If you want the simplest, most private, and most resilient way to mine Monero today, use Gupax. It’s a clean GUI that wraps XMRig and P2Pool, so you get proven RandomX performance and non-custodial, on-chain payouts—no pool accounts, no balances held by third parties.
TL;DR: Top Picks
- Best overall (beginner → advanced): Gupax — GUI for mining Monero on P2Pool using XMRig. Easy setup, decentralized payouts.
- Power users / scripting: XMRig — The go-to RandomX CPU miner (Windows/Linux/macOS/FreeBSD).
- Big farms / many workers: kiloproxy or XMRig Proxy — High-performance stratum proxies that reduce pool connections and centralize config.
- Turnkey nodes: PiNodeXMR (Raspberry Pi) and xmr.sh (server script) for quick Monero node deployments that pair perfectly with P2Pool.
- Fun/community fork: Gupaxx — Gupax fork that integrates XMRvsBeast raffle and extra features.
Why Gupax Is the Best Starting Point
Gupax bundles what most miners end up using anyway—XMRig + P2Pool—and gives you a friendly interface to run it right:
- Decentralized payouts (P2Pool): Rewards go straight to your wallet on-chain. No custodial pool balances, fewer trust assumptions.
- Proven hashrate (XMRig): Same engine solo users run by hand, now with easier setup.
- Sane defaults: TLS, P2Pool main/mini selection, and easy wallet/address entry so you’re mining in minutes.
Quick Start (Gupax)
- Download: Grab Gupax from gupax.io (verify checksums/signatures where provided).
- Wallet address: Paste an XMR subaddress for payouts (generate in your wallet).
- Select P2Pool type: Mini for lower hashrate/home rigs; Main for higher hashrate.
- Performance: Enable Large/Huge Pages if prompted; let Gupax/XMRig auto-tune threads.
- Mine: Click start. Your payouts appear directly in your wallet when blocks are found.
Want the raffle and some community extras? Try the fork Gupaxx.
Alternatives & Complements
XMRig (raw miner)
If you prefer command-line control or custom scripts, XMRig remains the standard.
./xmrig -o -u YOUR_XMR_ADDRESS --tls --coin monero
Stratum Proxies for Many Rigs
- kiloproxy — Extremely high-performance XMR/Cryptonote stratum proxy.
- XMRig Proxy — Battle-tested proxy that works with any pool/miner (NiceHash support too).
Run one proxy per LAN, point all your miners at it, and forward a single upstream connection to P2Pool/pool. This slashes connection overhead and simplifies config/updates.
Monero Nodes (great with P2Pool)
- PiNodeXMR — A Raspberry Pi build for private Monero nodes. Quiet, low-power, 24/7.
- xmr.sh — Script to stand up a “supercharged” Monero node on a fresh server quickly.
Running your own node boosts privacy and reliability, and it’s the ideal companion to Gupax/P2Pool.
Other Notables
- SRBMiner-MULTI — Popular RandomX miner with granular profiles (advanced users).
- P2Pool (Monero) — Documentation, main vs mini info, public nodes.
Tuning Tips (RandomX)
- Large/Huge Pages: Turn on Large Pages (Windows) / Huge Pages (Linux) for a noticeable boost.
- Threads: Start with 1 thread per physical core, then adjust. Leave a core free for system responsiveness.
- RAM matters: Faster, low-latency memory can improve RandomX more than small CPU clock bumps.
- Thermals & power: Good cooling sustains clocks; undervolting often improves perf/watt.
Security & Best Practices
- Download from official sources: Gupax (gupax.io), XMRig (GitHub), etc. Avoid random mirrors.
- Verify files: Check signatures/hashes when provided.
- Use a subaddress: Keep mining payouts separate from your main wallet address.
- Backups: Securely back up your seed and any pool/proxy configs.
Helpful Links
- Gupax: gupax.io | Listing: Monerica
- Gupaxx (fork): github.com/Cyrix126/gupaxx | Listing: Monerica
- XMRig: github.com/xmrig/xmrig | Listing: Monerica
- kiloproxy: github.com/kilopool/kiloproxy | Listing: Monerica
- XMRig Proxy: xmrig.com/proxy | Listing: Monerica
- PiNodeXMR: Manual | Listing: Monerica
- xmr.sh: xmr.sh | Listing: Monerica
- P2Pool: p2pool.io
Bottom Line
For 2025, the smartest stack is Gupax (XMRig + P2Pool) for set-and-forget mining with direct, on-chain payouts. Add a lightweight node (PiNodeXMR or xmr.sh) for privacy and reliability, and consider a stratum proxy (kiloproxy or XMRig Proxy) if you manage multiple rigs. That combination delivers top RandomX performance with the least friction—and the fewest trust assumptions.
