4 min read · Updated 2026-10-25
Solo mining vs pool mining
Mining alone means you receive the whole block reward if you find a block, which for a small miner almost never happens. A pool combines many miners and shares rewards, giving smaller and more regular payouts.
Solo mining
Your chance of finding a block each day is your share of the network hashrate. With a modest machine that share is tiny, so income is extremely irregular and may be zero for years.
Pool mining
A pool adds up the hashrate of its members. When the pool finds a block, the reward is split according to the work each member submitted, minus a pool fee.
Which fits you
Pools suit anyone who wants predictable results. Solo mining is closer to a lottery ticket. The expected value is the same before fees; only the variance differs.
Frequently asked questions
Is the expected income the same?
Before fees, yes. Pools reduce variance, not expected value.
Do pools take a fee?
Most do. Check the fee and the payout method.
Try it yourself
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