Big mining OS comparison: our TOP 3 (HiveOS, Nicehash, MinerStat, SimpleMining, EasyMining)
Which operating system should you choose to run and monitor your mining rigs? In this video (in French), we compare five options: NiceHash, HiveOS, MinerStat, SimpleMining and EasyMining. Each one is rated on the same criteria, leading to our top 3.
Video from 2022: the prices and features below date from that time. See "What about today?" at the end of the article.
The method: nine criteria rated from 1 to 5
We give each OS a score from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) on nine criteria:
- ease of installation and configuration;
- mining performance;
- advanced features;
- the visual interface;
- monitoring, notifications and statistics;
- farm management.
NiceHash: the simplest, but the least efficient
NiceHash is free, available for Windows and in a Linux version, and is aimed first and foremost at beginners. Its special feature: profit switching. After a benchmark, i.e. a calibration of your cards' mining power, it mines whatever pays most and pays you in Bitcoin, whatever you mine, to a BTC wallet created by default. A mobile app lets you manage your machines remotely.
Overclocking is limited to three modes: low, medium and high power. The result: 5/5 for installation and configuration, but only 1/5 for performance and advanced features, as the hashrate you get lags behind the other systems. Average: 2.8/5.
HiveOS: the benchmark
HiveOS is free for a single rig; as soon as you move to two or three rigs, it costs $3 per rig per month. It installs on a USB stick or an SSD. Its strengths:
- mixed rigs: it handles AMD and NVIDIA cards on the same rig;
- full overclocking, BIOS flashing and RX Boost to optimise some Radeon RX cards;
- the watchdog, "the dog that keeps an eye on what is happening" on the rig;
- the scheduler, which applies a flight sheet to a rig at a set time.
On the other hand, there is neither benchmarking nor profit switching. The interface is not necessarily easy to grasp at first: 3/5 for installation and interface, but 5/5 for performance. Average: 4/5.
MinerStat: profit switching on top
MinerStat costs $2 per rig per month. Apart from NiceHash, it is the only OS in the comparison to offer benchmarking and profit switching: you define several configurations according to the algorithms, and the rig automatically switches to the most profitable coin. It can also flash BIOSes. Its limitation: mixed AMD and NVIDIA rigs were never part of the plan.
Notable scores: 3/5 for installation, 4/5 for the interface, 5/5 for performance and for farm management. Average: 4.1/5.
SimpleMining and EasyMining
SimpleMining charges roughly the same as MinerStat, i.e. $2 per rig per month. There is no mobile app: everything is done from their website. Its interface has been completely redesigned compared with the previous year. Average: 3.8/5.
EasyMining gives you the choice between €2 per month and 0.2% of rewards. We had a few setbacks during installation: we had to use different versions depending on the motherboard. It offers a few ASIC-specific features and a slightly more expensive Plus plan. Average: 3.6/5.
Our top 3
The results are very close:
- MinerStat (4.1/5) wins by a whisker, thanks to its profit switching;
- HiveOS (4/5) would have come first if it offered profit switching;
- SimpleMining (3.8/5) completes the podium.
Off the podium, EasyMining scores 3.6/5 and NiceHash 2.8/5: NiceHash remains the easiest way to get started, but it is the least efficient.
What about today?
Since Ethereum moved to proof of stake on 15 September 2022, GPU mining income has collapsed, and the arrival of Kaspa ASICs in 2023 made Kaspa mining with graphics cards marginal. The prices and features of these systems may have changed since: check them on each publisher's website.
To find out more, read our in-depth review of MinerStat OS and its profit switching and our Easy Mining OS tutorial, as well as all our guides on the tutorials page. To mine today, discover our ASIC miners.