Best Mining Pools in 2026: Comparing Fees, User Ratings and Supported Coins
Choosing a mining pool involves more than looking for the smallest fee. Pool reliability, payout consistency, supported coins, user experience and the size of the reviewing audience can all affect whether a pool is suitable for a particular mining setup.
This comparison uses Minector’s internal pool data to examine average fees, user ratings, rating counts and supported coins. The figures are useful for narrowing down options, but miners should still review current payout rules, minimum thresholds, server availability and pool performance before switching.
Mining Pool Comparison for 2026
The table below presents all ten pools in the dataset. Average fees are shown exactly as provided, while ratings are expressed out of 5 and accompanied by the number of users who submitted ratings.
| Mining pool | Average fee | User rating | Number of raters | Supported coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruxpool | 1.00 | 4.80/5 | 20 | BTC, ETC, RVN, ERGO, FLUX, FIRO, ETHW, BEAM |
| Ethertrench | 0.00 | 4.20/5 | 21 | ETH, ETC, EXP |
| Whalesburg | 0.90 | 4.10/5 | 21 | ETH, ETC, UBQ, ELLA, EXP, PIRL |
| MinerGate | 1.25 | 4.00/5 | 205 | ETH, LTC, XMR, BCN, ETC, ZEC, BTG, XMC |
| UniPool | 0.17 | 4.00/5 | 20 | BCN, TRTL, XMR |
| MaxHash | 0.00 | 4.00/5 | 20 | ETH, UBQ, EXP, MUSIC |
| HashLoft | 1.47 | 4.00/5 | 18 | BTC, LTC, AUR, BCH, CANN, FLO, GAME, DGB, ZEN |
| Bit Pool Mining | 0.38 | 4.00/5 | 11 | MONA, HUSH, VTC, KMD, EXP, ETH, ETC, ZCL, BTG, BTCP |
| Nanopool | 1.00 | 3.90/5 | 44 | ETH, ETC, ZEC, XMR, RVN, CFX, ERG |
| 2Miners | 1.25 | 3.80/5 | 71 | ETH, ETC, EXP, MUSIC, PIRL, ETP, WHL, DBIX, BTG, ZEC, ZCL, ZEN, ELLA, CLO, YOC, AKA, HUSH, BTCP, BTCZ |
Lowest-Fee Mining Pools
Ethertrench and MaxHash have the lowest listed average fee at 0.00. Ethertrench has a 4.20/5 rating from 21 users and supports ETH, ETC and EXP, while MaxHash has a 4.00/5 rating from 20 users and supports ETH, UBQ, EXP and MUSIC.
UniPool follows with an average fee of 0.17. Its rating is 4.00/5 from 20 users, and its supported coins are BCN, TRTL and XMR. Bit Pool Mining lists an average fee of 0.38 and supports ten coins, including MONA, HUSH, VTC, KMD, EXP, ETH, ETC, ZCL, BTG and BTCP.
Whalesburg records an average fee of 0.90, with a 4.10/5 rating from 21 users. Cruxpool and Nanopool both list an average fee of 1.00, but their ratings differ: Cruxpool has 4.80/5 from 20 users, while Nanopool has 3.90/5 from 44 users.
Highest-Rated Pools
Cruxpool has the highest user rating in this comparison at 4.80/5. Its 20 raters give it a stronger average rating than every other pool in the dataset, and its coin selection includes BTC, ETC, RVN, ERGO, FLUX, FIRO, ETHW and BEAM.
Ethertrench ranks next by rating at 4.20/5 from 21 users. Whalesburg follows at 4.10/5 from 21 users, while MinerGate, UniPool, MaxHash, HashLoft and Bit Pool Mining each have a 4.00/5 rating.
Nanopool has a 3.90/5 rating from 44 users. 2Miners records the lowest rating in this comparison at 3.80/5, although it also supports the broadest listed selection of coins, with 19 supported assets.
How Much Should You Trust User Ratings?
User ratings are helpful for identifying broad satisfaction patterns, but the number of raters provides important context. MinerGate has the largest rating sample, with 205 users, followed by 2Miners with 71 and Nanopool with 44.
