Choosing a Pearl mining pool decides how much of your work turns into PEARL, how often you get paid and which GPUs you can use at all. This guide compares the main Pearl (PEARL) mining pools side by side: fees, payout schemes, minimum payouts and hardware support, using each pool’s own pages as of September 2026.
Pearl mining pools at a glance
| Pool | Fee | Payout scheme | Minimum payout | Hardware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl Research (official) | 20% | See pool docs | See pool docs | H100, H200 only |
| HeroMiners | 0% to 1% (sources differ) | PPS+, PROPX, SOLO | 1 PEARL, adjustable | Consumer GPUs |
| Kryptex Pool | 2% PPS+, 1% SOLO | PPS+, SOLO | 1 PEARL | Nvidia RTX 2000 to 5000 series, some AMD |
| 2Miners | 1% | PPLNS, SOLO | 1 PEARL | Not listed |
| WoolyPooly | 0.9% | Modified PPLNS, SOLO | 1 PEARL | Nvidia and AMD listed |
| AlphaPool | 1% PPLNS | Time-weighted PPLNS, SOLO | 1 PEARL, adjustable | RTX 40 and 50 series, CMP 170HX qualified |
Other pools exist too. The ones above appear on several independent pool lists and publish their terms on their own pages.
The official Pearl Research pool
Pearl Research Labs, the team behind Pearl, runs its own pool. It accepts only H100 and H200 datacenter GPUs and charges a 20% fee, which is far higher than any community pool. What you get in return is a pool run by the people who designed the mining algorithm, aimed at operators with datacenter hardware.
If you do not own GPUs at all, Pearl Research also runs Pearl Compute, where you buy a mining plan on rented cloud GPUs and receive daily PEARL rewards. That is closer to renting than mining, so compare its cost with the steps in our mining guide before choosing it.
Community Pearl mining pools
HeroMiners
A long-running multi-coin pool. For Pearl it offers PPS+ and PROPX payment systems plus SOLO mining, servers in many regions, TLS ports and email alerts when a worker stops. Its pool configuration showed a 1 PEARL minimum payout with hourly payments in September 2026. Its public config listed a 0% fee, while a June 2026 comparison listed 1%, so check the fee shown on the pool page when you connect.
Kryptex Pool
Kryptex charges 2% on PPS+ and 1% on SOLO, with a 1 PEARL minimum payout. Its standout feature is payout choice: you can take PEARL or have it auto-exchanged into BTC, USDT, ETH, LTC and other coins. It ships ready-made configs for several popular miners and HiveOS, and no registration is needed. Kryptex lists Nvidia RTX 2000 to 5000 series cards and several AMD generations as supported.
2Miners
2Miners runs Pearl on PPLNS with a 1% fee, pays every 2 hours once you pass 1 PEARL, and has a separate SOLO pool. Its stratum is NiceHash compatible.
WoolyPooly
WoolyPooly lists a 0.9% fee with no extra transaction fee from the pool, modified PPLNS or SOLO, and a 1 PEARL minimum. Payouts trigger when your balance crosses your threshold rather than on a fixed clock.
AlphaPool
AlphaPool charges 1% on PPLNS and uses a time-weighted PPLNS where older shares count for less (half weight after 65 minutes). It pays every 4 hours, with a 1 PEARL default minimum you can raise. It publishes a list of GPUs it has qualified with its own miner: RTX 4060 Ti, 4080, 4080 SUPER, 4090, 5060 Ti, 5070 Ti, 5080, 5090 and CMP 170HX. Other cards may work but are listed as unverified.
Payout schemes, explained
- PPS+ (pay per share plus): the pool pays a fixed amount for each share you submit, plus a share of transaction fees. Steady income, usually a higher fee because the pool carries the luck risk.
- PPLNS / PROP: you get a slice of each block the pool actually finds, in proportion to your recent shares. Lower fees, but income swings with pool luck.
- SOLO: you only get paid when your own rig finds a block, and then you get the whole reward. With a small setup that can mean days or weeks with nothing.
How to choose a Pearl mining pool
- Hardware first. If you have H100 or H200 cards, all options are open. With a consumer Nvidia card, skip the official pool and check that your exact model is on the pool’s supported list.
- Fee versus variance. A 1% PPLNS pool keeps more of your reward on average. A 2% PPS+ pool smooths out the bumps. Decide which matters more to you.
- Server location. A nearby server means fewer stale shares. Several pools penalize high stale rates.
- Payout form. If you want PEARL in your own wallet, any pool works. If you would rather receive USDT or BTC, Kryptex can convert for you, at the cost of never holding the PEARL yourself.
Set a payout address you control
Every pool needs a Pearl payout address starting with prl1p. Use one from a wallet where you hold the seed phrase, not an exchange deposit address that could change. In Oyster, turn on miner mode to get one fixed payout address and a Mining screen that tracks what you earned today and over the last 7 days. The payout wallet guide and the mining docs explain the setup. Pearl Wallet, the official desktop app from Pearl Research Labs, works just as well for receiving payouts.
Remember that mined coins need 100 confirmations before they can be spent, and pools add their own payout schedule on top. New to Pearl? Start with what Pearl is or see how it compares in Pearl vs Bitcoin.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Pearl mining pool?
There is no single best pool. If you run H100 or H200 cards and want the simplest setup, the official Pearl Research pool is built for them, but it charges a 20% fee. For consumer Nvidia GPUs, community pools such as HeroMiners, Kryptex Pool, 2Miners, WoolyPooly and AlphaPool charge between 0% and 2% as of September 2026. Pick one that supports your card, has a nearby server and pays out on a schedule you like.
What is the minimum payout on Pearl mining pools?
Most community pools pay out once your balance reaches 1 PEARL, and several let you raise that threshold. Check the pool's payout settings, because a higher threshold means fewer, larger payouts.
What is the difference between PPS+, PPLNS, PROP and SOLO?
PPS+ pays a fixed amount per share plus a cut of transaction fees, so income is steady. PPLNS and PROP pay you a share of each block the pool finds, so income follows the pool's luck. SOLO pays you the whole block reward only when you find a block yourself, which can mean long gaps with nothing.
Can I switch Pearl mining pools later?
Yes. Point your miner at a different pool address and keep the same payout address. Any balance below the minimum payout at the old pool usually stays there until it reaches the threshold, so check the old pool's rules before you move.
