NiceHash Miner

NiceHash Miner (NHM) is NiceHash’s multi-miner Windows client for people who run dedicated GPU rigs and want the software to pick the best-paying algorithm for them. If you are looking for a NiceHash Miner download, here is what it does and what to check before installing it.

NHM does not mine coins to a pool of your choice. It sells your hashpower on the NiceHash marketplace and pays you in Bitcoin. To do that it downloads miner plugins, including third-party miners such as Gminer and lolMiner alongside NiceHash’s own Excavator, benchmarks every algorithm on every card, and switches to whatever is most profitable at current NiceHash prices.

NiceHash Miner at a glance

What it does

• Manages miner plugins: Excavator and Gminer preinstalled, NanoMiner and lolMiner optional, with automatic plugin updates.
• Benchmarks each enabled algorithm on each device, with Quick, Standard and Precise modes. It stores the speed and power figures it measures per device and uses them for switching.
• Profit switching uses NiceHash’s market prices. A smoothing filter and a switch threshold stop the rig from jumping between algorithms on small price changes.
• Can stop mining when your calculated profit drops below a minimum you set, using the electricity price you enter.
• A watchdog restarts a miner that crashes or hangs, and the program can check for GPUs that have dropped off the bus.
• Lets you set extra launch parameters per device and per algorithm, passed straight to the underlying miner.
• Can mine only while the PC is idle, and accepts experimental user-defined plugins for other miners (unsupported by NiceHash).
• Shows hashrate, power, temperatures and balance per device. The rig also appears as a named worker on your NiceHash account.

How miners use it

Set up a new rig

1. Install current NVIDIA or AMD drivers and Windows updates first. Set the Windows paging file to at least 60% of the total VRAM in the rig.
2. Install NHM and enter your NiceHash Bitcoin mining address. Since 3.1.1.5 there is no web login inside the app.
3. Give the worker a name so you can recognise it on the NiceHash website.
4. Run a benchmark before you mine for the first time, and again after any hardware, driver or plugin change.

Fix a benchmark that fails or looks wrong

1. Re-run the failing algorithm on Precise.
2. If it still fails, disable every other algorithm and turn off “Hide mining windows” in Settings, then mine that one algorithm and watch the miner’s console.
3. Once the hashrate is stable, type it into the Benchmark Speed field for that algorithm. NHM uses your figure for switching.

The same values live in configsdevice_settings_<UUID>.json; edit it only while NHM is closed.

Stop the rig from switching too often

1. Open Settings and find the switching options. Raise SwitchProfitabilityThreshold slightly. A value of 0.05 means a new algorithm has to pay 5% more before NHM switches.
2. Disable algorithms that crash or run hot on your cards. NHM won’t benchmark, mine or switch to a disabled algorithm.
3. Enter your real KwhPrice and set MinimumProfit so the rig stops mining when it is not worth the power.

Install and first run

NHM runs on 64-bit Windows 10 or newer. Each GitHub release includes an installer, a ZIP package and a password-protected ZIP for cases where a browser blocks the normal file. If the program will not start, install the Microsoft .NET runtime and the Visual C++ 2015 redistributable listed in the README. GitHub shows a SHA-256 digest for each release file, so compare your file against it before running it.

Antivirus products regularly flag NHM and its miner binaries as potentially unwanted software, because this kind of software is abused for hidden mining on other people’s computers. NiceHash’s documented approach is to add the NiceHash Miner folder as an exception in Windows Defender after unpacking. If miner files disappear after a benchmark, your antivirus probably removed them. Mine only on hardware you own or are authorised to use.

NiceHash’s release notes also advise against keeping wallets or sensitive data on the PC that runs NHM, because it cannot vouch for every third-party miner it bundles.

Limitations

• Mines to NiceHash only, with payouts in BTC. You can’t point it at your own coin pool.
• Windows only. The GitHub releases contain no Linux or macOS build.
• The third-party plugins are closed source and charge their own developer fees, documented by their authors. These fees are on top of NiceHash’s service fees.
• The public source on GitHub was last updated in March 2023. Every release tag since 3.1.0.8, including 3.1.1.6, points to that same commit, so you can’t rebuild current releases from the published code.
• No release since October 2025, and the algorithm list shrinks as NiceHash drops markets.
• Earnings depend on NiceHash market prices, your electricity cost and the Bitcoin price. There are no fixed returns.

NiceHash Miner vs alternatives

NiceHash makes two Windows clients. NiceHash QuickMiner runs only NiceHash’s own Excavator (plus a NiceHash-built XMRig for CPU). It starts mining without a long benchmark and is built around OCTune overclocking and undervolting. NiceHash Miner trades that simplicity for more algorithms through third-party plugins, full benchmarking and finer switching control. If you want to mine a specific coin on a pool you choose, run a standalone miner such as GMiner or Rigel directly. For remotely managed Linux farms, look at Hive OS.

FAQ

Is NiceHash Miner safe?

It comes from NiceHash’s official GitHub, but it downloads third-party closed-source miners, so NiceHash recommends a machine without wallets or sensitive data.

Is NiceHash Miner a virus?

No. Antivirus software flags it as potentially unwanted, as it does almost every miner; verify the SHA-256 and use a folder exception.

Is NiceHash Miner free?

Yes, the program costs nothing. NiceHash takes its service fees from mining payouts, and third-party miners such as Gminer and lolMiner take their own developer fees.

NiceHash Miner vs QuickMiner: which should I use?

Choose QuickMiner for a gaming PC where you want quick setup and built-in tuning with NiceHash’s own miner. Choose NiceHash Miner for a dedicated rig where you want more algorithms, benchmarking and profit switching across several miners.

Does NiceHash Miner work on Windows 11 or Linux?

It requires 64-bit Windows 10 or newer, so Windows 11 is covered. There is no Linux or macOS release of NiceHash Miner.

Is NiceHash mining still profitable?

That depends on your GPUs, your electricity price, NiceHash’s current hashpower prices and the Bitcoin price. Enter your power cost so NHM can stop when profit falls below your minimum.

Why does NiceHash Miner say miner files are missing?

Usually your antivirus removed the downloaded miner binaries, or the automatic download failed. Add the NHM folder as an exception and restart the program so it can fetch the plugins again.

Last checked against official sources: 1 October 2026 (developer website: nicehash.com). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.