UG-Miner is a free, open-source mining manager for Windows that watches mining pools in real time, finds the algorithm currently paying the most, and runs the matching miner. It suits people who already own a graphics card rig and want the software to handle the constant job of switching between algorithms and pools rather than doing it by hand.
Instead of picking one coin and one miner, you let the program benchmark your hardware, compare live earnings, and move your GPUs to whatever looks most profitable at the moment. It is aimed at hobbyist miners and small operators who want a hands-off setup, and it is most useful for people comfortable reading configuration files and troubleshooting a few technical details.
What Is UG-Miner and How Does Automatic Switching Work?
Cryptocurrency mining with graphics cards is not a fixed activity. The most profitable algorithm changes with the market price of coins, the difficulty of the network and the number of miners competing for the same reward. A rig that earns well on one algorithm today may earn less tomorrow.
UG-Miner addresses this by polling pool data continuously. It estimates the earnings for each algorithm your hardware can run, weighs those numbers against measured performance, and launches the miner that appears to pay the most. The switching is the core of the program: it is less a single miner than a decision engine sitting above several miners.
People sometimes confuse this kind of tool with a simple miner. A miner performs the hashing itself. A manager like UG-Miner decides which miner to run, and when.
Who Is UG-Miner For?
The program fits a few common situations. A home user with one or two GPUs who does not want to watch prices every day can let the software handle the switching. A small operator running several Windows machines can use the same configuration approach across the rigs.
It is less suitable for someone who has never configured mining software before. The documentation and the requirements list assume you are willing to set up external accounts, optionally install hardware monitoring tools and read logs when something goes wrong.
Because the program focuses on GPU mining, owners of specialized ASIC hardware will find that a different class of tool better matches their equipment.
Practical Use Cases
A typical scenario is an overnight rig. You configure the program before going to bed, enable idle detection so mining runs while the PC is unused, and check the earnings graph the next morning. If the market shifted toward a different algorithm overnight, the manager would have moved the hardware accordingly.
Another scenario is testing hardware efficiency. Because benchmarking runs on your own cards, you can see which algorithms your particular GPU handles well and which waste power. Pairing that data with the power cost setting shows whether a given algorithm is net positive after electricity.
A third use is keeping a record. The switching log and balance tracker give you a timeline you can compare against your electricity bills, which is often the simplest way to find out whether mining is actually paying for itself.
Key Terms You Should Understand Before Using UG-Miner
Several terms appear throughout the program and its documentation. Hashrate is the speed at which your hardware performs the calculations a given algorithm requires, usually measured in hashes per second. Higher hashrate generally means more opportunities to earn, but only relative to the algorithm's difficulty.
A mining pool combines the work of many participants and shares rewards proportionally. Pools usually have a payout threshold: you accumulate a balance until it reaches a minimum amount before the pool sends funds. The requirements note that keeping the number of pools small can help you reach that threshold sooner, because your earnings are not split across too many accounts.
An algorithm such as Ethash, KawPow or SHA512256d defines the mathematical puzzle miners solve. Different algorithms favor different hardware, which is why automatic switching across algorithms can matter. Finally, the developer fee is a small percentage of your mining output that goes to the program's maintainer; here it is listed at 1% and can be reduced to 0%.
How Profitability Estimates Should Be Read
Profitability figures are estimates built from current pool data, benchmark results and the power cost you enter. They are useful for comparing options, but they are not guarantees. Market prices, difficulty changes and pool behavior can all move the real outcome after you start.
When you read the earnings graph, look at trends across days rather than single readings. A short spike in estimated income often reverses. Comparing the gross figure with the net figure after power cost is the most honest check on whether a setup is worth continuing.
The program does not remove market risk. It only automates the choice among options you have configured.
Key features
Simple Configuration
Automatic Benchmarking
Idle Detection
Fully Automated Operation
Automatic Miner Downloads and Updates
Web and Legacy Graphical Interfaces
Earnings Graph and Balance Tracking
Low Developer Fee
Power Cost Calculation
Miner Switching Log
Supported Pools
Supported coins
The documentation mentions Bitcoin (BTC) as a supported coin in the context of pool payouts and auto-conversion. Mining is carried out through algorithms rather than individual coins: the software works with Ethash, KawPow and SHA512256d, and the pools you connect determine which coins you actually receive. Your available options depend on the pools you configure and the algorithms your hardware can run.
How to install UG-Miner on Windows
- 1
Download the Program
Get UG-Miner from the official project page or from its GitHub repository, where the source code and release files are published. Use only the official website or the GitHub Releases page to obtain the Windows build or installer.
- 2
Verify the File
Before running anything, check the SHA-256 checksum of the download against the value published by the project, or verify the digital signature if one is provided. A mismatch means the file should not be run.
- 3
Run the Installer or Extract the Build
Launch the Windows installer, or extract the portable build to a folder you control. Keep the program in a location you can find later, because the miner binaries it downloads will be stored alongside it.
- 4
Prepare Your Accounts
Register with the services the program relies on. The requirements list NiceHash registration as necessary, and Kryptex registration if you want pool auto-conversion to BTC. Note that for some countries private usage of NiceHash is no longer possible, so check this before you begin.
- 5
Optional Hardware Monitoring
If you want temperature and sensor data, install HWiNFO. The project documentation, in the file ConfigHWinfo64.pdf, explains how to configure it to work with the manager.
