• Features: Open-source software with cross-platform/hardware compatibility
• Cross-platform compatibility: Mac, Linux, Windows, ASIC, GPU, and FPGA
• Customizable: Yes

CGMiner was developed in 2011 by Australian anesthetist and programmer Con Kolivas for mining cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin. It’s widely regarded as one of the best bitcoin mining software available due to its open-source nature, simple interface with direct controls, and cross-platform and cross-hardware compatibility. 

CGMiner uses a command-line interface that allows users to mine their rigs remotely and control fan speeds and other settings with simple keyboard commands. The software also offers advanced detection of new blocks and makes it easy to scale up hashing power without delays. 

Although it’s Linux-based, CGMiner is cross-platform compatible and can run on Mac and Windows computers. It’s also open-source and written in C, making it easy for anyone to verify the software’s code. In addition to being cross-platform compatible, CGMiner works with a variety of mining hardware besides ASICs, including FPGAs, GPUs, and CPUs.     

CGMiner’s lack of a graphical user interface may be daunting to beginners, making it a better choice for advanced users. The software has been known to be difficult to install on computers running Windows 10. Antivirus software including Windows Defender can also give users a difficult time. CGMiner is free to download and use and is available on GitHub.

• Features: Support for dynamic clocking and multiple cryptocurrencies
• Cross-platform compatibility: ASIC, FPGA, Linux, Mac, and Windows
• Customizable: Yes

Released in 2012 by developer Luke Dashjr, BFGMiner has become one of the most popular mining software available, second only to CGMiner. It allows users to monitor hardware temperature, detect and start idle threads, and manage rigs remotely, putting it squarely in the category of the best software for customization.   

Because BFGMiner was originally created to add FPGA support to a popular GPU miner at the time it was developed, the software is only compatible with FPGA and ASIC. Like CGMiner, the software is written in C and runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows machines and even offers an option to install on Raspberry Pi.   

One of BFGMiner’s most popular features is its support for mining multiple cryptocurrencies at the same time. By simultaneously hashing on mining algorithms like Scrypt and SHA256d, the software lets users mine, hedge, and redistribute their risk with multiple cryptocurrencies.   

Like CGMiner, BFGMiner uses a command-line interface with customizable hotkeys. While easy to use for advanced users, the lack of a GUI may make the software impenetrable to beginners. BFGMiner is also free to download and use.

• Features: GUI, automated hardware detection, and mining features
• Cross-platform compatibility: GPUs, ASICs, Linux, Mac, Windows, and FPGAs
• Customizable: Yes, fewer options

MultiMiner was developed in 2013 by BFGMiner developer Nate Woolls. Although it’s built on the BFGMiner engine, the software features an easy-to-use GUI and quick-start mining features, making it our favorite choice as the best for ease of use.

While most mining software requires some coding skills, novices can get started with MultiMiner with no technical skills. The software walks users through the installation process and then scans the details of the hardware, including average hashing power and the linked pool. 

MultiMiner goes even further and shows users exactly how to connect to a pool, including where to enter the information associated with the pool. The software also offers users remote access to their mining rigs, lets them choose their mining strategy, and automatically mines the most profitable or lowest-difficulty cryptocurrency with a display of estimated profits.

MultiMiner was created for Windows, so users will need to install additional software for Mac and Linux machines. Luckily, there are simple directions to do so. The software also makes it easy to switch mining rigs, including GPUs, ASICs, and FPGAs. Despite its appeal to beginners, power users can also access MultiMiner’s advanced features, including direct access to API settings and engine arguments. The software is also free to download and use.

• Features: Manage multiple rigs and pools with one dashboard
• Cross-platform compatibility: SHA-256, Scrypt, X11, Ethereum, and Zcash
• Customizable: Yes

Awesome Miner was developed by Swedish software company IntelliBreeze in 2014 as a cryptocurrency mining management application for Windows machines. It supports large-scale mining with a dashboard that lets users manage multiple mining engines and pools in one operation, making it the best software for centralized management.

Awesome Miner offers a number of powerful features to help users maximize profit and minimize downtime. The software can handle multiple mining hardware types at the same time (including ASICs and FPGAs), supports more than 50 mining engines (cgminer, bfgminer, xmrig, srbminer, etc.), and is compatible with popular mining algorithms (SHA-256, Scrypt, X11, Ethereum, and Zcash).  

Awesome Miner also makes it easy for users to add, switch, and manage multiple miner pools with one click so they can start mining in less time. All of this is managed in Awesome Miner’s comprehensive dashboard, which also displays hardware properties like fan speed, temperature, etc. The software features a built-in C# script engine miners can use to make customized triggers and actions.

Although Awesome Miner is designed for Windows and Linux, the web version of the software can be accessed on any computer or browser. Awesome Miner is free to download and use.