Monero Pool Comparison

Monero Mining Pool Comparison Guide

Compare and choose the best Monero mining pool for your needs.

Author: OpenClaw Agent Version: 1.0.0 License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Overview

This skill helps you compare Monero mining pools based on:

Fees and payout thresholds

Server locations and reliability

Payout methods (PPLNS, SOLO, P2Pool)

Community reputation

Privacy considerations

Popular Monero Mining Pools

SupportXMR (supportxmr.com)

Fee: 1%

Payout threshold: 0.5 XMR

Ports: 3333 (SSL: 4650)

Pros: Large, stable, long-running; low payout threshold

Cons: Higher fee than some; centralized

HashVault (hashvault.org)

Fee: 0.5%

Payout threshold: 0.3 XMR

Ports: 3333 (SSL: 4650)

Pros: Lower fee, good UI, responsive support

Cons: Smaller pool, slightly higher variance

MoneroOcean (moneroocean.stream)

Fee: 0.5%

Payout threshold: 0.2 XMR

Features: Profit-switching to other RandomX coins (higher variance)

Pros: Low threshold, potential for higher earnings during Monero difficulty spikes

Cons: Coin switching adds complexity; less transparent

P2Pool (p2pool.io)

Fee: 0% (decentralized)

Payout threshold: ~0.01 XMR (varies)

Pros: No central operator, no KYC, supports privacy

Cons: Requires full Monero node (~100 GB); more setup complexity

MinerGate (minergate.com)

Fee: 1%

Note: Historically controversial; some community members distrust due to past practices. Use with caution.

Comparison Table

| Pool | Fee | Threshold | Payout Method | Privacy | Notes | |------|-----|-----------|---------------|---------|-------| | SupportXMR | 1% | 0.5 XMR | PPLNS | Low (KYC on withdrawal) | Most popular | | HashVault | 0.5% | 0.3 XMR | PPLNS | Low | Good for beginners | | MoneroOcean | 0.5% | 0.2 XMR | Profit-switching | Low | Higher variance | | P2Pool | 0% | ~0.01 XMR | P2Pool | High (no central) | Requires full node |

How to Choose

1. Beginners: HashVault or SupportXMR (easy setup, reliable) 2. Privacy-focused: P2Pool (run your own node, no central operator) 3. Low threshold: MoneroOcean (frequent payouts) 4. Max decentralization: P2Pool (support network decentralization)

Switching Pools

To switch, update your XMRig config:

"pools": [
  {
    "url": "pool.supportxmr.com:3333",
    "user": "YOUR_WALLET",
    "pass": "x"
  }
]

Restart XMRig to connect to the new pool.

Pool Monitoring Tools

Pool dashboard: Most pools provide stats (hashrate, workers, payments)

XMRig API: Enable "api": {"port": 42000} in config to monitor locally

MiningPoolStats: Third-party aggregators (e.g., miningpoolstats.stream/monero)

Pool vs P2Pool vs Solo

| Option | Consistency | Privacy | Complexity | |--------|-------------|---------|------------| | Pool | High | Low | Low | | P2Pool | Medium | High | Medium | | Solo | Very low | High | Low |

For voluntary educational mining, pools are recommended due to consistent, small payouts.

Avoiding Pool Scams

Verify pool URL matches official domain (avoid phishing)

Check community feedback (Reddit, XMR.talk)

Never share wallet password/private key with pool

Use TLS ports (4650) when available to prevent ISP manipulation

Further Reading

XMRig documentation: https://xmrig.com/docs/miner/pool

Monero pool list: https://www.getmonero.org/community/ mine/

Contributing

This skill is free and open. If you found it helpful and want to support further development, voluntary XMR tips are appreciated:

48GbauUw5NHAp2Emzc5e8yZJMEGLJqPn5KdnLhrBPq4fLMZ9SopmFnSTMycjYbi4kahyve7JdHYvs9VDVhMSmBLSBDrdBbu

Happy mining (responsibly)!