%	FPPS
ViaBTC	13.69%	113.7	1.09%	PPS+
F2Pool	10.68%	102.9	1.04%	PPS+
SpiderPool	9.13%	87.9	1.35%	FPPS
Binance Pool	2.72%	25.5	0.99%	FPPS
BTC.com	0.68%	6.5	0.95%	FPPS

Notice something? The top five pools control nearly 80% of Bitcoin’s total mining power. That’s great for stability, but it also means less decentralization. Still, for most miners, reliability beats ideology.

FPPS vs PPS+: Which Reward System Should You Pick?

This is where people get confused. Two main payout methods exist: FPPS and PPS+.

• FPPS (Full Pay Per Share): You get paid for every valid share you submit, and the pool includes both block rewards and transaction fees in the payout. It’s predictable. You know exactly how much you’ll earn per hour, no matter if fees spike or drop. Foundry USA, AntPool, and Binance use this.
• PPS+ (Pay Per Share Plus): You still get paid per share, but the pool adds a bonus for transaction fees when they’re high. If fees surge (like during a mempool backlog), you earn more. But if fees are low? Your payout drops. ViaBTC and F2Pool use this.

For beginners, FPPS is easier. You don’t have to track fee trends. You just plug in your miner and get steady income. PPS+ is better for experienced miners who want to squeeze out extra earnings during busy network periods. But it’s riskier. One week you might earn $50, the next $35-just because Bitcoin fees dipped.

Who Should Use Which Pool?

There’s no single “best” pool. It depends on your gear, your goals, and your experience.

• Bitcoin ASIC miners (Antminer, WhatsMiner, etc.): Go with Foundry USA. It’s the largest, most stable, and has the best infrastructure. If you’re running multiple miners, the 1.09% fee is worth it for the uptime and consistent payouts. If you’re worried about fees, BTC.com (0.95%) or Binance Pool (0.99%) are solid low-cost alternatives.
• Altcoin GPU miners (Ethereum Classic, Ravencoin, Ergo): F2Pool is the top pick. It supports over 20 different coins, has a clean dashboard, and offers beginner tutorials. Even though Ethereum moved to proof-of-stake, F2Pool still handles the GPU-friendly coins that absorbed that mining power.
• Miners who want higher potential earnings: Try ViaBTC or F2Pool with PPS+. You’ll need to monitor fee trends, but during high-fee weeks, you can earn 5-15% more than with FPPS pools.
• Privacy-focused or open-source fans: BraiinsPool is the only major pool that uses fully open-source mining firmware. It’s not the biggest, but it’s transparent and community-driven. Just expect slower payouts due to lower hashrate.
• Beginners testing the waters: Start with F2Pool. It’s simple, has great documentation, and lets you mine multiple coins without switching pools. You can learn the basics before committing to Bitcoin ASIC mining.

What Else Matters Beyond Fees?

Fees get all the attention, but they’re not everything.

• Uptime and reliability: Foundry USA and AntPool have near 99.9% uptime. Smaller pools? Not so much. If your miner disconnects for 12 hours, you lose earnings. Choose pools with proven infrastructure.
• Server location: Latency kills profitability. If you’re in New Zealand, a pool with servers in Australia or Singapore will give you better connection speed than one with servers only in the U.S. East Coast. Most pools list their server locations-check before signing up.
• Payout thresholds: Some pools require you to earn $5 or $10 before paying out. Others pay daily, even for $0.50. If you’re mining with low-power hardware, low thresholds matter. BTC.com pays daily at $0.10 minimum. Foundry USA requires $10, which might be too high for small miners.
• Dashboard and tools: AntPool and F2Pool have excellent mobile apps and real-time stats. You can see your hashrate, estimated earnings, and even switch pools from your phone. Foundry USA’s interface is functional but clunkier. For beginners, ease of use beats raw power.
• Regulatory risk: Binance Pool is tied to a centralized exchange. If regulations tighten, it could face scrutiny. Foundry USA and AntPool are more independent. If you’re concerned about compliance, go with non-exchange pools.

How to Set Up a Mining Pool in 2026

It’s easier than you think. Here’s a quick guide:

1. Choose your pool based on your hardware and goals (see above).
2. Create an account. Most require just an email and wallet address.
3. Get your Bitcoin (or altcoin) wallet ready. Use a non-custodial wallet like Electrum (Bitcoin) or Exodus (altcoins).
4. Find the pool’s stratum URL. This is usually on their website under “Getting Started.” For example: stratum+tcp://us1.f2pool.com:8888
5. Configure your miner software (like Awesome Miner, CGMiner, or the built-in miner on your ASIC). Enter the URL, your wallet address as username, and any password (often “x” or left blank).
6. Start mining. Your dashboard should show your hashrate within minutes.

Most pools offer step-by-step guides. F2Pool even has video tutorials for every major ASIC model. Don’t overcomplicate it. If you can plug in a router, you can mine.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Switching pools too often: Every time you change pools, your miner needs to reconnect. That’s 5-10 minutes of zero work. Don’t jump every time fees dip 1%.
• Ignoring fees: A 0.1% difference might seem tiny, but on a $500 monthly payout, that’s $5/month-or $60/year. Over five years, that’s $300. That’s a new ASIC fan.
• Using the wrong wallet: Don’t send mining rewards to an exchange wallet unless you plan to trade. You lose control. Use your own wallet.
• Overlooking electricity costs: A pool with 0.95% fees won’t save you if your power bill is $0.20/kWh. Run a profitability calculator first. Tools like WhatToMine or CryptoCompare show net earnings after electricity.
• Trying to mine Ethereum: It’s proof-of-stake now. GPU mining Ethereum in 2026 is dead. Use those cards for ETC, RVN, or ERG instead.

What’s Next for Mining Pools?

The industry is consolidating. Smaller pools are disappearing. Regulatory pressure is rising. In 2026, expect only the top 10 pools to survive long-term. Foundry USA, AntPool, F2Pool, and BTC.com are built to last. They have teams, legal departments, and global server networks.

New features are rolling out too. AntPool now has automated pool switching based on profitability. ViaBTC added support for new proof-of-work coins like $TAC and $KAS. F2Pool improved its mobile app with AI-driven profit forecasts.

But here’s the truth: if you’re mining in 2026, you’re not getting rich. You’re covering your electricity bill and maybe making a little extra. The days of mining Bitcoin with a GPU and turning a profit are gone. This is now a business. Choose your pool like you’d choose a supplier-based on reliability, cost, and support.

Final Thoughts

There’s no magic pool. The best one is the one that matches your setup, your budget, and your patience. If you’re serious, go with Foundry USA or AntPool for Bitcoin. If you’re learning, start with F2Pool. Keep your fees low, your power cheap, and your wallet secure. Mining isn’t get-rich-quick. It’s get-steady-income-if-you-do-it-right.