-
Run with Administrator Rights
The project recommends running the program with local administrator privileges, using the UG-MinerAsAdmin.bat launcher. This lets the software set file permissions and firewall rules without asking you during operation.
System requirements
- Windows operating system with a graphics card supported by NVIDIA CUDA or AMD OpenCL
- A registered NiceHash account, and a Kryptex account if you use pool auto-conversion to BTC
- Local computer administrator privileges recommended for file permissions and firewall rules
- Optional: HWiNFO for hardware sensor data
How to use UG-Miner
Setting up UG-Miner is mostly a matter of preparing accounts, entering your options and letting the program run. Work through the configuration before leaving a rig unattended, and check the first few cycles closely.
- Launch the program with the administrator launcher so permissions and firewall rules can be applied.
- Open the configuration and enter the pool details and the accounts you registered with NiceHash or Kryptex.
- Enter your electricity cost so that the profitability estimates account for power expense.
- Choose the algorithms to include or exclude, and keep the pool list short as the requirements recommend.
- Allow the initial benchmarking run to finish so the program has measured data for your hardware.
- Enable idle detection if you want mining to run only while the computer is not in use.
- Start mining and open the web or legacy GUI to watch the active miner and current estimates.
- Review the earnings graph and switching log after a day or two to confirm the setup behaves as you expect.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with the source code publicly available on GitHub
- Automatic benchmarking tests your actual hardware before relying on it
- Low developer fee of 1%, and it can be set to 0%
- Automatically downloads and updates miner binaries
- Includes power cost calculation for more realistic net estimates
- Offers both a web interface and a legacy GUI
- Setup assumes familiarity with pools, accounts and configuration files
- Some features depend on third-party registrations such as NiceHash
- Private NiceHash usage is not available in some countries
- Automatic switching cannot remove market risk or guarantee earnings
- Depends on the health of external pools and miner binaries
Is UG-Miner safe?
Mining software needs a careful approach because it runs continuously, touches your network and downloads executable files. Download UG-Miner only from the official project website or its GitHub Releases page, and check the SHA-256 checksum or signature before running it. Never enter a seed phrase or wallet recovery phrase on third-party websites, and never share your credentials with anyone who contacts you about the software.
Mining tools are sometimes flagged by antivirus programs because of their network activity and the miner binaries they fetch. A flag is a reason to verify the source, not a reason to turn protection off entirely. Keep your antivirus active and add exclusions only for folders you have verified.
The project status shows that it is no longer maintained, and its last code update is dated 2026-10-30. Treat that as a reason for extra caution: check the repository's recent activity and the latest version before you rely on it.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/UselessGuru/UG-Miner. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
UG-Miner competes with other automatic mining managers. RainbowMiner and MultiPoolMiner also switch between pools and algorithms, so the choice often comes down to which configuration model and interface suit you. NiceHash Miner is built around the NiceHash marketplace, which makes it simpler to start with but ties your setup to that single service. NiceHash QuickMiner aims for an even more streamlined experience with fewer choices.
Some tools prioritize simplicity over control. Pasiv and Kryptex offer one-click style mining with payouts in fiat or crypto, which suits people who want minimal configuration. Salad takes a different approach by renting out spare PC power for rewards rather than managing your own mining. Awesome Miner targets larger setups, including farms and ASIC hardware.
UG-Miner stands out for its automatic benchmarking, power cost calculation and low optional developer fee. If you want a self-directed manager for GPU rigs, it is worth comparing it with RainbowMiner and MultiPoolMiner before deciding.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- v6.9.2
- Last update
- 30 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/UselessGuru/UG-Miner
Frequently asked questions
Yes, UG-Miner is listed as free and open source. It has a developer fee of 1% that can be set to 0% in the configuration. You should still account for electricity costs and any pool fees when judging whether mining is profitable for your hardware.
Yes, the program supports Windows and is available as a Windows build or installer. Download it from the official website or the GitHub Releases page, verify the file, and run it with administrator rights if you want the software to manage permissions and firewall rules automatically.
The documentation names Ethash, KawPow and SHA512256d among the algorithms it works with. Available options depend on your hardware and the pools you configure. NVIDIA cards use CUDA and AMD cards use OpenCL, so both vendors can be part of a single rig.
The requirements list NiceHash registration as necessary. Registration with Kryptex is needed only if you want pool auto-conversion to BTC. For some countries, private usage of NiceHash is no longer possible, so check your eligibility before you set up the program.
Safety depends largely on where you get the file. Download only from the official website or GitHub, verify the SHA-256 checksum or signature, and never enter a seed phrase on third-party sites. Antivirus tools may flag mining software, so verify the source instead of disabling protection.
Yes, idle detection is one of the features. When enabled, the program can run mining while you are away and pause when you return to the computer. This is helpful on machines you also use for everyday work.
The developer fee is listed at 1%, and the program allows it to be set to 0%. Review the current configuration before starting, because the fee affects how much of your mining output you keep.
The project status indicates that it is no longer maintained, and its last code update is recorded as 2026-10-30. Check the GitHub repository for recent activity and confirm the latest version before relying on the software for ongoing mining.
Verdict
UG-Miner is a free, open-source option for people who run GPU rigs on Windows and want automatic algorithm and pool switching. Its benchmarking, power cost calculation and low optional developer fee are its strongest points. It fits hobbyists who are comfortable with configuration and external accounts. Because the project is marked as no longer maintained, check the repository and the latest version before committing a rig to it, and treat all profit figures as estimates rather than guarantees.