Several pools have ratings based on approximately 20 users, including Cruxpool, Ethertrench, UniPool and MaxHash. A high rating from a smaller group may still be meaningful, but it should be treated as one signal rather than a complete measure of uptime, payout performance or customer support.
Bit Pool Mining has a 4.00/5 rating from 11 users, the smallest rating group in the dataset. This does not automatically make it a poor choice; it simply means that the rating offers less user coverage than the ratings for pools with larger samples.
Supported Coins and Pool Selection
Supported-coin coverage matters when a miner wants to change algorithms, mine several assets or keep a preferred coin within the same pool ecosystem. 2Miners offers the widest listed selection, including ETH, ETC, EXP, MUSIC, PIRL, ETP, WHL, DBIX, BTG, ZEC, ZCL, ZEN, ELLA, CLO, YOC, AKA, HUSH, BTCP and BTCZ.
HashLoft supports nine listed coins, including BTC, LTC, AUR, BCH, CANN, FLO, GAME, DGB and ZEN. MinerGate supports eight: ETH, LTC, XMR, BCN, ETC, ZEC, BTG and XMC. Cruxpool also supports eight coins, with a mix that includes BTC, ETC, RVN, ERGO, FLUX, FIRO, ETHW and BEAM.
Nanopool lists seven supported coins: ETH, ETC, ZEC, XMR, RVN, CFX and ERG. Whalesburg supports six, while Ethertrench and MaxHash each support four. UniPool has three listed coins, and its focus may be more suitable for miners specifically interested in BCN, TRTL or XMR.
Why the Lowest Fee Is Not Always Best
A 0.00 average fee can look attractive, but fee level alone does not establish that a pool will deliver the best mining experience. Reliability, stable connections, predictable payouts, clear payment rules and consistent pool performance may be more important than a small difference in fees.
For example, Ethertrench and MaxHash both list an average fee of 0.00, yet they have different ratings and supported-coin ranges. Likewise, Cruxpool’s 1.00 average fee is not the lowest in the table, but it has the highest rating at 4.80/5.
Miners should also consider the practical value of a pool’s coin coverage. A pool with a larger list may be useful for flexibility, while a more focused pool could be preferable if it offers strong support for the specific coin and mining hardware being used.
Practical Checklist Before Joining a Pool
- Confirm that the pool supports the coin and mining algorithm used by your hardware.
- Compare the listed fee with payout thresholds and payment schedules.
- Review user ratings together with the number of raters, rather than relying on the score alone.
- Check server locations and connection options for the region where your miners operate.
- Look for clear information about rejected shares, wallet payouts and account security.
- Monitor actual payout consistency after joining instead of judging the pool only by its advertised fee.
Conclusion
The best mining pool depends on the miner’s coin, hardware, location and priorities. Cruxpool stands out for the highest rating of 4.80/5, Ethertrench and MaxHash offer the lowest listed average fee at 0.00, and 2Miners provides the broadest supported-coin selection in this dataset.
UniPool and Bit Pool Mining may appeal to miners seeking lower listed fees, while MinerGate offers the largest rating sample with 205 users. However, no single metric should decide the choice. Compare fees with reliability, payout consistency, coin support and the quality of available pool information before committing hash rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which mining pool has the lowest average fee?
Ethertrench and MaxHash both have the lowest listed average fee at 0.00. Ethertrench has a 4.20/5 rating from 21 users, while MaxHash has a 4.00/5 rating from 20 users.
Which pool has the highest user rating?
Cruxpool has the highest rating in the comparison at 4.80/5 from 20 users. Its supported coins are BTC, ETC, RVN, ERGO, FLUX, FIRO, ETHW and BEAM.
Which mining pool supports the most coins?
2Miners supports the largest number of listed coins in this comparison, with 19: ETH, ETC, EXP, MUSIC, PIRL, ETP, WHL, DBIX, BTG, ZEC, ZCL, ZEN, ELLA, CLO, YOC, AKA, HUSH, BTCP and BTCZ.
Is a zero-fee pool automatically the best choice?
No. A zero average fee may reduce the direct pool charge, but reliability, payout consistency, supported coins, server performance and user experience also matter. Miners should evaluate the full service rather than selecting a pool from its fee alone.
